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Enjoyed Russ Parson's piece on the superiority of Japanese knives in last week's Food section of the Los Angeles Times.
But got the real scoop from Gavin Shorto of Pondblog, who writes:
There are drawbacks, though, which writer Russ Parsons doesn't mention. First, they are made of softer steel than Western knives commonly are, and so need a lot of maintenance. If you live in a humid climate, the job gets harder. Second, they are very specialised - a suite of a dozen different knives would not be out of place in a well-equipped kitchen. There isn't such a thing as a knife for all purposes. And since the Japanese eat lots of vegetables and fish, they are designed for cutting those materials and will suffer if you try to use them for meat or fruit. Third, they can be expensive - knives that cost one or two thousand dollars are not at all uncommon. Having said all that, if you like fine things, these are the Rolls Royces of knives.
Photo credit: Ricardo DeAratanha, Los Angeles Times
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I don’t entirely agree with Parsons either. These choices are, after all, highly personal and idiosyncratic -- a factor which he rightly mentions in the article.
My research a few years back led me to a compromise which I've been happy with ever since. I use the Wüsthof 8-inch chef's knife because I’m old fashioned and I prefer the weight for chopping and such. The Global 4-inch paring and bread knives take care of the rest. As Parsons's article suggests, a Japanese paring knife is perfect for delicate slicing and I’ve found maintenance to be minimal.
However, I don’t see the Global "stylish steel handles" as "emotionally cold," but rather quite practical. Plus they look fookin’ awesome. (I recently purchased a lovely Global carving fork too, and it's fantastic.) Hey, nothing wrong with being a sucker for design as long as the object’s functionality passes muster.
It’s also important to remember Anthony Bourdain's point regarding the fallacious assumption that cooking enthusiasts require a bevy of knives. The simple combo in my knife block is all I've really needed, and even the bread knife isn't required. But some of the superfluous stuff is fun to have and use anyway.