What to look for when finding a new knife is very personal; weight, balance, style / type, handle-shape, material and steel etc. Are all factors people can choose on or off, there is no exact answer to what is best. However, I would always encourage you as a buyer to visit some shops and try as many knives as possible before deciding what you like. Are you a chef or in other ways visit kitchens, then see if you can borrow some knives from colleagues, try some different ones and find out what you like.
Unfortunately, there are people in the knife industry who do not have morals completely on their side. We see more and more knives that have been produced cheaply / badly i.e. China, but then sold as top quality Japanese knives. During my years in the knife industry, I have noticed some consistent features of companies I think have a dubious business strategy. I want to gather here some of the points I think should make your alarm bells ring:
- Often the knives are only sold online
- Often you will see i.e.70 percent discounts on entire knife sets
- Many “cheat companies” will tell fancy stories about samurai swords and all sorts of other buzzwords, whereas more real companies will stick to lowkey facts.
- You can always try to ask about: manufacturer, rockwell / hardness, steel type, handle material etc. If the seller can answer with a convincing answer, you may want to put your money somewhere else.
- If you have the opportunity, ask to see 2 of the same knife, if the damask lines are the same, then avoid buying them, it could very well indicate that they are etched or printed and therefore not properly made..
