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The German knive you're using in this clip and you're refering to at 3:50 have different shoulder designs. Pay attention to the details in the descripion to each model when buying. There are many models. And you have to know your preferences about the balance such a knive will have in your hand. I personally like Herder's "Windmühlen" 4" classic stainless steel vegetables knive with cherry handle. Second is a German knive identical to that you showed in the clip. Both I'm using for over a decade. Here is a list of knive makers of Solingen: Herder, Güde, Felix, Burgvogel, Gehring, Heiso, J.Giesser, Böker, Mertens and Zwilling. Other brands like WMF offer knives of similar quality. Same applies to Swiss made knives. You don't have to go fancy and restrict yourself to stainless steel. But you may.
I have a variety of knives and sharpen all of them regularly. For precision slicing the Japanese wins. General cutting, German or Swiss. Vegetables, cheap Nakiri. Culinary decorations, Japanese petty. My wife always goes for the hefty Wusthof cooks knife and makes a point to keep out of her way when she is cooking. All are good, even the cheapies.
Good comparison. Knives are very personal and I suspect many people would benefit from having both. IMO if someone, especially those who grew up around Western knives wants to effectively use, not break and enjoy Japanese knives they need to study a little and change how they hold the knife and slice with it.
As long as you can keep your bearings it’s good to have an array of knives from both for different tasks at hand but limited to one collection from each of two manufacturers you choose from so that you’ll instinctively know which knives you’re holding in your hand while working.
I think you should take a look at the Tojiro DP or their color series, both chef knives in their respective series come in at under $100. They both also have western style handles with a simple satin finishing on the blade. The DP series comes with VG-10 steel (entry level of "hard" Japanese steels) but the color series uses a softer steel comparable to AUS-8 or the 440B in most German knives.
Tojiro DP series knives offer excellent value for money. Their style is roughly half way between the German and Japanese knives at a price only a little more than German. If you can't manage $300 for a knife then do take a look.
To check for food adhesion I always test on potato. I have a full flat that no light pass under a ruler, it sticks so much to potato I can even grab the knife by the potato. Smooth german steel can work fine but it need a slight convexity. It works best if its barely visible without a ruler. An obvious convex will create a shoulder. With german steel harness you need to respect the 15 degree and dont go lower than that but you can use instead a 15 degree microbevel and make it can be extremely fine. Thick edge on western knives is traditional choice but not a steel limitation.
I think the Swiss knives tend to fall into the German category. Regardless, my Swiss knives have been excellent in my forays into the cuisine of Luzon(mostly poultry and pork centric)
I agree. I think most people think the Chinese knife as a butcher knife to chop through bones other than a tool that can delicately do so much more than that.
I'm guessing that the Chinese are not faking German knives as regularly as they are faking Japanese knives. A Chinese company that has an office in Japan to 'launder' Chinese copies of Japanese knives is not selling Japanese knives.
Hmmm...no reviews on RU-vid. Not many stores sell them. On Amazon, they sell them but no reviews. If they are so good, I would think the word would get around and people would buy them. I'll stick with my Henckels and Wusthof knives. Knives are all very old technology, so to me, all of the top name brands are close enough. A good Japanese knive are all close. Berti is a stainless. Probably not much different than a Wusthof. I'm sure you probably think there is a big difference, but probably not too many other people think that.
easier to grind and easier to sharpen are not the same things. but imo this idea it too advanced for casuals. additionally, hardness isn't what really makes steel hard to grind, its actual content does. yes the same steel will be harder to grind the harder it is, but between different steels the difference is much greater. and harder steels are actually easier to sharpen generally.
I would like to throw in the Italian Coltelleria Saladini collection. The handles are suberb and plesantly shaped for precise control, the blades are very sharp. Common kitchen cooks that are Not Gordan Ramsey Chefs do not need 8 inch razor blades in their amature hands.
Does anybody have any recommendations over which type of knife makes my food taste better? I have both Japanese and German. Just kidding the journey is at least as important as the destination
@@PrudentReviews Thank you. I just got done reading your review and it was great. Thanks again. I have owned Cutco for many years now(I received a three knife starter kit for a weeding gift and now I have many more) They definitely would not have been my first choice but I'm not starting over since they are an investment. I would love to have a ZWILLING Professional S 8-inch, Chef's knife over my Cutco Chef knives but my wife would kill me.
@@apuz13 I both agree that Zwilling knife is a good one, and sympathize with the budgetary concerns. If you're looking for more economical choices, Chinese made knives may be worth considering. Most Chinese products will be less expensive, and they do make some good knives. As well as some poor ones of course. But Chinese brands have done a fair amount of imitating other knife brands, sometimes fairly successfully. My primary challenge with the Chinese knives, is that it's usually a mail order scenario, which makes it harder to go to a store and hold a knife before buying. Being able to hold a knife in your hand is an invaluable step. Whether the handle fits your hand, may well be the biggest factor in whether you like a knife. One of the factors that greatly affects the cost is the steel. The harder steel choices tend to be more expensive. Which means that if you happen to be decent at sharpening your own knives, a less expensive knife, with a less hard steel, could well work fine. All in all though, there are many choices, and many aspects to personal preferences and needs. It's very common to hear advice that an 8" German chef knife is the only knife you really need, and will be your workhorse. For some that is true. But I know many that find a 7" santoku serves their primary needs more effectively. For reference, I just did a quick check on Amazon, and found a set that looks good for $36.00, chef, santoku and paring. That's the sort of price that might fit in with some Christmas gifting. And Amazon does have good return policies. Maybe your wife wouldn't kill you if it was on the wish list?
@@stevewebber707 Thank you for your input. I do already own a full Cutco set so I really do not need any more knives but ever since I was just starting out as a cook I always wanted a Zwilling or Wusthof. I have been out of the food service industry for many years now so I really do not need great knives anymore. Thanks again
I have chipped my Ikea chef knive. Japanese knives are not for me! I bought a Wüsthoff santotu knive - a different one from the one shown in the video. It is less shart and less light than it's Japanese siblings, but it is very sharp and very light.
Agree. Way too many "different" models with often only minor differences, and quality has gotten worse and worse over the years (same with other German knife manufactures as well, WMF for example, should be ashamed of itself. My parents still have their old Wüsthof and Zwilling knives from the 80ies or so, they are amazing and on another level. Today, Zwilling knives are often sold off in coupon & bonus promotions by German supermarkets.
