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Brands and lineups

Most big brands sell several lines that look alike but use different steels. The steel, not the logo, sets the hardness, the rust risk and how the knife sharpens. Read the core steel in the listing first, then the handle and the price.

Japanese lines
Shun, Miyabi, Global, MAC, Tojiro
German lines
Wusthof, Zwilling, Henckels

Shun builds most of its lines on VG-MAX or VG-10 with a 16 degree edge per side. Miyabi, made in Seki for Zwilling, uses FC61 in its Kaizen II and Evolution lines and SG2 in Birchwood and Artisan, sharpened to 9.5 to 12 degrees per side. Global uses its own Cromova 18 steel with one piece stainless handles.

German makers such as Wusthof and Zwilling use X50CrMoV15 at about HRC 56 to 58. These blades are softer and thicker, so they shrug off rough use but need sharpening more often. Their current edges are 14 to 15 degrees per side, so the gap to a Japanese edge is smaller than it used to be.

Warranty terms and sharpening services differ from brand to brand and change over time. Check the maker's own page before you buy, and buy from an authorized seller so the warranty applies.

balanceTOP VIEWEND

Octagonal wa

Light, eight flat faces, works in either hand.

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D-shaped wa

Light, with a ridge for the fingers. Made for one hand.

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Western yo

Full tang between two scales and three rivets. Heavier at the back.

Wa handles are light, so a wa knife balances farther forward on the blade. A yo handle moves the balance back toward the bolster. Balance marks are typical, not measured.

Common mistakes

  • Comparing two knives by brand name when they use different steels.
  • Assuming every knife from a Japanese brand is made from the same hard steel.
  • Buying from an unauthorized seller and losing the warranty.

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