Authentic Japanese chef knives are famous all over the world for their design and durability.
One knife can cost anywhere between $100 to a few thousand dollars, and there are a few factors that explain the high prices of these knives.
Factor 1: Japanese knives are handcrafted, and it takes over ten years for a knife-maker to master the art of making a Japanese chef knife.
Not anyone can make an authentic Japanese chef knife—it takes 10+ years of practice/experience to master heating, hammering, sharpening, and polishing the blade.
One of the defining features of a Japanese knife is its supremely sharp edge, and it takes a highly skilled knife-maker one full day to sharpen one blade.
It is said that a Japanese knife maker can master hammering in three years, but it takes a lifetime to master sharpening.
Before sharpening, the blades are hammered, and this causes dents on the blades.
This dented finish is called the tsuchime finish that adds tremendous efficiency to the knives as the dents prevent the food from sticking to the blade.
Tsuchime also adds a beautiful and uniqueDents end up at different locations on each blade because it is done manually.aesthetic to the knife.
Factor 2: High-cost material.
They are made of extra hard steel with metals such as molybdenum and nickel so that they can hold their edge longer.
This kind of steel is otherwise used in industrial applications requiring tools capable of cutting steel and withstanding tremendous forces and high temperatures.
For the premium range, sandalwood or deer antlers are used for the handles.
Factor 3: Scarcity and privilege.
Because they are handcrafted and use expensive materials, they can’t be mass-produced—this creates scarcity and privilege.
Also, Japanese blades are lighter and thinner and are known for the right balance between the blade and the handle, making the cutting effortless, and so, chefs all over the world prefer them.
