Japanese Knife Ranges Compared: Which Should You Buy?

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Updated September 2026 · 9 min read · UK Japanese-steel knife specialists

Most knife guides tell you which type of blade to buy — santoku, gyuto, nakiri. That is only half the decision. Once you have settled on a shape, you still have to pick a range: the family of knives that share a steel, a handle and a price. Get that right and every knife you add later matches. Get it wrong and you end up with a drawer of mismatched blades that sharpen differently and feel different in the hand.

We stock six main ranges, from a £29.99 forged 440C knife up to a £424.99 boxed set with abalone handles. They are not simply "good, better, best" — they genuinely suit different cooks. This guide lays out what actually separates them, so you can pick once and build from there. If you would rather browse first, everything is in single knives and knife sets.

The short answer: which range should you buy?

If you want one recommendation and no deliberating: buy an Aiko. It uses a precision-forged VG10 Japanese-steel core clad in 67 layers, it is the highest-rated range we sell at 4.94 from 120 reviews, singles start at £64.99, and the range runs all the way up to a full set at £409.99 so you can add to it over years.

The honest caveat: the Aiko's black, blue or red resin-and-burl handle is a strong look. If you want something quieter, the Haruta range gives you the same VG10 core with a plain wooden handle and a wooden scabbard on every knife. If your budget is tight, Riku is genuine VG10 from £49.99. And if you cook a lot and want the most refined blade on the shelf, that is Chikashi.

What actually differs between the ranges

Four things separate one range from another. Everything else is presentation.

1. The steel core

Aiko, Riku, Haruta and Chikashi are all built around a VG10 high-carbon stainless core. Minato uses AUS-10. Haru is a forged 440C. VG10 and AUS-10 are close cousins — both hold a keen edge, both resist staining well, and in normal home use you would struggle to tell them apart; our VG10 vs AUS-10 comparison goes into the detail. 440C is a step down in edge retention but a genuinely capable steel at its price, as we explain in is 440C good for kitchen knives?

2. Hardness and edge angle

These blades sit around 60 HRC — the Minato is specified at 60 ±2 HRC and the Haru at the same figure. That is hard by Western standards (a typical German knife is nearer 56–58), which is exactly why they take and keep a finer edge. If the numbers mean nothing to you, our guide to the Rockwell hardness scale explains what they measure. Edge angles are correspondingly acute: the Minato is finished at 15° per side, and Chikashi specifies an unusually fine 8–12° per side.

3. The handle

This is where personal taste does most of the work, and it is the thing people most often regret. Aiko pairs stabilised burl wood with coloured resin. Haruta is plain wood with a scabbard. Minato is polished rosewood. Chikashi is abalone. Haru is an ebony-style handle. Hold the shape in your mind before you buy — our Japanese knife handles explained covers what each material feels like in use.

4. How far the range goes

Some ranges are two or three knives; others cover a whole kitchen. Haruta runs from a 4″ paring knife to a 10″ bread knife and a 10-piece set. Minato adds storage — a knife block at £89.99 and magnetic racks. Chikashi covers seven shapes plus a sharpening steel. If you think you will add knives later, that matters more than the price of the first one.

The ranges, one by one

Every knife below is currently in the range, with the real customer rating from our review platform. Prices are in GBP and correct at the time of writing.

Two smaller ranges are worth knowing about as well. Ichika (from £79.99, 4.86 from 56 reviews) uses an octagonal handle in the traditional Japanese style, and Makito (from £69.99, 4.89 from 27 reviews) is a compact blue-resin range built around the kiritsuke. Both are good knives; they simply cover fewer shapes than the six above.

The ranges compared

Range	Steel	From	Rating	Best for
Aiko — best overall	VG10, 67 layers	£64.99	4.94 (120)	Most cooks, most budgets
Haruta	VG10, 67 layers	£64.99	4.88 (114)	Whole kitchens & gifts
Riku	VG10	£49.99	4.89 (62)	Cheapest real VG10
Minato	AUS-10, 60 ±2 HRC	£69.99	4.88 (74)	Blocks, racks, open storage
Chikashi	VG10, 67 layers	£79.99	4.90 (145)	Premium & gifting
Haru	Forged 440C	£29.99	4.72 (75)	Lowest price

Which range fits which cook

You cook most nights and want one knife to last. Aiko or Chikashi. Buy the chef's knife or santoku first and leave the rest of the drawer alone until it annoys you.

You are replacing a tired block set. Haruta, and buy the set rather than the singles — the 5-piece at £349.99 works out cheaper than the same five knives bought separately. Our guide to knife set vs single knife value shows the arithmetic.

Your knives live on the worktop. Minato. It is the only range with a matching block and magnetic rack, so nothing looks bolted on.

You are buying a gift. Haruta if you want the scabbard, Chikashi if you want the box and the abalone. Both present well without wrapping.

You are not sure yet. Start with Riku, or a Haru set for a first flat. Neither is a knife you will regret, and both tell you what shapes you actually reach for. If you are weighing up how much to commit, we wrote about how much to spend on a Japanese knife.

One thing every range has in common

Whichever you pick, the care is identical, because the hardness is similar across all six. Hand-wash and dry straight away — never the dishwasher. Keep the blade off bone, frozen food and any hard board. Store it so the edge touches nothing: a scabbard, a rack, a block or a drawer organiser.

Sharpening is the same story. A whetstone at roughly 15° per side suits every range here; our whetstone angle guide walks through it, and the complete knife care guide covers the rest. The one honest warning: harder steel chips if you treat it like a cleaver. That is the trade you are making for the sharpness.

Mistakes to avoid when picking a range

Buying the set before you know the shapes. A 10-piece set is superb value if you will use ten knives. Most households use three. Buy one, live with it, then decide.

Choosing on the Damascus pattern alone. The layered cladding is largely cosmetic — the core steel does the cutting. Our explainer on what Damascus steel actually is sets out what the pattern does and does not tell you.

Ignoring the handle. You will hold it every day for a decade. It matters more than a 0.06 difference in star rating.

Mixing ranges by accident. Not fatal — but a matched range sharpens to the same angle and hangs together on a rack. A few more Japanese knife buying mistakes are worth a read before you order.

Frequently asked questions

Which Santoku Knives range is best?

Aiko, for most people. It has a VG10 core clad in 67 layers, the highest customer rating of any range we sell at 4.94 from 120 reviews, and singles start at £64.99. Choose Haruta instead if you want a scabbard and the widest choice of shapes, or Chikashi if you want the most refined blade.

What is the difference between the Haruta and Minato ranges?

Steel and storage. Haruta is built on a VG10 core with a plain wooden handle and a wooden scabbard on every knife, and covers the widest set of shapes. Minato uses an AUS-10 core at 60 ±2 HRC with a polished rosewood handle and a hammered blade finish, and it is the only range with a matching knife block and magnetic racks.

Do I have to stick to one range?

No — every knife we sell is double-bevel and sharpens the same way, so mixing ranges works fine. Staying in one range simply means the handles match, the knives sharpen to the same angle and they look right together on a rack or in a block.

Is VG10 better than AUS-10?

Not in any way you would notice at home. Both are high-carbon stainless steels that take a very fine edge, hold it well and resist staining. VG10 is the more familiar name and AUS-10 is a close equivalent; handle, shape and how often you sharpen will affect your cooking far more than the choice between them.

Which range is cheapest?

Haru, from £29.99 for a single knife and £99.99 for the four-piece set. It is forged 440C rather than a Damascus-clad VG10, so it will not hold an edge quite as long, but it is a real knife at a first-kitchen price. Riku from £49.99 is the cheapest genuine VG10.

Are these knives made in Japan?

No. They are Japanese-steel knives — built around Japanese VG10 or AUS-10 steel and made in the Japanese style — but they are not manufactured in Japan. We think that is the honest way to describe them, and it is a large part of why a 67-layer Damascus blade costs £89.99 here rather than several hundred.

Can I buy one knife now and add to the range later?

Yes, and for most people that is the sensible order. Aiko, Haruta, Minato and Chikashi are all sold as singles and as sets, so you can start with a chef's knife or santoku and add a nakiri, a paring knife or a bread knife as you find you want them.

Are any of them dishwasher safe?

None of them. Every range here is hand-wash only. Dishwasher heat, detergent and knocks will dull a hard, finely ground edge quickly and can damage a wooden or resin handle. A wash and a wipe dry takes a few seconds and is the single biggest thing you can do to keep any of these knives sharp.

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