Pick a Japanese Knife in 60 Seconds
A four-page decision tree. No marketing, no fluff.
Six questions. The right Japanese knife at the bottom.
DOWNLOAD THE FREE PDFNo email required. No strings. 12 KB. Printable.
The six questions
- What kind of cooking do you actually do? - gyuto vs santoku vs nakiri vs petty
- What is your maintenance honesty level? - the question most home cooks lie to themselves about
- What is your real budget? - sweet spots from $100 to $500+
- Are you also buying for someone else? - gift logic that prevents regret
- How big is your cutting board? - the sneaky variable that decides 180/210/240mm
- How patient are you with the search? - retailers vs ready-now options
Who wrote this
Andrew Kuzmin, Editor-in-Chief of Okami Blades. Vancouver. After a decade of answering "which Japanese knife?" by email, this is the version that should've existed all along. Editorial standards: okamiblades.com/pages/editorial-standards.
After the PDF
If the decision tree points you to one of our knives, great. If it points you elsewhere - to a Tojiro DP at $85, a Hatsukokoro single-bevel at $400, a Sakai honyaki at $1,200 - that's also great. The point of the guide is the right knife in your hand, not our knife specifically.
Pair this with our Knife Care 101 guide once you have the knife. Same goal: a tool that lasts a decade rather than a year.
Free to share. Please don't repackage.
