Are you looking for the best Japanese boning knife? It can be a challenging task because choosing a delicate but extra sharp knife can help you cut precisely, but it can also break the knife in no time, at the same time.
Whether you’re a professional or a home chef, you must be aware of the Japanese boning knives’ incredible sharpness in breaking down different types of meat and poultry. Indeed, they help you save time as well through fantastic performance!
But which one should you have?
In this article, to help you get the right Japanese boning knife, we’ve picked the best boning knives and reviewed them by keeping original buyer feedback in view. Not only this, but we’ll also help you know how you should choose your knife.
Keep reading; here we come!
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Best Japanese Boning Knife: Best Santoku Knives Reviews
1. Shun DM-0743 Classic Boning Knife
The first one on our list is the double-beveled Shun. It’s a 6-inch razor-sharp Japanese boning knife luxuriously hand-crafted from the finest Japanese materials.
Material and Build Quality
The knife material is VG-MAX steel, which doesn’t succumb to corrosion, even from acidic substances, heat, or moisture. Stainless steel also helps the knife retain its edge for a long time.
Design and Craftsmanship
The manufacturers have designed the D-shaped handle ergonomically, which provides a firm grip while comforting you. Ebony Pakkawood makes the knife handle beautiful. In short, the Shun is genuinely a fantastic mixture of functionality and artisanship.
Utility and Performance
Although the Shun is pricey, it’s an all-rounder knife, a perfect tool for amateurs and professional chefs alike. The knife has a fantastic grip thanks to its size and shape. The knife’s blade is stiff. Hence it doesn’t make good filet knives.
The curved blade helps to cut through meat easily and debone efficiently. The width of the blade is suitable for reducing friction, helping you do more work with less force and reaching hard to get corners. Hence, it’s ultra-sharp straight out of the box and slices through tough skin and tough meats like butter.
Speaking of the downsides of the knife, the tip is super thin. Therefore, it can break easily as the blade is stiff.
Pros
- They masterfully crafted the knife from the finest materials, and it’s aesthetically beautiful.
- The knife is ultra-sharp straight out of the box and retains the edge.
- The grip is comfortable and firm, thanks to the exceptionally designed handle.
- A narrow blade helps the Shun reach the nooks and crannies of the meat.
Cons
- Owing to the stiff blade, it’s not a good filet knife.
- It’s rigid, as most Japanese boning knives are. While sometimes this is a must-have, it causes the blade to become brittle, and the tip might break.
- The knife blade is less durable because of the thin blade.
2. Global 6.25″ Japanese Boning Knife
Here comes another excellent quality boning knife with a sharp edge. Thanks to its fantastic features, the Global 6-inch Flexible Boning Knife will quickly get the job done thanks to its great features.
Material and Build Quality
The single-piece design of this knife makes it much more durable than other similar knives. The knife has a flexible blade to get around bones and joints, making it a versatile boning tool.
The manufacturers have made the knife blade of high-grade stainless steel, Cromova 18: extremely rust-resistant to last a long time. The knife has high edge retention; it holds its edge for longer, and you won’t have to resharpen it again — it’s peace of mind to know, especially when you don’t know how to sharpen your $$$ knife.
The knife is ice-tempered with a hardness rating of 56-68 on the HRC scale, giving it a bit of flex. This flex helps you get into those unreachable corners.
Handle and Grip
The knife’s handle is the same piece of steel as the blade; it’s seamlessly attached to the blade.
As the handle is steel, you may think, “won’t that make the blade uncomfortable and slippery?”. You don’t need to worry about that as the blade is dimple patterned, maximizing the knife’s grip so it won’t slip out of your hand!
In short, the perfect balance of weight and performance gives you great control, making your cuts much cleaner and taking your cooking to the next level.
Because of the material, the knife’s handle is also non-porous. So, you never fear that an offensive odor will haunt your nostrils.
Utility and Performance
The global knife has pleased us. It’s a magnificent instrument for cutting and deboning with a 15-degree knife edge and ultimate precision.
This knife is high-quality stainless steel that doesn’t rust and stays super sharp. Even after long-term use, it’s elementary to sharpen if you need to sharpen it. The Global isn’t too heavy and is perfectly balanced for anything you might need to do with it.
Although this knife is pricey, its high-quality construction and sharpness make up for it.
Most customers were happy with this purchase. Yet care is crucial: it’s like a supercar that rewards you if you treat it well. This knife doesn’t come with a blade guard, so if you want to give it to someone, you need to buy the knife guard separately.
Pros
- It’s high-quality and durable, thanks to seamless construction and superb craftsmanship.
- The handle is comfortable and has a non-slip design.
- The knife is versatile; it will chop through whatever you throw.
Cons
- The knife doesn’t come with a blade guard.
- Extra care is essential for this expensive knife.
3. DALSTRONG 6 Inch Japanese Boning Knife
The DALSTRONG 6-inch boning knife is not made in Japan, but because of its below-20-degree edge, it’s one of the best Japanese boning knives. Thanks to its blade material, which is special Japanese steel that makes it razor-sharp.
Materials and Craftsmanship
This knife looks great from its specifications. Therefore, it’s great for gifting other people.
The architect of this knife makes it outstanding, along with the materials used; the performance seems hard to find at this price. The knife’s edge is as sharp as a scalpel, and they hand-finish it with a beautiful mirror polish.
Knife Design
The angle of the knife is incredibly sharp, only 8-12 degrees per side. They achieve it using the 3-step Honbazuke method. The blade is also durable. Indeed, Nitrogen cooled harness gives it corrosion resistance.
The triple-riveted design also gives the knife high-level robustness. The blade is well-balanced and tapered, reducing friction with the meat. Besides this, the inward curve also helps separate the bone by providing more maneuverability.
Handling and Control
The handle of this Japanese boning knife is made of high-pressure Fiberglass laminate, which helps it last for a long time. It’s resistant to heat and cold, giving you more comfort and control.
The handle is also comfortable and perfectly fits your hand, giving you more stability and accuracy while cutting.
Utility and Performance
Dalstrong is also ultra-sharp, as they advertised it. Most users love this knife because of its sharpness and the ability to retain that sharpness for a long time.
It’s dishwasher friendly and easy to clean. You can use the knife with any hand: right or left. Dalstrong has carefully designed it to make deboning satisfying and efficient. One more thing, we can’t forget to appreciate the outstanding customer support from Dalstrong,
Speaking of the drawbacks, this knife bends, even though it’s supposed to be ultra-rigid.
Pros
- The blade is high-quality Japanese steel and is sharp like a laser.
- The handle is fantastic, with excellent quality and comfort.
- Excellent customer service
Cons
- The blade might not be as high quality as advertised.
- The knife’s blade might bend easily.
- The handle may take up odors of water and fish.
4. Zelite Infinity Japanese Boning Knife
With its stunning visuals and aesthetics, the Zelite Japanese boning knife is one of the best Japanese knives. The Zelite is designed for extreme performance, which helps you cut through meat with minimal friction, making deboning more effortless than usual.
Material and Build Quality
The blade is 6 inches long and stiff, like most Japanese boning knives. It’s made of razor-sharp Japanese AUS 10 Super Steel, having 67-layer high carbon stainless steel to ensure ultra-sharpness.
The non-stick nature of the blade makes your life easier; in addition, it’s rust-resistant and holds its edge for a long time.
Design and Craftsmanship
This knife perfectly combines the elegance and quality that a modern kitchen needs. The packaging is seamless, and it’s great for gifting others.
Handling and Control
The Zelite knife’s handle is triple-riveted and rounded. It conforms perfectly to the hand and can withstand a lot of punishment.
The ergonomically designed handle provides outstanding control during operations, helping you cut through meat with even more ease. The edge retains its sharpness for a long time, though it may need some sharpening later.
Performance and Utility
The knife by Zelit is great as far as the performance is concerned. Its edge is only 12-15 degrees per side, meaning it’s incredibly sharp and can cut through everything effortlessly.
It doesn’t dull quickly, thanks to its edge retention properties. Thus, it remains sharp for a longer period to cut meat like butter and does its job of deboning straight out of the box.
Although these knives are expensive, they’re great value for money as they last pretty long. Though most reviews for this are pretty good, some critics suggest that the blade doesn’t come as sharp as some users claim.
Although the sharpness is workable, you might have better options for the sharpness.
Pros
- Beautifully designed knife with maximum performance.
- The steel is of high quality.
- A full tang handle gives it durability.
- The non-stick surface of the knife reduces the resistance while cutting.
Cons
- It may not be as sharp as advertised.
- The edge may not maintain its sharpness. You may need to re-sharpen it.
5. Daddy Chef 8 Inches Boning Knife Japanese
Do you want to take the next step in your culinary creation experience? It doesn’t matter if you’re a hobbyist or a professional chef. This Japanese boning knife will do that for you! This ultra-sharp and essential knife will drive your culinary journey light years ahead!
Blade Durability and Sharpness
The Daddy Chef boning knife is made of Japanese VG 10 steel with a Damascus pattern and 33 layers on each side, making it the perfect tool for performance. This knife is razor-sharp and can cut through anything in the kitchen.
Handling and Control
The Daddy Chef Knife’s handle is crafted from unique sandalwood (the second most expensive wood in the world) that gives the knife strength, durability, stability, and resistance to moisture.
Design and Quality
The daddy boning knife comes with excellent packaging, better than they expected. The makers designed the knife well with superior ergonomics, and the materials used to manufacture it are high in quality. The blade easily cuts through and debones tough meats.
Utility and Performance
We highly recommend this knife because it’s comfortable and functional. This knife fits the hand well and is balanced well. The blade has minimal drag and lovely weight and is super sharp out of the box.
The knife’s blade is 8-inches long. Therefore, it’s the perfect blade length for small animals and even for more significant cuts of meat. It chops, minces, slices, and debones meat precisely. Thanks to its size, it can even work as a cleaver knife!
Though the knife is pricey, the high-quality materials and build quality make it worth purchasing.
For the drawbacks, although the knife is sharp and has excellent ergonomics, the quality is lacking. After using it for four months, we scratched the blade up, and the blade got knicks on the cutting edge. So, you must take care of regular maintenance.
Pros
- The sharpness is superb right from the moment you unbox it.
- The high-quality materials of the knife give it excellent durability.
- The knife has excellent edge retention.
- It’s multifunctional; though specialized for deboning, it can do various tasks.
Cons
- The edge of the knife is wide.
- It’s heavy.
- Customer support isn’t satisfactory.
6. Kitory High Carbon Japanese Boning Knife
Next up on the list, we have the Kitory Japanese Boning knife. This premium quality knife is worth a detailed review. Here we begin.
Material and Build Quality
It’s a high-quality forged knife with a razor-sharp, high-carbon stainless steel blade and an ergonomic Pakkawood handle. The Kitory is built for multi-functional use, from boning and skinning to trimming and filleting.
This knife is affordable and does what it needs to do efficiently. The blade is 7 inches long, as it’s specialized for deboning. The narrow design of the blade, paired with laser-sharpness, helps it glide through flesh with virtually no resistance.
The high-carbon steel ensures the knife doesn’t go dull and keeps its sharpness longer. This knife has a polished blade, making it more aesthetic. Corrosion resistance makes it stay beautiful and stand out in your kitchen.
Handle and Grip
Along with the superb sharpness, the handle is also incredibly comfortable and gives the user high stability and control even when it’s wet. The ergonomic shape of the Pakkawood handle also makes the knife easier to use.
The sloped bolster also protects your hand while deboning. To put it simply, the grip is matchless for its tier. Yet, the handle material is porous and invites germs’ colonies if not appropriately maintained.
Utility and Performance
Although this knife is affordable, that doesn’t mean it lacks performance compared to other knives! The cutting quality is outstanding, especially for this price. This knife is so sharp that it cuts through an inch-thick steak as if it were butter!
It has a well-balanced blade, and the precision is fantastic with the handle. The super-sharp knife has a nice weight, making it extremely easy to use. One of the buyers said that it’s like the blade does the work for you while cutting!
Though this is a fantastic knife, it lacks a few things. This knife doesn’t come with a sheath, so you better not leave it unattended and handle it with care.
Buyers say it loses its sharpness quicker than other knives, and you may need to sharpen it often.
Pros
- The ergonomic Pakkawood handle makes it easy to control and debone meat with ultimate precision.
- This knife contains the finest materials, making it super tough.
- The blade is corrosion and rust-resistant.
- They make the edge of the blade for precision.
Cons
- The knife is not full tang, making it less durable.
- The knife may lose sharpness, so you have to sharpen it often.
7. Kai Boning Knife NFS Certified Cutlery Knife
The Kai professional Japanese boning knife is a 6.5-inch deboning knife made by the makers of the Shun knives. It has 92% user satisfaction. Should you have it or not? Why not read the review?
Material and Build Quality
The Shun has equipped their Kai boning knife with a high-grade versatile blade that will provide fantastic results while deboning or even fileting meat.
The knife comes with a curve in the blade, made from Japanese AUS6M steel and hand-sharpened to 16 degrees on both sides, making it laser-sharp and highly durable. The manufacturers finished the blade with a hammered design, reducing drag while slicing through meat.
The steel used for the blade is high-carbon and stainless, making it resistant to corrosion and rust, allowing it to last a lifetime. The hammered finish gives you a smooth and seamless cutting ability.
Handle and Design
The knife’s handle has rivets with a complete tang construction, giving it more durability and strength. Besides the toughness of the handle, it’s also ergonomically designed to provide you with the best grip while chopping through the meat.
Utility and Performance
Though this knife may be more expensive than those lying around in your drawers at home, it has a super-sharp blade and fantastic cutting ability. The knife is comfortable to hand and lets you cut and trim meat beautifully.
The knife is pretty heavy relative to its size due to the AUS6M steel. So it might not be a good choice for less powerful hands.
We appreciate this for one fact—though it’s softer than other knives, it’s a workhorse and will take years of use. It doesn’t dull too quickly either and will take a lot of beating before you need to re-sharpen it.
The knife is reasonably sharp out of the box, and you may sharpen it further. It’s well-balanced, and professionals have beautifully crafted it.
The knife is truly fantastic for the price. Though it lacks quality compared to more expensive knives such as the Shun, it’s on par with other blades such as a Forshner. Though it’s an excellent knife for the price, let’s look at a few downsides it has.
It might not be as sharp out of the box as the more expensive knives. The knife’s edge is thicker than other knives, providing more resistance while cutting vegetables.
Though they market it as an all-purpose knife, it’s better for cutting meat.
Pros
- High-quality materials.
- The knife has full-tang construction, making it highly resilient.
- The knife has a hammered finish pattern and beautiful craftsmanship.
Cons
- The knife isn’t too sharp out of the box.
- The packaging isn’t great.
- The blade is too thick.
8. TUO 6 inch Boning Fillet Knife Japanese
Another fantastic option for the best Japanese boning knives is the TUO 6-inch boning knife. This is a knife worthy of this list because of its finest materials. The Japanese super steel allows this knife to cut through everything like butter.
Materials and Quality
The AUS-10 45-layer Damascus steel material and excellent artistry make this knife the ultimate choice for your deboning journey. Thanks to its sharpness and edge retention, this knife shines while fileting all kinds of meat.
The knife has high durability, and the edge holds for a long time. The blade is also aesthetically pleasing and great for gifting others and in the kitchen.
Handle and Comfort
The knife is stiff, like usual Japanese boning knives. They paired the excellent cutting ability of the blade with fantastic comfort thanks to the full genuine exotic handle with the ring-D, which gives the knife a wonderful and classical look.
The octagonal shape of the knife handle gives it a look to stand out in the kitchen and provides comfort and stability while cutting. In addition, the knife is rust and corrosion-resistant as well.
Utility and Performance
The knife has a balanced weight and, combined with the G10 handle, delivers superb precision and accuracy to users. It’s ultra-sharp and trims cuts of meat easily.
Now we critically analyze the knife. Many users have complained that their knife came dull out of the box and they had to resharpen it. After resharpening it, they quickly shaved the meat off.
The knife isn’t full tang, meaning it might not be as durable as other knives.
Pros
- Excellent craftsmanship and design make the knife stand out in the kitchen.
- The Japanese super steel makes the knife durable and sharp.
- The octagonal handle conforms to the grip perfectly and helps you cut through meat with ultimate precision.
Cons
- This knife has no full tang, so the blade isn’t as durable as other knives with a full tang area.
- The knife may not be as sharp as advertised by the sellers.
9. Damascus 7 inch Santoku Knife by Kamosoto
Next up is the 7-inch professional Damascus Chopper knife. Like the previous knife, they also manufacture this knife from Japanese high-grade steel with 67 layers for max durability and sharpness.
Unique blade
Another fun thing to note is that the steel manufacturers have used to make this knife is the same as used in making Samurai swords! This knife is a specialized tool made by expert blacksmiths for professional chefs.
Material and Build Quality
Damascus steel gives the knife fantastic edge retention and exceptional durability. The stainless steel is stain-, wear-, and corrosion-resistant, so you can enjoy using it for a long time.
Besides the fantastic usability of the knife, its elegant and eye-catching wave pattern is beautiful. The packaging is high quality so that you can gift it to your loved ones!
Handling and Control
Manufacturers have perfectly balanced this knife for your kitchen, and the comfortable handle gives you precision while cutting and reduces fatigue.
The design of the knife is pretty functional, and it’s well-made. Although the blade is impressive, we found an authentic buyer saying: “They didn’t make it from Damascus steel, and they acid-etched the wave pattern.”
Likewise, another shortcoming is the small handle of this knife. It’s comfortable for people with small hands, but it’s difficult to hold and control for people with larger hands. Because of the handle, it’s hard for people to work with smaller meat and veggies.
Utility and Performance
This knife is a truly fantastic addition to your kitchen, as is evident by its quality and features. Thanks to the Japanese high-grade steel, the knife’s sharpness lasts far longer — it’s comparable in quality to the Shun knives.
Though it might be on the expensive side, it’s worth every penny; the knife’s fantastic craftsmanship and balanced nature help it shine in the kitchen.
Pros
- The VG 10 core steel helps the knife retain its excellent sharpness for a long time.
- The knife comes sharp out of the box.
- It’s a beautifully crafted knife.
- The makers have designed the knife’s thickness nicely and appropriately tapered the spine.
Cons
- The pattern on the knife is called the Damascus pattern, but the steel is not Damascus steel.
- The handle is too small and uncomfortable for people with large hands.
- The knife doesn’t work well for minor cuts.
How Should You Choose a Good Boning Knife? Buying Guide.
So after the discussion above, these points must be evident to you. If not, chill out! We’re here to help and list down what you should consider when buying a Japanese boning knife!
Size and shape
The size of the knife refers to the length of the blade. It’s a critical factor when choosing a boning knife. Smaller knives offer greater flexibility, but larger blades are more rigid and help in deboning larger animals.
A good length for a boning knife is 4.5-6 inches, as this range is fantastic for deboning, cutting up, and slicing meat. More giant animals require bigger blades. Smaller knives are easier to maneuver for people with small hands.
The blade shape is another crucial factor when choosing a boning knife. You can choose either a curved boning knife or a straight knife. Curved knives are more precise and fit for trimming work, which requires more accuracy. Straight blades are for more significant cuts of meat.
Blade of the knife
The best material for the knife blade is carbon steel or molybdenum stain-resistant steel. These materials give the knife durability and the ability to resist rust, allowing it to stay sharp longer.
Curved edges cut through meat more cleanly. They also filet smaller animals such as poultry, chicken, or quail more efficiently. Straight blades are for more delicate slicing and sculpting.
The sharpness of the blade is an essential factor, and Japanese boning knives are unbeatable in this regard. They usually come with a BESS (best-certified score) of 50, making their sharpness comparable to razor blades.
Handle of the Japanese Boning knife
The best boning knife must have a handle of non-porous material. Resin handles are fantastic as they last for a long time. In addition, resin handles are high quality and robust. They’re also pretty comfortable to hold.
Porous handles take in water if soaked, resulting in the handle breaking down and smelling bad. They don’t advise cheap plastic handles as they can break off pretty quickly. Composite wood is also super comfy to hold, and they don’t rust or stain.
FAQs
What is a Japanese Boning Knife?
Japanese knives don’t mean to be made in Japan. Rather, the term indicates that the blade type and its sharpness is versatile and helpful for deboning and filleting. For the Japanese boning blade type, we use a specific term, “Honesuki.”
The Honesuki is a Japanese boning blade. It’s called a boning blade because of its unmatched ability to cut through sharp corners of meat around the bone. Chefs know them to be helpful in eliminating fishbones and effortlessly cutting off challenging pieces of meat.
So what is Honesuki?
The Honesuki has a triangular blade profile, like the Garasuki, but smaller. It’s smaller, but it also possesses a thinner and lighter blade that is pretty durable and rugged. Though it may be challenging, we shouldn’t use it to cut through the bone directly.
It has a reverse tanto tip or a clip point tip design which makes the tip of the Honesuki more robust. It easily pierces the skin and makes precise cuts.
The narrow blade allows it to turn while cutting around the bone, giving cleaner cuts smoothly. The sharp and accurate tip also easily trims the fat.
Japanese Boning Knife vs. Western Boning knife: How are they Different?
One of the significant differences between Honesuki and Western Boning knives is that the Japanese counterpart helps you to cut up poultry and fish. In contrast, a western boning knife is suitable for larger and tougher cuts of meat.
They have more differences than similarities, so it’s easy to find the perfect option based on your individual needs and preferences.
Sharpness and Size
The Japanese boning knife has a much sharper blade than other knives. And they’re far more durable, which helps them retain their sharpness for a long time. The triangular profile allows them toughness.
Western boning knives are more beneficial compared to Japanese ones. They come in different shapes; they may have a straight or curved blade. Their blades are also more flexible, while Japanese boning knives have rigid edges.
Western Knife vs. Boning Knife: What are the two Specialized for?
Japanese boning knives are suitable for deboning small birds, poultry, and fish. Western boning blades are more significant; hence, they’re used to cut through enormous meat, such as livestock. They both easily remove bones without breaking them up.
Japanese boning blades fit into poultry joints well, thanks to the triangular form. They’re only meant to cut through joints and not bones directly. Compared to Western knives, Japanese knives have sharp pointy tips and thick spines, which help give them rigidity.
They say a thick spine is better to chop through or around the bone, which is the philosophy behind Japanese boning knives.
How stable are Japanese Boning Knives compared to Western Knives?
Western knives are known as flexible boning knives. They’re also sometimes curved, which helps cut meat close to the bone. Japanese knives are more rigid, but they’re great for boning. Western knives give more precision in cutting other meats, while Japanese ones are better for poultry.
Both types of knives have a stable grip, but the Japanese knives’ mastery is matchless. They have a fantastic grip. This helps in more precision while cutting, and the rigid blade also gives it stability.
Are Japanese boning knives worth buying?
Japanese boning knives have excellent craftsmanship. They’re aesthetically pleasing and come in many different styles. Western knives are more significant and visually fundamental; they’re workhorses and last longer under heavier loads.
They have been designed classically with bolsters to provide balance and prevent abrasions of fingers while rocking the knife or driving it through the meat.
These knives are specifically helpful for professional chefs who use them for hours, and the primary purpose is to comfort and prevent damage to fingers. On the other hand, Japanese chefs don’t cut in a rocking motion. They either chop or slice down on meat in a back-or-forth motion.
Are Japanese Knives lefty?
Japanese knives are more specialized tools for chefs with greater skill levels. They’re also more expensive compared to typical western boning knives.
As they’re more technical, they come in different grips. They make specific Japanese knives, especially for left-handed people.
Western boning knives are more general and less pricey than Japanese knives. They’re more valuable for money, but the quality of Japanese blades is unrivaled.
What is the best Japanese boning knife?
We’re sad to tell you that our favorite boning knives have been more than one in number. The reason is the incredible user feedback. So below are the top best boning knives:
- Global 6.5-inch flexible boning knife with a 15-degree knife edge, totaling 30 degrees.
- Shun D-0743 stiff boning knife with a 15-16 degree edge totaling 30 degrees.
Final Thoughts
The boning knife is a must-have meat-cutting tool for omnivores in the kitchen. By keeping the list shared by us in view, you can choose your ONE & ONLY boning knife. GOOD LUCK!
