Good Western tools are the equal of Japanese tools. The perception in the West that Japanese tools are better stems mostly from cheap Western tools (which are b

Good Western tools are the equal of Japanese tools. The perception in the West that Japanese tools are better stems mostly from cheap Western tools (which are bad) being widely available and imitating the appearance and function of good Western tools, while only the expensive (and thus good) Japanese tools are available. There is probably some cultural aspect that causes Japan to make fewer cheap tools as well which helps with this impression. Finally, another factor is the overbroad umbrella of “Western”; if you compare countries I would put Germany head to head with Japan for quality tools, but there are specific fields where Swiss or French tools are the best, and even some specialties where British or American tools excel. One other factor in the impression that Japanese tools are unusually good comes from the Japanese focus on excelling in woodworking tools. Woodworking is particularly easy to get into and pursue as a hobby, and hobbyists have the time and motivation to discuss their opinions of tools on the internet more often than other tool-users.