Best 6 Japanese Chef Knives of 2024 – Tested and Reviewed

Your cooking is as easy as the number of tools and equipment you have. So, if you are thinking of investing in a quality knife, you want to go for the best Japanese chef knives. The shun classic 8 inch chef knife is the best one according to our recommendation but it depends on our requirement which knife is good for us. Due to that purpose we also list five more knives in the below list.

Japanese knives are highly demanded because of their beautiful and detailed design and also give fantastic cuts while using them. Their blades are thin, long lasting and made with high quality material. It provides thin, accurate cuts and amazing representation which is similar to five star japanese restaurants.

There are dozens of types of Japanese chef knives and which one is good for you depends upon your needs. Luckily, we have researched, compared and compiled the list of best japanese chef knives in the market.

Top 6 Japanese Chef Knives

1) Shun Classic 8” Chef’s Knife – Editor’s Choice

This Japanese chef knife is made from a single piece of high quality stainless steel. Having a taper-ground edge, the whole tang blade is rust resistant and allows accurate and precise cutting of fruit, vegetable and meats. Shun classic 8” knife is our editor’s choice as it is the overall best japanese chef knife in ranking, review, features and quality. It is an all rounder knife having a cost of $130 to $150. The shun classic knife is a well balanced knife that comes with a forged blade made with carbon steel which is double bevel as well.

Furthermore, the handle is made with pakkawood and comes in black appearance with asymmetrical round shape. Its blade angle is 16 per side and having rockwell hardness of 60 to 61 that is amazing. The entire length is 15”/38.1cm and length of blade is 8 inches. The weight is another advantage which is 7.1oz/201.28gram. The blade is made in the USA and comes with a limited lifetime warranty + free lifetime sharpening. Of course, keep in mind that you have to wash it by hand.

Tip from reviews: Please do not send it for free expediting. Better to take it to a local knife maker.

2) Dalstrong Chef Knife – 8” –  Gladiator Series – Best Budget (Reasonable) Japanese Chef Knife

The dalstrong chef knife – 8” is a perfect combination of different usage, best quality, popular brand and nice price. It is very comfortable and ergonomic.  Having these features, this knife is great for carving, slicing, chopping meat and other ingredients. The blade is wide, sharp, and long enough to cut through a variety of foods.

DALSTRONG Chef Knife – 8” is the cheapest Japanese chef knife on this list. It’s smooth, strong, and beautiful. The knife is produced with high carbon German steel and is a full tang knife with an extraordinarily sharp edge. It is manufactured to magnificence with 56+ Rockwell hardness. Moreover, the cost of a dalstrong knife is 60 to 70$ which is a great investment in your kitchen. It has a double bevel and in-line blade with ergonomic, high flexibility black pakkawood for handling. The blade angle is 23 to 25 degrees and it is dishwasher supportable. Its entire length is 16’’/40.64cm and its weight is 10.40oz/294.83 gram. It is china made and comes with a lifetime warranty against defects as well.

3)Shun Classic Chef Knife 6” – 2nd Best Overall Japanese Chef Knife

It has gorgeous design and usage and due to these reasons, shun classic is top pick for both experts and novice chefs. The high carbon stainless steel sharp razor steel blade is coated with chromium to maintain its sharpness for a long time. The handle is made with pakkawood that is triple -riveted and gives a good aesthetic without any compromise on comfort and safety. This is a great knife to perform heavy tasks like chopping, precision, filleting and dicing etc.

The Shun classic chef knife 6” is an amazing product from shun brand and you can also say that it is a smaller version of 8 inches shun classic but the prices of both knives are the same. It costs you of 130$ to 150$ but the quality makes it worth it. With its smaller blade it provides an extraordinary boost for making it best for problem free kitchen use. The shun classic 6 inches knife is a well balanced knife with full tang blade made with VG-MAX steel. It is also super flexible, full tang, straight and double bevel knife. It is 11.63 inches/ 29.54cm long and weighs 4.7oz/133.24 gram. The blade is 0.75” thick, 6”long and it can do all the jobs such as mincing, pairing, cubing and slicing etc. to maintain it, you should wash it with your hand and avoid the dishwasher. It is made in the US and has a specific time warranty.

4) Dalstrong Chef Knife – 10.25” – Shogun Series – Best Damascus Japanese Chef Knife

The Shogun series is a beauty clinic. It can cut anything in front of him. The knife also comes with a design that makes it difficult for food to stick to the blade. Its handle is comfortable and you feel great, after slicing, dicing and cutting it is easy to clean. It is a longer version of dalstrong chef knife which is not only made with the best material but also uses high craftsmanship for making this knife.

It is one of the best japanese knives that have a decent design and efficiency. Its blade gives precise and wonderful cutting without any stain. If you are looking for the best Japanese chef knife brands, DALSTRONG is one of them and this Shogun series is one of their best products ever. The knife costs between $120 and $145. It’s well-balanced and comfortable enough to cut, chop, mincing, dicing and cutting. It comes with a forged blade made of Japanese AUS-10V super steel. It is also full leg, smooth and highly flexible. Its HRC score lies almost 62+ which is satisfied during chopping and cutting. The blade is 0.1875 thick and 6 inches long with 8-12 angles. Also, the total weight of the knife is 15.8inches/40.13cm and its total weight is 8 Oh bz/226.8Gr. Moreover, it comes with black ergonomic handle, made with G-10 material. It is very strong and comfortable, made in china and offers a lifetime warranty if it gets any defect.

5) Mac Knife Professional 8” – Best Hollow Edge Japanese Chef Knife

If you are looking for the best knife which can handle all kitchen jobs then this knife is specially for you. It is a comfortable, lightweight and adaptable knife. The hollow edge and dimple is another reason many chefs like to use it. This dimple enables the knife to move in and out of tough foods such as potatoes.

The Mac knife professional 8 inches is one of the best japanese chef knives and top hollow edge japanese chef knives you will find in the market. The most attractive feature of this knife is its design. The dimple also helps the blade slide smoothly through sticky foods like summer squash, potatoes, and apples. Its cost is 150$ to 180$ and it’s an all rounder knife which is good for slicing, chopping, cutting, mincing, pairing and dicing. It uses a stamped blade which is made from alloy steel. It is flexible but not as flexible as other knives we mentioned above.

Actually the blade is hollow, straight, full tang and HRC score lies between 60 to 61. The knife is 12.62 inches/32.05 cm long and weighs 6.5Oz/184.27Gr. Meanwhile, the blade itself is 7.88 inches long and 0.098 inches thick. Just like other best japanese knives, the handle is ergonomic and made with pakkawood and is in silver color. It does not support the dishwasher cleaning and comes with a 25 years warranty, made in the USA.

6) Global 8” Chef’s Knife – Best One-Piece Japanese Chef Knife

This knife is demanded because of their one-piece construction having extra ordinary geometry and cutting edge laser technology to give high performance and great slicing of meat, vegetables and fruits with very small efforts. The global 8” chef knife is a lightweight Japanese chef knife that is unique because of its one-piece handle design. Its sleek design is made up of high tech molybdenum/vanadium stainless steel. It is a very sharp and good knife for hassle-free cutting, dicing, chopping and slicing in your kitchen. The handle is constructed with stainless steel and perforated with dimple for secure grip and comfortness.

Furthermore, the handle is easy to grip and use. The price is 110$ to 160$, and comes with a well balanced and full tang feature. There are two blade models also available in this knife such as it could be stamped and it could be forged model. The blade is linear, double bevel and HRC score lies in between 56 to 58. The knife weighs 7.8 oz/221.13 gr and measures 14.72 inches/37.39 long. However, the blade itself measures 3.46 inches long and 0.94 inches thick. It has an appropriate silver colored handle that comes with a secure grip. It is handmade in Japan and comes with a lifetime warranty against wear and defects.

Thing to Consider When Buying a Japanese Chef Knife

It’s one thing to know the best types of Japanese chef knives on the market and what to look for when choosing. The first thing that should come to your mind when you are buying things is their quality and price. Beside this, you should also consider warranty, maintenance and handle etc as well.

Steel Type and Quality

The most necessary factor while selecting the best Japanese chef knife brand. Even if you plan to use your knife at home or in a restaurant, the first thing to consider is the type and quality of steel. The high value Japanese chef knife is made with top quality carbon steel. As this steel maintains the sharpness of blade and durability for a long time. If you are going to buy a reasonable japanese chef knife then don’t ignore the steel type and quality of knife ever.

Type of handle

There are various types of knife’s handle but handles are grouped into two categories: lighter and heavier handles. The weight of the knife depends upon the performance of the knife and for which purpose it will be used. Normally, the choppers come with heavy handles, slicers come with lighter handles but the best type of handle depends upon your personal requirements.

Maintenance

Generally, Japanese chef knives are easy to maintain. How you use your Japanese knives is important in looking after them and you don’t need to sharpen them all the time – their sharp edges stay sharp for a long time. Furthermore, all Japanese chef knives do not allow dishwashing. Like the best japanese chef knife shun classic 8” chef knife does not allow the dishwashing. To store your knife you can use a leather sheet before placing it in a knife block or you can also use a magnetic knife strip to attach it with your kitchen wall.

Warranty

Not all people pay attention to warranty as the knife is a basic item in the kitchen. But the products that come with warranty have some specific reason for their warranty as they have a high quality. The best Japanese chef knives are expensive and their warranty tells us that we are not wasting our money. And it is highly recommended that you choose a knife that comes with a lifetime warranty from the production house.