Why Japanese Chef’s Knives Are So Expensive | So Expensive

Anything Japanese “It takes years to master”

this is pure romance when you dedicate your whole life to master an art

Japanese appreciate quality over quantity. Many years ago my Japanese boss said “we appreciate how long a company has been in business. Americans appreciate how big a company has become in a short period of time.”

This is the best “so expensive.” They’re delivering a quality product, not just selling on scarcity

youtube at 2 am: do you want to know why Japanese chef's knives are expensive? me: yeah why not

I had a feeling my Amazon “traditional Japanese knife “ wasn’t the real thing

I have 3 Takamura knives. The quality and attention to detail put into their Knives is crazy and because of it the ease of maintenance is fantastic. One of the best investments I've made in my kitchen.

You can tell that they are not doing it for the money but out of passion. Such craftsmen are so rare to find these days. Highly appreciate their dedication and handwork.

It practically pay's for itself with how many sandwiches you can make off 1 tomato when your cutting them thinner than a sheet of paper.

Still remember purchasing a knife in Tokyo. After selecting the knife we we invited to sit down and drink tea. The knife was sharpened in front of us and then its sharpness demonstrated with the newsprint challenge. It was then wrapped in tissue paper and boxed before being ceremoniously handed to us. Very nice. Reverence to the workmanship.

Respect to this man. My aunt married into a family that made Japanese gardening shears in Kyoto for generations, but my uncle ruined the business. He got lazy and gave up the craft and tried to make a living as an antiques dealer instead. The name of his family’s brand was famous and respected but it will die with him, tarnished by his mishandling and sleazy business practices. It’s one thing for one person to be dedicated and sincere - for these families that can keep that going for multiple generations by passing the torch and not letting it burn out - that deserves true respect.

Even though its completely different, i feel the same about my work at a USA acoustic guitar factory. I work in the finish department, and a lot of my time is spent buffing guitars on a big buffer wheel. There really is nothing like bringing a raw piece of wood to a beautiful high end finish with your hands. Long live the craftsman, and craftswoman!

Seeing people so proud of their craft puts a smile on my face.

You: squeezing/smashing whole tomato trying to cut slice Japan:

This is so true. i bought a Japanese knife when i was holidaying in japan before Tsunami and this knife remains the sharpest in my kitchen with regular maintenance.

As someone who genuinely loves Japanese culture (I mean everything, not just anime and ramen lol) I really do admire the fine art of Japanese pottery but this art of crafting knives I would say is quite new to me. It's very fascinating how perfectly thin it can cut that tomato! I'm amazed honestly. If this has been a long-lived practice, then their stabby weapons in the Edo period must've been DEADLY SHARP

'The soul of the person who made it and uses it resides in a knife' Such a japanese thing to say

Japan: We’re disbanding samurais and there’s no need to make weapons now that we have guns Blacksmiths: Oh no (looks at chefs) anyway

As a person who cooks a lot you can really tell that Japanese knifes are just as beautiful as a pice of art just like food. It has been on my bucket list to get one.

I'm always in awe when I look at mine from Yoshimi Kato... what a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, well balanced, very nice "rough" simplistic design... every time I work with it I can't help but look at it for a few moments before putting it back. I really hope this art never dies out.