Best Japanese Carbon Steel Knives Buying Guide

Historically, most of the best Japanese knives were made in Carbon steel, when stainless steel was considered as the premium most in the cutlery world. The Best Japanese Carbon Steel Knives today are still cost-effective, and sharp as well.

To become an advanced chef, or if you as an advanced chef, now want to become professional, choosing the best Japanese knives should be your priority. Because it is a complete companion to your kitchen journey.

Our Top 3 Picks of Best Japanese Carbon Steel Knives

Best Japanese Carbon Steel Knives | At A Glance:

In a hurry? Just take a look at our “ At a Glance” section to choose the best carbon steel knife right now. To get more details for that specific knife, use our table of content, to directly jump onto that one.

IMAGE	PRODUCT	SHOP
Overall Best	DALSTRONG Chef Knife – 9.5″ – Phantom Series Benefits: With a Balanced blade, A Comfortable handle, Sharp & versatile blade, Best for vegetables, Durable yet lightweight Best for cutting: Vegetables, fish, boneless chicken, fileting, steak, beef, fruits, meats, & leaves.	Shop Here
Best All-Rounder	TUO Chef’s Knife, 9.5″ Dishwasher Safe Ring-RC Series Benefits: An Impressive edge retention, Pretty easy to sharpen blade, Lightweight yet balanced knife, Double bevel sharp steel knife, Comfortable and easy to handle Best for cutting: Meat, beef, chicken, steaks, cooked meal, veggies, fruits, leaves, and herbs.	Shop Here
Best Sharp	KUMA 8 inch Chef Knife – Japanese Carbon Steel Benefits: A sharp blade, Layered Carbon steel, Quiet Lightweight knife, Double bevel blade 16°, With Non-Stick pattern Best for cutting: Meat, vegetables, fruits, dry fruits, beef, chicken, fish, steak, leaves, BBQ, & semi-cooked stuff as well.	Shop Here
Best Durable	YOSHIHIRO High Carbon Steel Wa Gyuto Knife 8.25″ Benefits: Simple yet beautiful knife, An Extremely sharp blade, Lightweight & balanced, Comfortable & full-tang, A Durable & tough blade Best for cutting: Meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, herbs, steaks, dairy products, & grilled stuff.	Shop Here
Best Edge Retention	KYOKU Samurai Series – 7″ Cleaver – Carbon Steel Japanese Benefits: A Lightweight cleaver, Pretty reasonable price, With Ultra Sharp blade, Truly a Non-Stick blade, A Comfortable handling Best for cutting: Meat, leaves, spices, chilies, steak, beef, chicken, veggies, fruits, and herbs.	Shop Here
Best for Gift	WEKIT Chef Knife 8 Inch Carbon Steel knife (type2) Benefits: A beautiful chef knife, With the Sharp blade, Versatile & full tang, With Non-stick pattern, Lightweight chef knife Best for cutting: Fish fileting, sushi, meat, steak, veggies, fruits, herbs, and cooked meals.	Shop Heren
Best for Beginners	KYOKU Samurai Series – Chef Knife 8″ – Japanese Carbon Steel Benefits: 15° per side blade angle, Quiet Comfortable handle, Versatile, yet Sharp blade, Lightweight yet affordable, Best knife for beginners Best for cutting: Mincing, dicing, chopping, cutting of meat, beef, chicken, steaks, vegetables, and fruits.	Shop Here
Best Comfortable	Kessaku Japanese Chef Knife – Samurai – Carbon Steel, 8-Inch Benefits: Sharp blade knife, The durable steel, Best handle knife, Very Well Balanced, An easy to maintain Best for cutting: Fish, mutton, beef, pork, steak, cheese, veggies, fruits, and dairy products.	Shop Here
Best Budget	KONOLL Chef Knife Japanese (8-Inch) Pro Carbon Steel Benefits: Well-Balanced knife, A Lightweight build, Comfortable handle, With a Sharp blade, Durable build quality Best for cutting: Fruits, fish, vegetables, meats, & meal preparation.	Shop Here
For Light Use	MICHELANGELO Pro Japanese Chef’s Knife, Carbon Steel Benefits: Lightweight knife, The Durable steel, Easy to clean knife, Comfortable handle, For casual & light use Best for cutting: Meal preparation, vegetables, fruits, steak, & cooked meat.	Shop Here

Composition of the Best Japanese Carbon Steel knives:

You might be saying that these knives got rust frequently, and this is somewhat true. The more carbon a knife has, the easier it is to capture the rusting. However, traditional Japanese knife manufacturing methods have not died yet!

To keep the cost lower, & increase profits some manufacturers add more carbon into it. Now, they do not technically add carbon into it. Instead, they cut down other non-ferrous elements, which automatically enhances the carbon ratio.

If a knife contains less than 2% carbon content, there is a chance of rusting. However, if it’s less than 1.6 – 1.5%, then it is still going to capture oxidation, but you can by-pass this process if you immediately dry it after hand-washing it.

There is still a fixed ratio of vanadium, molybdenum, cobalt, tungsten, or chromium, but it is comparatively less than the stainless steel. The ultimate goal of these additions is to protect the knife from frequent rust, to give it longevity.

Overview of Carbon Steel Japanese Knives:

A good thing about carbon steel knives; they are hard to break, chip, or bend due to high carbon contents in their microstructure. This ultimately provides you with a good edge, and sometimes the sharpening process takes your patience.

Comparatively, there is no such a big difference when it comes to the sharpness of the blade. But, there could be a huge difference in its pricing, as stainless steel is expensive cutlery material.

After all these things, we don’t want to keep turning you as this is more than enough for you to take care of. So, without any additional thing, let’s exclusively dive into the list of the Best Japanese Carbon Steel Knives.

Best Japanese Carbon Steel Knives | Our Best Picks & Review:

1. DALSTRONG Chef Knife – 9.5″ – Phantom Series

Let’s get started with Dalstrong, a brand that doesn’t need to be praised to you. This tool is the launch for the year 2017, & it is the 4th best boning knife out there. Thousands of chefs have already left positive feedback after using it.

Build Quality & Material:

Dalstrong is using its one of the most durable, and premium most steel, that is actually for the first time, that you would have ever heard. This knife features Japanese steel, known as AUS-08, Dalstrong’s creation.

You are exploring a knife, that is an ice-tempered piece of steel, which owns a Rockwell hardness of 58 HRC. When comparing to stainless ones, this is a bit less, but actually, it is more than enough both for the price, and the material.

To enhance the durability, even more, Dalstrong is using heat treatment as well, which binds the microstructure of the steel core. Once cooled down, the elements pack them to each other. Hence, it becomes more durable & premium.

Sometimes, heat-treated steel becomes hard though, but it lefts a chance of sudden crack, making it very risky. To avoid this potential danger, Dalstrong is using trusted Nitrogen cooling, to make it flexible, versatile, and eventually hard.

Cutting & Performance:

Being a Dalstrong’s craftsmanship, the knife performs well for any sense of cutting. The steel has made the knife hard, and its blade one of the sharpest ones. Not only that, but it has also got an immense edge retention, that doesn’t bend.

It is a single bevel knife that has got an angle of less than 15°, giving the knife a clean angle to make it even sharper. This gradually lower downs, but the average is going to be the same. There is little to no chance of rusting undoubtedly.

As the blade is completely clean & there is no Tsukihime pattern, then it means it is going to stick the ingredients in some sense. However, you can still by-pass this just by eventually cleaning it.

Overall, the knife performs sharp cutting, which is an ideal requirement for a chef. Both the edge, blade, and the spine are durable, that is supported through its D-shaped full tang handle.

Best for cutting:

Vegetables, fish, boneless chicken, fileting, steak, beef, fruits, meats, & leaves.

2. TUO Chef’s Knife, 9.5″ Dishwasher Safe Ring-RC Series

Successor to the Dalstrong’s boy belongs to TUO, that is again a chef knife. This one has the launch for the year 2018, which is now ranking as the 22nd best chef knife out there.

Build Quality & Material:

As a TUO knife, this one is using a Japanese steel, known as AUD-10, which is a perfect compound of both stainless and high carbon steel in its composition. It has got a slightly higher ratio of vanadium, & chromium, which makes it rust-resistant.

This specific knife holds a blade length of .5-inches, which has a width of a little bit more than two inches from its bolster’s side. The knife is not that thick in its blade, which helps you to take accurate, precise, and fine cuts into the ingredients.

With this knife, you can expect a long-term relationship, as this owns a Rockwell hardness of 62 HRC, which is even better than the Dalstrong’s one. This hardness gives it more resilience that makes it stand out for a way long time comparatively.

Cutting & Performance:

TUO has made the knife in double bevel angle, which has sharp edges on both sides. If you are a left-handed chef, then this one is going to perform well in your hands, as this is not a single bevel blade.

It is a sharp knife that you can test yourself through paper cutting. The listed angles for every side has a range of 12 to 15°, which is more than enough for its sharpness. The edge is also good, but you need to be careful, as it is sharp.

To prevent the knife’s blade from sticking on its blade, the knife has got a shallow Tsuchime pattern, that is not so dense, making the knife a non-stick piece. Eventually, the knife is easy to sharpen by the three-step Honbazuke method.

Best for cutting:

Meat, beef, chicken, steaks, cooked meal, veggies, fruits, leaves, and herbs.

3. KUMA 8 inch Chef Knife – Japanese Carbon Steel

The next chef knife is a member of Kuma’s house, which is a result of Japanese Carbon steel. This one has the same launch as the Dalstrong, but it is more lightweight than that.

Build Quality & Material:

It is the second knife on the list, with an AUS-10 steel core, that holds a thickness of 2.5mm. On the Rockwell scale, the knife hits a hardness level of a bit less than 60HRC, which makes it even harder to break than the first one.

The knife doesn’t capture the rust frequently if you are used to immediately during the knife after washing it. Not only that, the knife has a core, which doesn’t bend easily, giving the destruction more tough time.

Besides these things, the knife is made up of layered steel, which makes it the first one on the list with layered construction. This ultimately enhances the longevity of the blade, which makes it more resilient.

Cutting & Performance:

Even being Chinese manufacturing, the knife is still extensively sharp due to its Japanese producers, and the material as well. The knife is V-shaped, which translates it to a double bevel knife.

With this knife, the bevel angle is less than 16° for its single side. Just to make the knife non-stick, the blade features a shallow Tsuchime pattern, that prevents the ingredients from sticking on to its blade.

The knife owns a decent edge, which is not straight or tapered, but partially round. This makes the edge stand out even better, both in terms of longevity, and durability, without chipping or bending easily.

Yes, the blade width is slightly tapered, which gradually lowers the wideness of it. From its bolster at the handle side, it is wider, as compared to its edge. Plus, the knife is using a comfortable handle, that is not the full-tang though.

Best for cutting:

Meat, vegetables, fruits, dry fruits, beef, chicken, fish, steak, leaves, BBQ, & semi-cooked stuff as well.

4. YOSHIHIRO High Carbon Steel Wa Gyuto Knife 8.25″

Only Yoshihiro on the list, with its 8.25-inches Gyuto knife, that is a launch of 2013. By far, it is the senior-most launch, which is ranking as the 27th best Gyuto knife out there. If you have a budget to spend, this is a good bang for the bucks.

Build Quality & Material:

Usually, Yoshihiro uses pre-planned materials from its premium fleet. But this time, the steel is custom made, & this is why it hasn’t got a specific name yet. It features almost the same ratio of Molybdenum as of its carbon content.

It is a slightly expensive knife as compared to other ones, and the most premium one on the list. So, if you are willing to spend a bit less than two hundred bucks, then you can keep going. Otherwise, save your time by skipping this.

To make it durable, and hard to break, the knife is made through the ice-hardening technique, which has brought a Rockwell hardness to 60 HRC. This steel ensures durability, longevity, without getting dull easily.

Cutting & Performance:

Even though the knife doesn’t come with any pattern on its blade, it still doesn’t rust, captures stains, or sticks to the ingredients. This is the beauty of Yoshihiro’s craftsmanship, that makes it exceptional.

This is a very thin, & light blade, that has got a decent edge retention to tear down any sort of material. Its razor-sharp blade tells that it truly belongs to Yoshihiro. The knife is a double bevel that still performs its cutting tasks nicely.

It is the first knife that comes with a completely wooden sheath that protects the knife from oxidation, to make the knife keep working for a long time. This sheath is known as Saya, which is extracted from the Mongolian trees.

Best for cutting:

Meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, herbs, steaks, dairy products, & grilled stuff.

5. KYOKU Samurai Series – 7″ Cleaver – Carbon Steel Japanese

In the middle of the way to the Best Japanese Carbon Steel Knives, we have got you covered with the first and only cleaver knife on the list, that belongs to Kyoku. This is a launch of the year 2018, & comes with a sheath out of the box.

Build Quality & Material:

Officially, this is the first knife that is using high carbon steel in the construction of its blade. It is a plain steel, that doesn’t own any modification in its micro-structure or the composition of it.

Its steel core provides you a long life, that also holds a good edge retention, which ultimately boosts the cutting performance. This steel has a Rockwell hardness rating of 58 HRC, which is an acceptable thing for the price.

Even being a high carbon steel knife, this is still lightweight when looking at its composition, & when comparing it with other ones on the list. To lower the injury risks, the handle is slightly filleted, which has torn down the sharp edge.

Cutting & Performance:

With the addition of cobalt, the cleaver has now become sharper, as this is a main missing thing in ordinary cleavers out there. The cutting core is now stronger, which makes the cutting, slicing, & dicing relaxed.

Being a cleaver, the blade is double bevel, which makes it usable for both handed chefs. Now, you being either right-handed or left-handed, can treat the meat at your best skills, without struggling.

Moreover, the knife is holding an angle of up to 15° on each side, which makes the sharpening pretty easy with its traditional 3-step Honbazuke technique. Blade is not just durable, it is also flexible, versatile with its comfortable handle.

Best for cutting:

Meat, leaves, spices, chilies, steak, beef, chicken, veggies, fruits, and herbs.

6. WEKIT Chef Knife 8 Inch Carbon Steel knife (type2)

This is a Japanese knife brand, based in the United States, that helps them keep their costs lower, which ultimately results in inexpensive knives. It is one of their latest launches, from 2020. In this short time, they are now in 100 best chef knives.

Build Quality & Material:

Wekit is using or better to say, manipulating the VG-10 steel, which is one of the best steel from Shun, and sometimes it is also available in Yoshihiro’s knives. After modifying this thing, it is now known as high carbon stainless steel.

This steel can resist rust and corrosion, which leads to an extended timeline of durability. They are calling its core (as the core is made up of High Carbon steel) as super core, and it is somewhat true to listen and to check.

In terms of durability, the knife is notable for its hardness, which is rated at 58 HRC on the Rockwell hardness scale. The knife is suitable for professional chefs, so if you were looking for yourself, it is a good deal to grab right now.

Cutting & Performance:

As the knife is using a 67-layered steel, this also leads to a sharp blade along with durability, and versatility. The lamination on its blade makes the knife resist rust, which is a main challenge for carbon steel knives, and it is resolved now.

The blade is quite flexible, which is now able to afford additional stress or pressure on its core. Honestly speaking, the knife is using one of the most beautiful blades that captures your attention.

Its Tsuchime sort of pattern marks the knife as non-stick ones, which also makes the knife our choice as the best gift to future chefs. The knife has a good edge retention, that is also durable.

The handle is a full-tang, which is beautiful in terms of looks. There is a bolster, that keeps the handle assembled, that doesn’t open up easily. Though the handle is comfortable, it could be even better than its current status.

Best for cutting:

Fish fileting, sushi, meat, steak, veggies, fruits, herbs, and cooked meals.

7. KYOKU Samurai Series – Chef Knife 8″ – Japanese Carbon Steel

Kyoku for the second, yet for the last time on the list of the Best Japanese Carbon Steel Knives. This specific model is a launch of the year 2018.

Build Quality & Material:

Kyoku is now using a true high carbon steel, which is tool steel, that also works fine for cutlery. This steel has a Rockwell hardness of somewhere 58HRC, which makes the knife durable enough to last for a year or two.

This lightweight knife is using tempered steel, which is commonly known as heat treatment. As you can never expect a layered steel at this price, Kyoku has tried its best to make this knife feel proud.

The 8-inches long blade is slightly tapered, making a slightly circular shape on its spine. This results in durable structure and also leads towards versatility. Overall, the knife is well made, that is recommended for casual and household tasks.

Cutting & Performance:

For the price, the knife performs impressively when it comes to sharpness. It is a double bevel knife, that plays its part in making it sharpen out of the box. The knife keeps its edge for a long time, that is a good thing to see for this knife.

With this knife, you are supposed to deal with the meat, & butchery related tasks perfectly, as this is a good sample of Samurai swords. Its thick edge helps you to get it done, without losing stability, or bending the knives inside the meat.

Moreover, the double bevel angles are using 15° on each side, which creates a V-shaped blade profile. Not only that, this is using a Pakkawood handle, that makes the feeling, & handling smooth yet comfortable at the same time.

Best for cutting:

Mincing, dicing, chopping, cutting of meat, beef, chicken, steaks, vegetables, and fruits.

8. KONOLL Chef Knife Japanese  (8-Inch) Pro Carbon Steel

A budget knife for professional chefs, that is usable for light tasks in your commercial kitchen. The knife is a launch of the year 2020.

Build Quality & Material:

This knife comes in two basic variants, with only the difference between their blade sizes. It is the first knife, and maybe the only knife, which is using European German-made steel in its core, named as 5CR15MOV.

This is using an extended ratio of non-ferrous materials like cobalt, molybdenum, & Vanadium, but the carbon part still dominates each of them. It is a good match for daily usage, & especially for trimming stuff in your outdoor professional kitchen.

The knife has a Rockwell hardness score of 58 HRC, which has a slightly tapered angle as well. Konoll is trying to make the edge possibly the best, and it is already achieved somewhat. But, it could be even optimized for a durability point of view.

Cutting & Performance:

By far, this is the only Best Japanese Carbon Steel Knife that features a dense Tsuchime pattern, that is a true sense of traditional Japanese pattern. Though it makes the knife non-stick, it becomes hard to dry in this little area.

This is the only major con of it, being a carbon steel knife. The rest of the things are still best. The blade comes sharp, that doesn’t slow your cutting experience. But, the sharpening procedure takes some time.

Last thing, the blade has a wide spine, which makes the knife well-balanced. Moreover, the handle is also comfortable, but not the full tang, so be careful when pushing it hard on the cutting board.

Best for cutting:

Fruits, fish, vegetables, meats, & meal preparation.

9. Kessaku Japanese Chef Knife – Samurai – Carbon Steel, 8-Inch

Next carbon steel Japanese knife belongs to Kessaku, a relatively newer yet local brand, manufacturing the real Japanese knives. This knife is a launch of the year 2018, & it has got hundreds of positive ratings across the United States.

Build Quality & Material:

The knife is using a middle term of both stainless and high carbon steel. This steel is more than enough durable for cutlery products, that is what you are looking for. These knives are batch-processed, which makes them inexpensive.

7CR17MOV is a formulated steel, that is using almost the same construction of German steel, with a slightly little difference in non-ferrous elements placement in its structure. The edge is not that straight, but it protects it from damage also.

It is a partially forged core knife that has a Rockwell hardness of somewhere 58HRC, which is more than enough for this price. Still, the knife is durable, that doesn’t bend down easily, or start chipping.

Cutting & Performance:

Kessaku has made the knife to protect it from rust, due to its non-ferrous composition. This kitchen tool comes sharpened out of the box, that doesn’t need any pre-sharpening before using it.

Though the knife is not truly non-stick, its shallow textured pattern on its blade prevents some specific ingredients from sticking onto it. The spine is also slightly wide, which makes you take deep cuts, without losing stability.

Here, the blade is double bevel, which was expected for this price. The handle is also really impressive, as you have finally got a full tang handle, making the overall knife versatile. This knife has the most comfortable handle in this entire list as well.

Best for cutting:

Fish, mutton, beef, pork, steak, cheese, veggies, fruits, and dairy products.

10. MICHELANGELO Pro Japanese Chef’s Knife, Carbon Steel

Winding the list of the Best Japanese Carbon Steel Knives, & we have got you covered with MICHELANGELO’s carbon steel knife, which is one of the cheapest ones on the list. It has a launch year of 2020 by the way.

Build Quality & Material:

This knife is using the same steel, as we had in Kessaku’s case. The knife is really hard to break, but brittle at the same time due to its edge. Now, the steel core itself is not brittle, but the edge will get distorted if it accidentally falls.

The steel is Japanese though, and it is durable as well. It gives rust-resistant support, which is expected for the price. But, there’s still a chance of rusting, due to its carbon steel construction.

Cutting & Performance:

For its performance, the knife is sharp out of the box. Now, sharpness is not the greatest. But, when looking at its price, this is a god-gifted sharpness we would say. The knife is a double bevel, which supports the sharpness even more.

Last but not the least, this tool is a Non-Stick knife, that comes with a dense etched Damascus sort of pattern on its blade. This doesn’t stick to the ingredients, and it is also fairly easy to clean.

To make the knife comfortable, it comes with a wooden handle, that holds a full-tang design to make the knife versatile and balanced. Still, it is heavier on the side of its handle. Overall, it is ideal for casual use in your home kitchen.

Best for cutting:

Meal preparation, vegetables, fruits, steak, & cooked meat.

Best Japanese Carbon Steel Knives | Frequently Asked Questions

The Bottom Line | Best Japanese Carbon Steel Knives

As you know, stainless steel knives are expensive, but in the end, they are worth it. However, you should be using those SS knives, only in your professional cooking. To maneuver your cutting skills, you should choose Carbon Steel Japanese knives.

Carbon Steel knives are cost-effective, which gives almost the same sharpness, & as compared to stainless steel Japanese knives. Especially, if you are on a short budget, the Best Japanese Carbon Steel Knives are a good start then.

After going through this list, we are assuming that you have now picked up at least one best Japanese Carbon steel knife. Whatever knife you choose from this list, all of these worth your time, money, & can help you master your skills.