Before I go on, I want to acknowledge the fact that these next preferences may not be a) applicable to ALL Japanese knives, and b) may not be EXCLUSIVE to Japanese knives. These are simply the bits and pieces that I came across that have drawn me to Japanese knives. This post will be a bit longer because I feel that I have to go into more personal details to get my point across a bit better.
Back in 2019, I had planned a 10 year anniversary trip to Japan with my wife. I wanted to pack as many things as possible because it was going to be our first international trip together and my wife’s first time going back to Japan since being born there. In the midst of my planning, a thought crossed my mind: “wouldn’t it be cool to visit some knife workshops to buy a Japanese knife directly from the person who made it?” And that’s the rabbit hole I fell into that brought me to where I am today. I tore through old reddit posts, KKF posts (kitchen knife forums), and instagram pages, trying to see what was out there. I was delighted to be able to find some craftsmen who were open to visitors and added some stops to my itinerary. However, our long awaited trip was not to be, as we all know what happened around March of 2020 (when our trip was planned). Covid put the nail in the coffin for our trip and I spent the next year or so lamenting our broken plans.
4 years later, we were ready to rebook our trip, and it was at this time that my knife journey expanded exponentially. I had time to actually look up the culture and history of knife forging and sharpening. I made connections with people who have been in the knife hobby/community for years and I was gleaning knowledge and wisdom from their years of experience. For anyone trying to get into this hobby, it can be incredibly daunting, as many of the Japanese craftsmen tend to prefer to keep to themselves, so information can be sparse. But there are a lot of people in the community who are some of the kindest people I have met (you know who you are!). I was able to plan this trip with a lot more purpose than just “which knife shops are easiest to get to” and “I think this guy’s knives look cool”. I’ll save the full details of meeting these craftsmen for another post, but I came home with 3 knives after our first trip to Japan.
One of the things I love about the knives I brought home were the memories and stories that I am reminded of each time I pick them up. I learned about the history behind the companies and craftsmen who forged and sharpened the blades. I learned about challenges they had to overcome to get to where they are now. I even learned historical facts like how sword making was largely prohibited after WW2 and how some of those swordmakers turned to kitchen knives as a way to make money. I think most people like hearing a good story, and I am not an exception. So I feel like the stories and histories of the knives I brought back with me are what make them extra special to me.
In the knife community, there are several people who are engaged with trading, buying, and selling knives. There are a lot of knives I hope to own and bookmarked, but I decided at that moment that I only wanted to use knives that I purchase in person. I’m only a home cook, so I can’t really justify owning 20-30 knives to my wife (who already thinks I have too many things in the house). But I think I CAN justify having knives on my knife block if each of them has a special sentimental memory attached to them.
To bring it back to the topic at hand a bit: there are specific craftsmen whose knives I am drawn to for sentimental reasons on top of their performance. Some people have brand loyalty for apparel or electronics. I feel that same loyalty to these craftsmen.
In the last post, I linked to an “all-rounder” whetstone. So in this post, I will be linking to an Atoma Diamond Plate that is normally used to help flatten your whetstones. The 400 grit is a good place to start. Most people won’t need anything lower than 600 grit whetstone, but if you have a stone lower than 400 grit, it is best to get a truing stone with lower grit like 120. Truing stones are important because having a whetstone that isn’t flat will lead to a lot of potential problems, like uneven sharpening and accidental scratches on the blade.