Sakai Toku Knife | Knife Sharpener and Knife Sharpening

Hello, I'm Okudaira, the owner of "Sakai Toku" knife shop.

Our store carries knives made by craftsmen from all over Japan, including Osaka and Sakai, and we sell, sharpen, and offer knife-sharpening workshops in Asakusa.

Why does sharpening with a sharpener make the blade dull again so quickly?

"Why does sharpening with a sharpener make the knife dull so quickly?" This is a question I often hear from customers who attend knife sharpening workshops or visit my store.

The sharpener comes with a whetstone. In many cases, the whetstone included is less than #1000 grit.
It is said that the grit of the whetstone used when sharpening a new knife or a knife used in the home is around medium grit (#1000) . Therefore, even if you sharpen with a whetstone of less than #1000 , that is, a coarse whetstone, the sharpness will not improve much. Rather, it can damage the edge.

On the other hand, when sharpening with a whetstone, the knife is divided into three to four sections, and each section is sharpened dozens of times. The more you sharpen, the more the blade edge is aligned, resulting in a sharper cut and a longer-lasting sharp edge.

Another point is that sharpeners have a fixed angle. Generally, knives are thicker towards the spine ( the side opposite the blade edge ) . Therefore, even if you sharpen the blade edge at a consistent angle, once you reach the thicker part of the blade, the resistance from the blade's thickness prevents the knife from moving smoothly. This is likely why you feel the sharpness is decreasing.

So, I hope you now understand that sharpening with a whetstone results in a sharper edge.
I can almost hear the voices saying, "But I don't know how to sharpen, so I have no choice but to use a sharpener." For those people, I recommend choosing a sharpener with a #1000 grit whetstone and making sure the blade is firmly in contact with the sharpener when sharpening.

When sharpening with a whetstone, you can't sharpen correctly unless the blade edge touches the whetstone. Similarly, with a sharpener, if the blade edge doesn't touch the sharpener and whetstone, you can't sharpen it cleanly. By adjusting the sharpener to match the curve of the knife blade and sharpening it that way, you should be able to achieve a sharper edge than before.

If you really want to restore the knife's original sharpness, we recommend using the sharpening service offered by knife specialty stores.
Sakai Toku, a knife shop, also offers knife sharpening services. For those who live far away, we also offer sharpening services by mail, so please feel free to contact us.

You can also contact us via LINE : https://lin.ee/QCPsiZEi

Store Information & Access

Sakai Toku Knives, Asakusa Store (Opening April 2025 )

Business hours: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Regular days off: Tuesdays and the second Wednesday of the month.

Location: 6th Floor, NW Building, 1-11-4 Hanagawa, Taito-ku, Tokyo Map

            •           1 minute walk from the north exit of "Asakusa Station" on the Tobu Skytree Line.

            •           4- minute walk from "Asakusa Station" on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line.

* Please take the elevator to the 6th floor.

* You may feel a little hesitant to join, but it's okay to just "watch" or "listen"!

We're also sharing information on social media !

We introduce tips on how to choose and sharpen knives through videos and photos on YouTube and Instagram .

            •           ▶ ︎ [ Click here for our YouTube channel ]

     •           ▶ ︎ [ Click here for the official Instagram page ]