What are the differences between Japanese and European knives?
Generally, unless they are handmade or special editions, Japanese knives consistently offer the following advantages over their European counterparts:
Japanese knives are harder and therefore have better edge retention. An exception are chef's knives from the Japanese manufacturer Global (except for the SAI series), which are designed for the European market and are as hard as European chef's knives. Otherwise, Japanese knives are usually constructed with three or more layers. In the middle is the hard cutting layer, flanked by one or more layers of softer steel. These layers protect and stabilize the hard cutting layer and create an attractive pattern. This technique is also called San Mai. The use of high-quality steel also results in another advantage. Due to the finer structure of the steel, it can be forged thinner and subsequently ground thinner. This has the advantage of less resistance when cutting, and the food itself has a finer cut surface. This is noticeably apparent, for example, when cutting onions, as you have to "cry" less. Another difference is that all Japanese knives can be maintained at home, because no authentic Japanese knife has a bolster at the blade heel. This is the thickening found on almost all European knives. This bolster prevents you from keeping the entire blade sharp, because firstly, you would damage your whetstone if you tried to straighten the bolster, and secondly, if you did try, it would take a very long time to accomplish.
