Best Japanese Kitchen Knives for Five Different Prep Styles

How the Five Compare on the Numbers

The five sets on this page differ most clearly in published edge angle and published hardness. The KnifeSaga set lists the most acute edge at 10 degrees per side, while the HOSHANHO set lists the least acute at 15 degrees per side. The Atumuryou set sits between them at 12 degrees per side, and the imarku set lists 13 degrees per side. The Brewin set does not publish a per side angle at all.

Hardness figures are published for four of the five sets. The Atumuryou set lists 62 HRC, the HOSHANHO set lists 60 HRC, the imarku set lists 57 plus or minus 1 HRC, and the Brewin set lists 56+ HRC. The KnifeSaga set does not publish a Rockwell figure. Piece counts range from three to fourteen, and only the HOSHANHO set publishes width, depth, and height.

The table does not tell you how any of these knives cut, because nobody at Lush has used them. It also does not tell you the blade thickness, the spine width, or the balance point, because no manufacturer on this sheet publishes those figures. The table reports what the makers state, and nothing more.

Edge Angle and What It Signals

The published angle range

The KnifeSaga set publishes a 10 degree edge, which is the most acute figure on this sheet. The Atumuryou set publishes 12 degrees per side, the imarku set publishes 13 degrees per side, and the HOSHANHO set publishes 15 degrees per side. A lower published angle means the maker states the blade is ground thinner at the edge. The Brewin set does not publish a per side angle.

These figures are statements from the manufacturers, not measurements taken here. A reader who wants the most acute published edge has one clear option on this sheet. A reader who wants a more obtuse published edge has another. The difference between 10 and 15 degrees per side is five degrees as published, which is the largest angle gap among the four sets that state a figure.

What the angle does not cover

The published angle says nothing about how long an edge holds up in a home kitchen. Edge retention depends on steel, hardness, and use, and those factors vary across these five sets. The Atumuryou set pairs its 12 degree edge with a published 62 HRC, while the imarku set pairs a 13 degree edge with 57 plus or minus 1 HRC. The KnifeSaga set publishes a 10 degree edge but no hardness figure.

The Brewin set is the only one of the five that publishes neither a per side angle nor a named Japanese steel grade. It lists 1.41 German stainless steel at 56+ HRC. That is a published fact, and it is the reason the set sits apart from the other four on this sheet.

Steel, Hardness, and Handle Materials

Named steels and published hardness

Three sets name a specific steel. The Atumuryou set uses a VG10 core with 67 layers of Damascus cladding. The HOSHANHO set uses 10Cr15CoMoV. The Brewin set uses 1.41 German stainless steel. The imarku set states Japanese high carbon stainless steel without a grade name, and the KnifeSaga set states Japanese steel without a grade name.

Published hardness tracks with those choices. The Atumuryou set lists 62 HRC, the HOSHANHO set lists 60 HRC, the imarku set lists 57 plus or minus 1 HRC, and the Brewin set lists 56+ HRC. The KnifeSaga set does not publish a hardness figure, so a reader cannot place it on the same scale. The spread from 56+ to 62 HRC is six points as published.

Handles and published weights

Four sets describe a wood-based handle. The Atumuryou set uses stabilized wood and ocean-blue resin, and the imarku, HOSHANHO, and Brewin sets use pakkawood. The KnifeSaga set describes contoured non-slip handles without naming a material. The Atumuryou set states that each handle is one of a kind because of the resin pour.

Weight is published for three of the five sets. The Atumuryou set is the lightest at 1.1 pounds, the imarku set is 1.57 pounds, and the Brewin set is the heaviest at 2.6 pounds. The HOSHANHO set publishes 1.98 pounds, which is the figure the maker states. The KnifeSaga set does not publish a weight, so it cannot be placed in that order.

Which One Fits Your Kitchen

You want a Damascus pattern and a light set. The Atumuryou 3-piece set publishes 67 layers over a VG10 core at 62 HRC and weighs 1.1 pounds, the lightest figure here. It covers chef, santoku, and paring tasks.

You want the most pieces in a single box. The KnifeSaga 14-piece set includes steak knives, shears, and an acacia wood block with a built-in sharpener. It publishes a 10 degree edge, the most acute figure on this sheet.

You want a five-piece set with a published angle. The imarku 5-piece set lists a 13 degree per side edge at 57 plus or minus 1 HRC and weighs 1.57 pounds. It includes an 8 inch chef knife and a 7 inch santoku with a granton edge.

You want a published 15 degree edge and full dimensions. The HOSHANHO 3-piece set is the only pick that publishes width, depth, and height, listed as 4.0, 1.5, and 1.5 inches. It lists 60 HRC and a 15 degree per side edge.

You want a heavier handle feel. The Brewin 5-piece set is the heaviest pick at 2.6 pounds and lists 1.41 German stainless steel at 56+ HRC. It does not publish a per side edge angle or dimensions.

What We Could Not Verify

Several figures a reader might want are not published by the manufacturers on this sheet. These are the gaps.

• Blade thickness for any of the five sets.
• Spine width for any of the five sets.
• Balance point for any of the five sets.
• A per side edge angle for the Brewin set.
• A Rockwell hardness figure for the KnifeSaga set.
• Width, depth, and height for the Atumuryou, imarku, Brewin, and KnifeSaga sets.