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Choosing a Japanese Knife

Until recently, American cooks have associated best quality cutlery with German manufacturing. The forged steel of chef's knives from Wusthof and Henckels have relatively thick, heavy blades that are sharpened evenly on both sides.

For many chefs, these traditional knives provide the right weight and balance for most tasks:

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However, the growing influence of Asian cuisine has boosted the popularity of Japanese chef knives. Brands like Shun are often favored in professional kitchens because their light weight doesn't cause as much fatigue as a heavier knife, and the razor-fine edges offer more precision and control:

"As seen on TV" chefs such as Rachel Ray of the Food Network, and chef-authors such as Anthony Bourdain of Kitchen Confidential have also popularized Japanese Chef Knife brand Global:

When choosing a Japanese chef's knife, it's important to understand how they differ from traditional German chef Knives. First, premium Japanese chef knife brands are often recognizable by their distinctive one piece design. They are surprisingly light weight and evenly balanced, a trait achieved by hollowing out the handle during production.

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Second, compared to traditional European knives, Japanese Chefs Knives are often stamped from a significantly harder steel alloy and ground to a narrower angle. This produces an extremely sharp knife which keeps its edge and allows for more accurate work, but takes longer to sharpen when dull.

As a result, Global and other Japanese Chef Knife manufacturers recommend using whetstones and ceramic sharpening rods as opposed to the European preference for sharpening steel.

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