What Is the Difference Between German and Japanese Knives?

Suppose you think of buying a great knife and making it an effective accessory in your kitchen and not just a dull chunk of steel that just remains as a showpiece in your kitchen. It’s an intense debate that everyone wants to get a top-notch blade in double or single bevel knives, but they are not sure whether to go with a German knife or a Japanese one. So, before opting for any one of them, you must know which knife will be best suitable for him.

Working

Consider the German and the Japanese knives in this style: – German nights are generally used as a workhorse. On the other side, Japan made knives are used for fine and delicate slicing purposes. A German Knife has a thicker and heavier body and has the ability to cut through chicken bones or deliver a perfect slice of winter squash which is too hard to slice with a normal knife. The blade of a German knife is slightly sharper and more rounded around its belly, making it useful for all purposes. At the same time, you should use Japanese knives with caution as they are made for work that require extreme precision. They need a little more of your attention as they are fine and thinner at their edges and can chip.

The difference in Blade Angles

A single bevel knife can ground to a variety of different angles. The angle defines the level of sharpness of the knife. As the cutting angle of the knife you are using is narrow, the cutting path also becomes smaller. it will take through with less damaging the food.

German knife: – German knife’s angle is slightly wider than the Japanese one. It’s about 17.5°.
Japanese knife: – The angle of a Japanese knife is much narrower than any other. Hence, it should be handled with care and caution. Its angle is about 10-15° per side of the blade.

The difference in Hardness and Durability

The manufacturing process behind German and Japanese knives and the quality of steel used in them are not same. Some steel is much harder in comparison to other steel. So, we use the Rockwell scale to determine the hardness of steel. The higher reading is on the scale, the tougher the steel is considered.

German knife: – The scale reading of a German knife is around 57.
Japanese knife: – Japanese knife is a little harder than the German knife as its reading is approximately 60-63 on the scale.

A Japanese knife’s texture is slightly harder and will hold an edge better than any other, whereas a German knife has softer steel which is more durable.

Conclusion:

Every chef wants their kitchen knife to serve a distinct purpose for him in every situation and according to their needs. However, the harder on scale measure option isn’t necessarily the better choice when it comes to professional knives. So, do deep research according to your needs before making such a decision.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates