[2024] Re-sharpening
I am Okudaira, the owner of "Japanese Kitchen Knife TOKU''.
We want to sell knives made in our hometown of Sakai, Osaka, so we purchase and sell knives made in Sakai from a knife manufacturer in Sakai.
We don't just sell knives, we visit a number of blacksmiths and bladesmiths in Sakai to help our customers understand knives, experience the actual work, and hear from the craftsmen. I'm here. In addition to Sakai, we also visit Seki in Gifu, Tsubame-Sanjo in Niigata, Tanegashima in Kagoshima and Katsushika in Tokyo, in an effort to deepen our understanding of the characteristics and commitment of each.
Resharpening
What do you do when your knife becomes dull? Do you buy a new knife?
In the old days, there was a hardware store in town, and if you brought your knife to them, they would sharpen it for you.
You hardly see any hardware stores these days.
When buying a knife, would you go to a home improvement store, Nitori, Muji, Loft, etc.?
However, although these stores sell knives, most of them do not offer resharpening services, do they?
When it comes to tools, the best ones are the ones you're used to using, right?
We maintain the tools we use at work, so it's best to maintain our knives in the same way so that we can continue to use them for a long time, right?
You can have your knife sharpened at places like Kappabashi in Tokyo, Doguyasuji in Osaka, and the Denshokan in Sakai.
But what if there isn't a hardware store or similar place nearby that will resharpen your knife? For those of you who are in this situation, there are knife specialty stores that will resharpen your knife by mail.
Our Sakaitoku knife shop also accepts resharpening via mail.
Resharpening Inquiry – Sakaitoku Knife (japanknifetoku.com)
Resharpening request – Sakai Toku Knife (japanknifetoku.com)
If possible, I'd like to be able to sharpen it myself!
I'm sure there are some people who think the same way.
Did you know that there are knife sharpening classes and knife sharpening experiences available?
A knife sharpener from Sakai is conducting a knife sharpening experience.
In addition to the familiar square whetstone sharpening experience, you can also try using a water whetstone ( also called a circular whetstone ) . The experience content varies depending on the location, so please check.
Unlike regular lessons where you attend regularly, such as once a week or once a month, knife sharpening classes tend to be held according to the schedule. Therefore, it's a good idea to apply according to your own schedule.
The course content will cover basic knife sharpening techniques.
You will be taught how to prepare the knife for sharpening, how to hold the knife, the angle of the knife and the whetstone when sharpening, and how to check if the knife is sharpened.
Few people have multiple whetstones at home, but there are places that allow you to try out different sharpening experiences, such as using high-grit whetstones that you don't have at home, or natural whetstones.
What are the advantages of being able to sharpen your own knives?
One advantage is that you can immediately resharpen it if you feel that it has lost its sharpness, but I think the best thing about it is that you can resharpen it to suit the thing you want to cut.
Cooking will be even more enjoyable if you can find the best sharpening condition for the knife you are cutting, whether that be if you often cut meat, fish, or vegetables.
The time I spend silently sharpening a knife in front of a whetstone, whether it be 10 or 30 minutes, is also a time when I can become "nothing" as if concentrating my mind.
When you concentrate on the sound of the knife rubbing against the whetstone, as if you were sitting in meditation, you become so immersed that you don't even notice the sounds around you, and it feels like all the stress of everyday life is washed away.
Once you start paying attention to the sharpening, 30 minutes to an hour will pass in the blink of an eye.
We are also planning to hold a knife sharpening class at "Japanese Kitchen Knife TOKU".
The event may not be held if the number of participants is low, but if you are in the area and the date works for you, we would love for you to join us.
Let's go to a knife store!
If you don't understand it until you see it, go to a knife store and try holding a knife. However, most stores do not allow you to try cutting the knife, so you cannot check the sharpness before purchasing.
"Japanese Kitchen Knife TOKU'' does not have a store, but we set up stalls at events, so please feel free to stop by if we have one in your area.If there is no knife specialty store nearby, it is a good idea to purchase from an online knife specialty store.
"Japanese Kitchen Knife TOKU'' has posted a video showing the actual cutting process, so please use it as reference.