In 1995, a spark of creativity was born into the world, destined to illuminate the realm of craftsmanship. This is the story of a remarkable individual whose journey encapsulates dedication, perseverance, and the pursuit of a lifelong dream under the world’s foremost present-day katana swordsmith, Yoshindo Yoshihara.
Early Dreams and Tough Choices
In Yamano San’s youth, he loved to make things with his hands. The idea of becoming a blacksmith and crafting knives fascinated him. As he grew, so did his dream of shaping raw materials into functional art pieces. Around 15, he started high school, but soon after dropped out after three months. School wasn’t his focus at the time, but that was the turning point that set him on his unique path.
Facing Challenges with Grit
At 16, he ventured to Tosa, wanting to learn the ways of a "Nokaji" – a craftsman who made farming tools. With the help of his mother, she would arrange for a cab to visit the No-Kaji together. To his disappointment, every Nokaji he approached turned him down.
They explained that the job was physically demanding and the conditions tough. For this reason, they wanted him to finish high school and have an education under his belt for extra security before he tries again.
He was at a crossroads. He took this advice and joined a technical high school for four years. He learned about manufacturing as he built a solid foundation for what lay ahead.
Serendipity and Determination
At 19, his dream of becoming a blacksmith was as strong as ever. He heard about Yoshindo Yoshihara, a master sword-smith who was taking in apprentices. A chance-meeting led him to Yoshindo's doorstep. Though he was initially told no, he didn't let that stop him. Another apprentice's recommendation opened the door, and for a year at age 20, he soaked in the master's craft, chatting with fellow apprentices about the art of sword-smithing.
Ups and Downs
That same year dealt him a heavy blow – the loss of his mother. She had been his biggest supporter, always by his side for every decision he made. He felt sad not to show her his progress towards his dream. When he turned 20, he completed high school and started his apprenticeship under Yoshindo Yoshihara. He worked hard for years, leading up to his certification as a sword-maker at 25.
Rising Stars
As he moved into his mid-twenties, his talent became evident. He had one month from the time he was certified as a sword-smith to complete a sword for a competition. Having crafted a beautiful sword in such a short time span, at 26 years old, he won three awards:
At age 27, Ivan reached out to Yamano San with an instant spiritual connection. They had the idea to promote his versatile talents to a wider audience, thus making kitchen knives together.
Crowning Achievements
In 2023, at 28, he brought forth a Wakizashi blade. This creation encapsulated his mastery, turning his lifelong dream into reality, one hammer strike at a time. The journey of this young sword smith, marked by unwavering determination, personal loss, and soaring accomplishments, stands as an inspiration for anyone pursuing their dreams. From childhood dreams to the anvil's fiery embrace, his story reminds us that dreams, combined with passion and resilience, can indeed be forged into reality – step by step.
Tosho will be the first to sell Yamano Kitchen Knives and Swords in North America and has a goal to best support his blacksmithing career.
One on One
We had a chance to sit down with Tatsuto, below is the English translated transcript.
Q: When did you decide to become a sword maker
A: When I was in elementary school, I used to pick up small parts, about one millimetre in size, from broken umbrellas and used steel files to create small knives. My father works as an office worker making car seats, but I had a creative childhood and admired things like swords as a boy's dream. Based on those experiences, my initial dream was to become a rural blacksmith (a blacksmith who makes agricultural tools). I enrolled in a private high school at the age of 16, but quit a few months later due to a fight. After leaving high school, I wanted to become a blacksmith, so at the age of 16, my mother and I visited several rural blacksmiths in Tosa, Kochi Prefecture, who made hatchets and axes. We went there to ask each of them directly if they would take me on as an apprentice. However, everyone told me to finish high school first, so I enrolled in a four-year technical high school. Later, I found out that it was difficult for rural blacksmiths to hire people due to the low wages and high workload, and they refused me to offer other options for my future.
Q: How did you find Yoshindo Yoshihara to be your teacher
A: When I was in high school, I got to know the chairman of the Japan Craftsmen's Association. I asked him if he could introduce me to a blacksmith who was taking apprentices. He then introduced me to Yoshindo Yoshihara (吉原義人), a master swordsmith known for Japanese swords. Until then, everyone I had visited with hopes of becoming an apprentice were all agricultural tool blacksmiths, so I had a formal and strict image of swordsmiths (also, I found the process of obtaining qualifications for swordsmithing to be troublesome). However, I had a strong desire to make knives since I was a child, and I had a clear dream of becoming a blacksmith, so I decided to visit Mr. Yoshihara. Also during my high school years, I had the experience of buying "zanken" (remnants of sword blades) on Yahoo Auctions, repaired them, and sold them.
I called Yoshindo Yoshihara and then visited his workshop with my mother. At first, I was hesitant to enter the workshop and we wandered around the entrance. It seemed that Yoshindo initially declined my request to become his apprentice, citing that he already had about six apprentices at that time, and it was difficult to take on more new apprentices. Fortunately, another apprentice (who is now independent) informed me that one or two apprentices were planning to become independent in the near future, despite being declined. I received advice to continue visiting the workshop even though my request was declined. From then on, I started visiting the workshop several times a month for about a year. When I visited, I observed the work of the workshop and other apprentices, as well as the work of the master. Sometimes, the apprentices would teach me about the work they were doing and the work they had done in the past.
Q: How long was your training to become a sword maker
A: At the age of 20 when I graduated from high school, I formally became an apprentice to Yoshindo Yoshihara and my training as a swordsmith began in earnest. At first, I was not given any glamorous tasks typically associated with swordsmithing, but rather started with simple tasks such as cutting charcoal with an axe. During the training to transform round bars into square bars, I struggled as my hands would get swollen from the intense labor. Since all the tools used to make swords were handmade, I had to repair or create new bars for heating the Tamahagane steel, as well as perform other tasks such as crushing the Tamahagane. For the first six months, I mainly did these types of miscellaneous duties. However, after six months to a year, I finally began to learn the forging process and gradually gained more responsibilities. In Japan, in order to create Japanese swords, one needs to obtain approval from the national agency and obtain a "sakutou shouning" (sword-making approval). For this, it is necessary to undergo an apprenticeship of at least 5 years under a certified swordsmith and complete the "Bijutsu-touken-toukou gijutsu hozon kenkyuukai" (Technical Preservation Workshop for Art Swords) organized by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. Participation in this workshop is only allowed for those who have completed 4 years of apprenticeship. After undergoing these apprenticeships and workshops, I obtained my sword-making approval (permission to create swords) in 2020. The exams conducted at the end of the workshop are held in a tense atmosphere, and even after rigorous training, some may not be able to pass the exams. Fortunately, I was able to pass the exams on my first attempt.
After obtaining my sword-making approval, the annual Contemporary Swordsmith Exhibition was approaching at the end of 2020. With only two months left until the competition, and limited time, I submitted Tanto (a short sword) that I had made to test my own skills. As a result, I was able to win the Tanto the Newcomer Award in 2021.
Q: What is your goal for the future as a sword maker
A: I want to obtain the "Mukansa" title, which is a reevaluation of modern sword-smiths, with a sword that I have made myself. I also want to showcase my Japanese swords and my own creations overseas and have them appreciated. Currently, through my master's introduction, I am exhibiting my creations at shows in San Francisco and Los Angeles in the United States, and I feel that many people abroad truly respect good work. In Japan, swords made by well-known elderly veteran swordsmiths are often highly regarded, so I want to connect with people outside of Japan who can appreciate my own work.
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That’s why we asked our good friend Jon Klip from Affinity Fish to give us a crash course on using konro, a traditional Japanese charcoal grill that we’ll be offering to the public later this month.
Jon has not only worked at Tosho in the past, where he developed a deep understanding of Japanese knives, but also traveled to Japan to further this education and study one of Japan’s most meticulous and technically intensive cuisines, Kaiseki (A multi-course fine dining experience often involving elaborate preparation and presentation with roots in traditional Japanese culinary methods). It is with this extensive knowledge and drive that Jon is now opening his new fish store, Affinity Fish, on Dundas West July 15th along with his business partner and friend Matt Taylor who has followed a similar journey as Jon. First working at Tosho and then going on to work at some of the most esteemed restaurants in Canada including URSA Restaurant, Actinolite, Shoushin, The Restaurant at Pearl Morissette, and Sakai Bar. Their desire to work with locally and ethically sourced quality fish has motivated them to start Affinity fish together.
Konro offer a rather unique grilling experience especially when paired with binchotan, a naturally made charcoal using Ubame Oak (a tree found in Japan as well as some parts of Korea and China). Binchotan does come in a variety of grades that do provide longer or more consistent burn times but the most important thing to consider is the size of the binchotan you purchase. Larger binchotan burns longer, smaller burns shorter.
Konro grills have a rather unparalleled ability to retain heat due to their unique construction methods and materials which in turn allows the charcoal to burn hotter, longer, and more consistently than other grills. They are made of a porous clay that is only found in one portion of the Japanese coastline. When made in the traditional “Kiridashi” style they are literally carved out of the earth into their final shape, this is the construction that offers the best heat retention and heat direction. The scraps from this mining process are pressed into grills as well, which offer more affordable alternatives to the “Kiridashi” style. These pressed konro do still offer better heat direction and retention than other charcoal grills but it is not as a good as the “Kiridashi” style.
Especially when used with binchotan, these grills create cleaner tasting food (due to the binchotan being created without the use of any chemicals) and when dealing with proteins they are moister and juicery than their conventionally charcoal or gas grilled counterparts.
Knowing this Jon gave us some pointers on how to use these grills most effectively while also teaching a few choice pieces of Japanese cooking philosophy that we believe can be applied to your cooking at home!
Get yourself something that expedites the charcoal ignition process. In this case Jon brought what essentially boils down to being a portable heating element on a stick. It is extremely convenient for igniting the charcoal right in the grill without having the need to use any sort of external flammable materials that could impart unwanted chemicals or flavours into your charcoal. It is also very “set it and forget it” which is nice when having to prepare the food for being grilled.
Prep, prep, prep! These grills cook very quickly and you’ll want to have everything ready prior to grilling. With this in mind he taught as a rather simple but effective trick when skewering fish (that could potentially be applied to other protein or gillables) that is used in Japanese cooking due to their methods of fish butchery which promotes a less wasteful style of preparation. When skewering, instead of cutting portions to be exactly uniform along the length of the skewer as this can often lead to wasteful off-cuts, wrap the portions in a way that create uniform thickness on the skewer. It seems so basic yet it's not something that we at the shop necessarily considered prior to Jon’s explanation. On the topic of skewering, having the correct skewers matters! Longer metal skewers are much more effective for using on konro. Jon also recommends twisting the skewers lightly while grilling to prevent the ingredients from sticking to them thus making it much easier to remove the skewers (this only works with the cylindrical metal ones!).
Pay attention! Because these grills function very similarly to a high power broiler they require more attention as whatever your grilling can burn if you aren’t careful. It will take some time to become familiar with the natural hotspots of the konro as you use it but it will become extremely rewarding once mastered.
Don’t fan too much. Fanning is a great way to increase the heat of the grill but when done too much will not only take away heat but kick up unwanted ash from the binchotan. If you would like to increase the heat drastically you can allocate more binchotan to your grill area and fan that aggressively after removing the food from the grill. Once the heat has increased, return your food to the grill and get cookin!
With the stage set and the knowledge imparted, Jon cooked for us some delectable locally sourced fish that they will soon be offering at their retail storefront along with some other locally sourced seasonal ingredients.
Without further ado, feast your eyes!
In their own words, “The goal of Affinity Fish is to provide Canadian people with a higher quality of fish and seafood through careful handling, minimizing animal suffering, and prioritizing sustainable fishing practices from lake to table.”
]]>While searching for a storefront to call our own, it was serendipity that my yoga teacher at the time was renting out the basement of her rock store in Mirvish Village. The vibe was right; rocks above, knives below. In my yoga teachers words we could “cut up all the bad vibes”. It was rumoured that David Mirvish was born in our building and I’m not sure if we were spooking ourselves, but we had multiple sightings of ghostly things, as items moved around mysteriously and blustery breezes came in from a closet door that had no exit. Even after Kosuke (from Konosuke Sakai) experienced the cold room, he sent us a gift of a blessed plaque to keep spirits happy. We agreed earlier on that whoever this ghost was, they weren’t one to cause trouble. In fact, we were blessed with many interesting and strange circumstances in this old location. The multi faceted walls, ceilings and floors never met at 90 degree angles, always adjusting our doors and windows as the building aged. When it came to setting up internet, the thick set of abandoned wires were twisted along the side of our building and made for a confusing start. Even with these challenges, we met a lot of folks who despite the confusion, made things happen for us. We have been blessed with many of fortunes.
One hot day in 2011, we got a phone call from a production company to tell us that within a week, Anthony Bourdain would be visiting our shop for his Toronto episode of The Layover. I thought it was a prank made by someone who knew how big of a Bourdain fan I was. Turns out, it wasn’t, and Fortuna’s wheel had once again turned in our favour. After the episodes original air date, the American cult following would arrive in the early mornings with camera in hand, taking pictures out front to immortalize that they too had been where Anthony Bourdain had been. I felt like a happy side-show and I’m sure everyone else in Toronto he visited felt similarly. Many folks had a lot of questions and I realized, the one that we get asked time and time again is, “What did he buy?”. A 240mm HD gyuto by Konosuke Sakai with a custom designed linen micarta “gun-handle” by our very own Ivan Gomez Fonseca. Before deciding which knife he purchased he asked us what special knives we had. We went through our specialty models, and when I showed him the HD “gun-handle” knife in particular, he stopped. He asked me,”This was designed by and for you guys?” and I nodded. I didn’t think it meant much to him as it wasn’t a knife that was difficult to make at the time (it took a few months but not the kind of time compared to some others that seemed epic). He was set on this knife because it was “ours” and wanted to be supportive of our endeavour. He wanted us to thrive and I felt this was a massive compliment to the work we had done. His character, I felt, was romantic and generous.
The rest of his time at the shop was spent perusing our food manga display we had courtesy of @TheBeguiling. As he browsed the manga on display he noted that “GetJiro!” (the graphic novel he wrote) was among the bunch which he gave a smile and a nod to. After searching for a short while he came across something that piqued his interest, our entire collection of “Oishinbo”. He was unaware of the release of the rest of the translated English collection and purchased the ones he was missing.
By the end of the visit I think I thought that we would all stop and fall out of role and would have the time to hang out and chat, tidy up for a bit, but it wasn’t that way at all. He turned around after his purchases, escaped into the abyss of film land, out there where his team were hiding in various places. Set to be incognito and trailing his path, out into the streets of Toronto. When I think about the time he spent with us in the shop I get a little choked up. I'm not sure if he ever realized the impact he had on my life and on the shop, but I assume, just the same, he's had this huge impact on many others out there. He's a symbol for us to this day, of an integral, an authentic and free-spirit.
If it is that we can speak to the spirits who grace our paths, I hope he can and has been receiving our thanks.
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When I worked in kitchens, two things kept me afloat: I jogged for hours after service, and then I went home and sharpened my knives. It kept my mind from dissolving, it connected my workspace to my spirit and soul. Being able to shift focus to something I built was euphoric. After some chaotic nights of service, I’d throw off my clogs and go into a trance, first running until I couldn’t feel my legs, and then diving into my blades, sharpening until my fingertips were raw.
The sharpening process would go like this;
I would soak my stone for ten minutes and as I did this, I washed my knives under warm water. I’d make a slurry with my stone flattener, taking in the earthy smell. I’d create a bevel on the corners and edges of my stone. And finally, slow and steady, I would sharpen my knives, imagining myself as if I was surfing on the cutting edge, an even and consistent pressure across the slurry. Three of my fingers were half on and half off of the stone, this was my way to regulate the angle. I remember one day after the euphoria of ending a long day, thinking…I could do this for life. This felt like something I could fully commit to, my escape. It seemed at the time, like a distant dream.
Somehow, the next week I found myself in one of those serendipitous meetings, where I met a hand sharpener named Ivan Gomez Fonseca. Our connection sprung out of the question: where does one find reliable sharpening in Toronto? I started teaching a basic knife skills class at Good Egg in Kensington Market, hoping I could integrate a little knife sharpening in the mix. Most people in the class, however, preferred if they could bring their knives in to be serviced. A staff at the shop overheard this repeated inquiry. She then met a George Brown culinary student who was taking his knives to get sharpened by this man -- Ivan -- so his email address and phone number ended up with me!
We had a series of conversations, as I wanted to know his philosophy and approach to knives. There was something in particular that he said in our email thread that stuck with me: “Yah it's a lot of work doing both full time but you get energy from something you're obsessed with, I cringe at the way most people abuse their knives which I feel is an extension of your own body!”
We agreed to meet at a local café. I wasn’t sure what he looked like at first, but when Ivan arrived he had the air of a knife sharpener. I don’t know how else to explain it. He walked in solemn and calm, with a leather knife roll under his arms. In this leather roll, I saw for the first time such a thorough collection of handmade, rare steels with stag and ebony handles (more extensive even than in any shop I saw on my trips to Japan). Polished carefully, kept almost as if untouched, but he did use them - everyday in his professional career as a chef. I trusted this instinctively. We got along really well, and there was immediately an understanding between us, simply by how we appreciated and respected knives. As Ivan said it in the last blog, the rest is history. I learned later that Ivan approached knives with a sword polishing perspective, as this is something he was interested in. He loved cutting with swords (he practiced iaido) and since the history of knife making stems from sword making, his application seemed to me, beyond relevant.
I remember a blacksmith joked about how I could’ve opened up shop with any one of the current knife shop owners out there at the time. My response was, I wouldn’t have started a business with anyone else. It was Ivan’s approach and vision he has for the finishing of knives that made me want to create a place for this special thing. When we met, the timing was right, and our synergy is what brought Tosho about. Ivan needed help to expand his sharpening business with someone who understood him and the potential of what a knife could be. When we made the decision to move forth with it, Tosho happened naturally and quickly.
Which were the first knives we carried, even before Tosho became a company? Konosuke-Sakai.
To Be Continued...
]]>Many years ago, in late 2008, I started a small company on my own called Fonseca Sharpening. It was a combination of sharpening, restoration and custom saya work for Japanese kitchen knives. It started from the constant repairs and sharpening I did for the kitchen staff of the restaurant I worked in at the time. I had the skill of sharpening and woodworking passed down through my family along with my own studies of Japanese sword polishing.
At the time, I did the work of repairing and sharpening kitchen knives for my own skill development and interest in mixing sword polishing techniques with kitchen knives. Over time, I began to realize, the need for quality Japanese knife sharpening in Toronto was great, and it was not limited to my immediate circle of chefs and cooks. So with a lot of encouragement I started Fonseca Sharpening.
As time passed, the need for the services Fonseca Sharpening provided became even more in demand than I had originally anticipated. I got busier and busier and it became harder to keep up with this demand. It was right around this time that I received a rather interesting email from someone named Olivia.
She was reaching out to me ask if she could refer people to me for knife sharpening. After a handful of emails back and forth, we arranged to meet for coffee before my shift started in the restaurant I worked in at the time. We ended up talking about all things Japanese kitchen knives and sharpening, and I showed her the current knives I was using daily.
That was the spark, the very beginning of Tosho Knife Arts.
To Be Continued...
]]>Over the last year, I’ve been extensively looking into diamond stones for my own sharpening as well as to offer something to our customers I could stand behind.
From testing over 40 different stones and working exclusively with a company in japan to pinpoint the different characteristics in each stone and how they work on different knives and steel, Ive been able to narrow down a few different types of diamond stone that I’m comfortable with to replace a large amount of the synthetic stones I’ve been using over the years.
This has been a long journey to get to this point and there is a lot more work ahead but this transition to diamond stones for all of my foundation work has opened up a lot of new ideas. I’m looking forward to sharing this with you in my coming posts and introducing some new products in the coming months.
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What the professionals need from their knives is rather different from home cooks. This isn't to say that home cooks may not consider these same needs but, for a professional cook, how your knife performs day in and day out can affect job performance drastically. For a professional cook, the struggle of learning to keep one’s knives sharp is constant and real.
For younger cooks, the internet is full of conflicting and confusing information about sharpening stones and methods. Most kitchen leaders/chefs want to teach sharpening to their team but something more important always comes up. We hear this constantly while talking to them in the store. To help with this, Tosho offers on-site sharpening demonstrations for restaurants upon request and for payment, we ask the BOH (Back of House) to feed the Tosho team something from their menu. Simple barter transaction, like the good old days. Because of the scheduling and other challenges, we don’t get asked often but luckily, this month, we were invited to the Le Germain Hotel’s kitchen to share our sharpening knowledge.
The demo consists of two parts: knowledge and practice. I try to cover basic knife knowledge as briefly as possible, (I can talk for hours on the subject if not stopped), while answering a myriad of questions involving asymmetry, steel types, knife brands, and sharpening stones.
Then we move on to the practice portion. We get the cooks working with their hands and teach how to sharpen using their own knives.
After visiting over a dozen kitchens in the city, there are a few “Ah-Ha!” moments from the cooks, and I would like to share two from the Le Germain team. First, the concept of stone flattening, and how often it should be done. We say every 5 min of stone usage. Yes, you read that right, every 5 minutes.
Here, I share an anecdote of how I regret not investing in a diamond flattening plate sooner when I was a cook learning to sharpen.
The lesson being, it is far more effective to get a proper flattening plate (not those cheap flattening stones!) which helps you focus on sharpening skills rather than constantly troubleshooting your edge because the stones are not flat enough. Yes, it is expensive to get a diamond plate (and I will never recommend those flattening stones), but it pays off in the end.
Here you can see the cooks using diamond flattening plates being used on the stones before sharpening.
The second is the clear concept of burr and how it relates to edge retention. Even though many cooks have heard of this word, few know exactly what it is, and how it serves as a guide to the whole sharpening process and unlocks the secrets of creating a lasting edge (this really gets their ears perked up!).
It is crucial for the cooks to touch and feel the burr to connect the concept of it to how it feels on their fingertips. Then they can apply that understanding when sharpening their own knives.
We also share the details of deburring technique to help the cooks to create an edge that lasts longer. Normally, they would resort to buying a finer grit stone, so this helps them save money too.
Sous-chef James feeling for the burr on an example blade before passing it on.
The whole demo takes about 2.5 hours, and that covers using two grits of stones as well as honing tools for daily maintenance. The on-site event shows cooks how to sharpen and maintain their tools properly, and having the experts right alongside them makes a big difference in facilitating accelerated learning through giving them real time feedback.
As for the Tosho team, it is incredibly satisfying being in service of the hospitality teams that work hard to serve the greater public.
When I was a cook, it did not even occur to me that sharpening skills could be taught at a workplace.
Yes, the pride and the responsibility of tool maintenance is up to the individual cook, one hundred percent. That being said, creating exciting learning opportunities is up to the kitchen leadership. After all, it is in the best interest of the kitchens to grow and retain their talents.
I am always excited to get the next call to help with creating such an opportunity, and eat good food that accompanies it!
Interested in the demo? Email info@toshoknifearts.com, and create a memorable team activity.
]]>You will need:
Method:
Ensure the tang of the blade fits well in the handle, and that the alignment is straight before you move on to the next step. There are a few places to check when you account for straightness relative to the handle:
a) Choil
b) Spine
c) Machi (gap, where a Sakai style tang is exposed by 2-3mm) is optional.
If it doesn't look straight, or the tang gets stuck half way through from the get-go, you may have to use some woodworking tools to expand the handle cavity to create more space. If that fails, the last resort would be to grind the tang thin enough to ensure a good fit and alignment.
And there you have it! A step-by-step guide on how to install a blade on a Wa handle. If you want to learn how to remove a handle, click here to see my previous Shop Talk.
]]>It’s kind of weird, when you have a baby and you look up, the baby’s become a young man and you haven’t a clue as to what your life before him was like. I can’t seem to trace a lot of the pictures I have from life before momhood but the memories are vivid in my mind and I do have paraphernalia as proof!
Out of all of the keepsakes, this is one of my faves. A hand written business contract that was written by Shosui-san (from Takeda Hamono) when I met him in New Jersey at the annual knife show. I was exceptionally nervous, as it was our first business purchase of some of our soon-to-be all-time favourites. Shosui-san introduced blue super steel to North America along with his father’s original hand held stone design. From the very get-go, you could see just how welcoming he was. We hit it off and continue to have a great partnership to this day and hopefully for many years to come.
I wrote to Shosui San to ask him if he remembers that day and if he was ok with me sharing this note with all of you.
He replied:
Hi Olivia,
I’m sure remember!
We met when I finished toilet at the show place and you bought full knives with cash you have then.
You are always good partner forever and ever .
Thank you the past 11 years and future.
Yes you can use my letter.
Best regards,
Shosui
His response reminded me a little more of that night when I had traveled back from Jersey to Toronto with a luggage full of beautiful Takeda knives. I hadn’t declared them at the border and of course when I was stopped by the guard he thought he had me when he pulled out a couple layers of cool textured fabrics from a fabric store in New York City. I think he read the panic in my eyes. The gold, as we all know, was stashed beneath all that and the guard was not anticipating to pull out one sharp knife after the next. I was sweating profusely. The anticipation of their inquiries was excruciating. The pressure in my head grew; What was to be of my future? What had I eaten? Was this the end of something that didn’t even really start? I guess you kind of know the answer to some of these questions since Shosui’s letter has exposed that it’s been over 11 years since.
My stomach was bubbling. My rare sake I was supposed to bring back to a good friend, I hadn’t declared that either. Jeez it just kept getting worse. I think I added excitement to this border guard’s night. Thankfully, at some point, after a lot of time in the back, he came around. He stopped, looked at me with a pregnant pause…—- and broke the silence with a smile. He kindly wrote me up a fat tax bill that I was so eager to pay. I was ok, the knives were ok! Phew…we did it! He took my sake however and I think I remember a wink and a nod. I think it was a good exchange. And that…was the tone, and just the beginning of a longer journey to come.
I’ve been happy to meet Shosui San in a few more places again, like in other places in the USA and back in his own homeland of Japan which were very cool excursions in and of itself. Perhaps, those are stories for another time…
Thank you Shosui San for opening up your world to us. We cherish our memories with you and your family and the journey ahead of us. We have been graced with your blessings everyday. We wish you all the best in health and happiness.
]]>To continue on from the pilot IG post, Soondae Sunday, I’d like to take a slight detour from the culinary side and share a few things about a recent repair work at Tosho. We received this Morihei Inox Santoku blade with a large chip. (10mm+ including the crack going past the chip).
In fact, a chip & tip repair is one of the most common repairs we see. So I thought it would be helpful to share the process and the considerations we contend with. The client explained that the chip occurred when shaving kernels from an ear of corn and the blade bit into the cob; they tried to twist the blade off and… well.
After discussing the two possible repair options with them, they opted for the first option (the one with faster turnaround and the lower cost) of having the chip removed and edge sharpened only. We briefly covered the more complicated 2nd option of ‘thinning-out’ via an Instagram post HERE , please check it out. Now, to the workshop.
When doing a large chip removal like this, the assumption is to keep the same edge curvature. Since this blade has a crack that goes past the chip, where the crack ends is the top of the new edge line.
After tracing the edge shape on the blade to avoid wasting steel while grinding, the prep is done. I prefer tracing instead of eyeballing the profile when removing such a large chip, to save myself from the guesswork during the removal process.
The main thing to watch out for while removing the chip using a grinder is overheating the blade. Overheating a tempered steel changes the heat treatment of the blade which affects the edge holding and taking ability of the blade irreversibly. Best to use light pressure and frequently cool the blade down in water.
It was so cold in Toronto the day before the shoot, the water in our workshop froze over! Luckily, this helps with cooling the blade down faster.
The closer we get to the end of crack removal, the sanding belt gets worn out. This is where it requires the most amount of patience (or switching to a new belt). An overused belt heats up the blade extremely fast, due to increase in friction. In addition, the last few mm takes substantially longer time to remove due to the thickness increase.
Going slowly with patience and checking frequently as you go, is the fastest way to get it done. The more rushed you are, the higher chance of overheating.
After the chip removal is complete and profile has been established the knife needs a fresh edge.
I started the sharpening on a coarse grit belt to define the geometry of the edge with a slight right hand bias just as one of these fresh out of the box would have. With a few belts of increasingly fine grit, some felt and a good stropping the blade has a razor sharp edge and is ready for the kitchen!
Many experienced sharpeners amongst the readers will know that this blade will wedge on dense food ingredients, regardless of how sharp the cutting edge is.And even without experience, one can see the difference in the thinness between the two choil shots. These two would not perform the same way in the kitchen.
So why not thin the blade? Simply, the client does not wish it, yet. They would like to use the blade as is, and seek for additional work if they find it necessary. And that is 100% smart. When I was younger, I would get frustrated when some clients chose anything other than the only way for their blade to be fixed. Pretty funny thinking back.
Now, I focus on asking better questions to understand their circumstances, and explain the available options to them and have them make the choices best for themselves. And just get to work.
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Thank you for everyone who showed up at the pop-up with HI-CONDITION at Tosho Knife Arts on the last weekend 20 - 22nd.
We were really happy to see everyone during POP-UP, here is some pictures took by Mr. Yuji Osada the president of HI-CONDITION.
It is always nice to meet people in person and explain what craftsman think to make crafts, I believe there is a passion that you can feel just when you talk in person.
There were much more people who showed up and support us, thank you all, we appreciate all these support!
Because we are so happy to meet all these people at the pop-up, we extended untill 29th. Please visit Tosho Knife Arts if you are around to check HI-CONDITION product, also some amazing knife from Jiro, Togashi and Kikuchiyo!
If you come to shop at weekend 28-29th, Osada-san and I are visiting the shop again and Osada san will make custom made leather tag to everyone who owns HI-CONDITION items. It won't happen anytime soon, so please visit even if you just want to check.
In the last couple years, Dundas West has seen a slew of new restaurants open up. Sapori joined the bustling and competitive, but community-oriented neighbourhood in June, 2018. Situated just west of Dufferin near Brock, this new wine bar and restaurant serves natural and organic wines to pair with their versatile menu. Owner and Chef Ryan Sciara (formery Archive, The ROM) and his Chef de Cuisine (CDC) Anthony Alexander, (formerly La Banane and Chantecler), are the sweet men behind a menu of international flavours, stemming from their diverse cooking backgrounds.
The small restaurant is quiet and dimly lit this evening with Anderson Paak crooning through the speakers, followed (perhaps ironically?) by the soundtrack from Jon Favreau’s 2014 film, Chef. Since we pre-ordered many of the items, the dishes come rolling shortly after we settle into our table. The night starts with the very impressive medium charcuterie board, adorned in five different house-cured meats including duck prosciutto, jerk coppa, brown sugar and coffee bresaola, and smoked ham. Our cheeses included epoisses de Bourgogne, château de Bourgogne, chèvre noir, 14 arpents, fior arinco, and tomme aux fleur. Everything is sliced to perfection, and it’s possibly one of the finer charcuterie boards I’ve had in a very long time.
The Crispy Tofu made with roasted eggplant, fromage blanc, crispy garlic, jalapeno, and fried leek, is satisfyingly crispy and soft on the inside. The thinly-sliced fried leek looks like it was a pain to cut with a knife, (but of course, nothing one of the knives carried at Tosho couldn’t handle).
The House Cured Ham plate with clothbound cheddar, brown butter and greens are a bestseller there, and make a great appetizer for sharing.
This was followed by the Pan-Seared Scallops, in an absolutely ethereal presentation. The real star of the evening, however, was the Mahi-Mahi. The pan-seared sunchoke puree alone was a work of art. When the mac-and-cheese pie arrived, Brian encouraged us to dip the macaroni in the aforementioned puree, which to our surprise worked wonderfully well together.
At this point, we’re pretty much stuffed so we order dessert, but unbeknownst to us, Chef Anthony was working on fried chicken to have sent over. The kimchi yoghurt that accompanied it was tastefully done, a brilliant balance of tang and spice. Everyone ate the chicken to the bone. Dessert, which was a house-made Chai Creme Brûlée sprinkled with seasoned pumpkin seeds, passed Brian’s infamous, and at times scathing dessert critique, “dessert at a restaurant will make or break my experience”. It was a delightful, not-too-sweet, last course to send us off with a good taste in our mouths.
INTERVIEW AND TOUR
The last diners take their leave for the evening and Ryan and Anthony join us at our table for a casual interview, which turns into us talking about everything from wildly inaccurate industry movies like Burnt, to cheese smells. We learned that Ryan owns the restaurant with his father who named it Sapori which translates to “to taste” or “flavour” in Italian. Naming the place, according to Ryan, was the hardest part of the process. “When you pick it, that’s it - hope no one makes fun of it,” he says. Sapori is the manifestation of a 10-year-old-dream that he’s been working towards during his time at Archive where he helped develop their charcuterie program. We talk about the importance of feedback from customers, and how hard it is to hear it when you’re working back-of-house. Spending time working front-of-house allowed him to really hear what people have to say about the food. Ryan knows the charcuterie they serve is special. “People started asking if they could buy everything [on the board].” Which they will soon be able to, as Ryan reveals that he plans on opening a commissary to fulfill that very wish. On any given night, Anthony will send out one of his “experiments” to every customer in the room, in order to get feedback to help him in his dish creation process. Not only is it a pleasant surprise for all the guests, but it’s a cool way to make use of what is pretty much a readily available focus group.
Ryan and Anthony lead us on a tour downstairs to the private dining room, where the cellar is also located, displaying an impressive collection of organic and natural wines. As a wine lover, I am all heart-eyes. Chef Anthony confesses that he decided he wanted to work here the moment he laid eyes on that dining room. The prep-kitchen is also downstairs which includes a pasta room. Currently the ravioli has been taken off the menu; Anthony coyly says with the flick of a wrist, “the pasta roller wasn’t working for me.”, but they assure us it’ll be back. Back upstairs by the pass, we talk knives a bit, and at last say our goodbyes. Ryan and Anthony are such lovely people and talented chefs, and I’m excited for the success of this new restaurant. If you’re ever in the Dundas West area and want either the wine-bar-snack experience, or a full-on dinner, give Sapori a visit and let these two take care of you.
]]>The craftsmanship, attention to detail and passion required to forge the finest Japanese knives is comparable to that of a chef experimenting with food to create a dish. Both include elements of alchemy. The chefs and their knives that we service at Tosho Knife Arts prepare some of the finest meals in the city of Toronto. We are proud to be a part of the culinary industry which allows us to provide the fundamental tools and services that help chefs succeed. We wanted to honour that bridge connecting our two worlds. As a team we decided to visit restaurants in the city in order to truly immerse ourselves in the food and beverage industry in our rich, diverse city.
On our second night out, the Tosho team ventured East to little India to visit the charming and eclectic pan-asian gastropub, Lake Inez. Inside the dining room, romantic chandeliers and other antique fixings gives the space an idyllic look. The back wall that also serves as the beer tap is adorned in a beautiful tiled mural of Virginia Woolf and Kate Bush. It’s a Tuesday night and everyone is speaking in low voices as a 2000’s alternative playlist sets a chill mood in the dining room.
The menu is decorated in dreamy, ethereal graphics and is broken up into categories such as “Lil BBs”, “Cured or Raw”, “Vegetables”, “Medium”, and “Bigger. True to Tosho’s love for food, almost every item on the menu is ordered.
One of the “Lil BB’s” is the Deviled Eggs, which comes in two pieces. Made with house fermented lemon kosho, togarashi, and smoked chicken, it is perfectly salty with a light smokey taste.
The other “Lil BB’s” are the Miso Molasses Pork Skewers, which also come in two pieces, made with pork shoulder, apple cider, a side of chilli dip, and lotus root. The skewers are an intoxicating combination of sweet, spicy, and crunchy.
In the “Cured or Raw” section of the menu is the Chicken Liver Mousse and the Teriyaki Beef Tartare. The Chicken Liver Mousse has a subtle liver taste, which is contrasted by the sweet plum and includes milk bread, plum jam, yuzu, and chrysanthemum. The Teriyaki Beef Tartare has a strong onion and nori taste. The creamy bone marrow tartare gives the dish a very nice texture and is topped with garlic chips, fermented chilies and a very special nori on the side.
Under “Vegetables”, the Persimmon Salad became a standout of the evening, (a second serving was ordered). It includes preserved tomato, sourdough, ricotta, and black garlic. The very cream ricotta mixes very well with sweet persimmon. Tyler (sharpener at Tosho) still raves about it to this day.
The Gyoza Sausage Roll, which are basically piggies in a blanket on steroids, topped with daikon pickles, surprises you with a strong kick. A flaky, deliciously braised centre is spicy enough to clear your nose. Definitely a memorable dish.
The Sancho Glazed Ribs and Grilled Bavette, which fall under the menus “Bigger” category, are definitely the heartiest of all the courses consumed that evening. The Sancho Glazed Ribs were a team favourite. Lake Inez used pork ribs- double smoked, ginger, lime leaf, and sweet cecily over a bed of Koshihikari rice. Joey (Tosho Sales Associate) liked the rice so much, he requested a bag of it as his Secret Santa gift, which he enthusiastically received. He is still eating that rice today. The steak dish was made with smoked beef fat, miso, and topped with aleppo chillies. Both were truly a delight to eat.
Before dessert, Zach, one of the owners, joins the table to chat a bit about the food, the new chef Jay Moore, and how he changed up the menu. Prior to Jay’s arrival, the menu had more of a Filipino influence, now it is more Japanese. Zach also jokes about Jay’s less than stellar taste in booze. One of the cocktails on the menu is the Jay Moore, which Zach describes as “kind of ridiculous...it’s just beer with ice and a lime wedge.” However, what he lacks in his taste in booze, he makes up for in his knife skills. Zach asks, “have you heard of the legendary David Chang quote? He said, ‘best knife skills of any non-Asian I’ve ever worked with’”.
Finally, dessert arrives; The Bittersweet Chocolate Cake. It included fresh ginger ice cream, roasted and candied chestnuts, and salted caramel. Rich with quality, and wonderfully balanced, it's perfect for anyone who doesn’t have too much of a sweet tooth.
Lake Inez is truly special. With a warm nostalgic atmosphere, stellar, comforting menu, and wonderful hosting by Zach, the experience at Lake Inez made a lasting impression on our team at Tosho. Whether you want to sit down and eat the entire menu with friends, or grab a couple snacks to go with your beer, we would recommend everyone head East and experience the magic at Lake Inez.
Patois is a Jamaican-Asian fusion restaurant on Dundas St West by the talented chef/owner Craig Wong. The decor in the dining room is laid-back, with quirky, colorful pool floats adorning the ceiling by the bar. Our team of five arrives at the newly rebuilt Patois at around 7pm (they suffered from a fire in 2016 that forced them to close and renovate), and we settle in and go over the menu. The restaurant is bustling for a Tuesday night: the soothing euphony of conversations, laughter, and clinking plates fills the room. I know immediately I want to have the Michiba Crispy Brussel Sprouts, and when we ask the server what she reckons we try, I smile as she confirms my recommendation. We choose to share a generous selection of menu items, starting with the aforementioned Michiba Crispy Brussel Sprouts, and Oxtail and Garlic Festival Breadsticks. This is followed by the Juicy Jerk Chicken and Curry Goat Doubles, both on the spicy side. The Dirty Fried Rice comes next, along with a fatty plate of pork belly. Unbeknownst to the rest of us, Olivia (owner of Tosho Knife Arts) ordered the curry crab roti and Jamaican oxtail and we struggle to make room for it all. Some of the orders come with this heavenly garlic sauce that Brian, our manager, practically eats on its own with a spoon. Seriously, it was good. I’m considering petitioning to have it bottled and sold to the public.
Pork Belly
Juicy Jerk Chicken, Dirty Fried Rice
Curry Goat Doubles
Steven, our Social Media Lead, is invited to check out the kitchen and document the preparation of dishes, but when he doesn’t come back until dessert (he was in there for 25 minutes!), I joke that they’ve recruited him and he’s on the line preparing our next dish. Over one serving of Cookie Butter French Toast and a handful of forks, Craig joins us in what becomes an impromptu storytelling session. We listen as he weaves the tales behind his dishes and why he chooses to prepare them the way he does. Chef Craig’s Jamaican-Chinese heritage and his upbringing in Scarborough play a part in the creation of his dishes. His passion gave us the impression that the dishes he creates should stir within you a memory and incite nostalgia, and we even learn that the curry goat doubles are actually a family recipe of his Trinidadian Chef de Cuisine, Mat Agostini. The Dirty Fried Rice is a play on Southern dirty rice, from his visit to Charleston where he like the food but found it particularly heavy. His interpretation is a bit lighter with an added Chinese influence. The rice includes both red sausage and lap cheong and I try to keep up as Craig names what feels like seven different spices he included. The Cookie Butter French Toast is his rendition of Hong Kong style French toast, which is typically made with condensed milk and peanuts. Craig uses ground-up cookies which serves as the batter, and it’s a dessert perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth.
Patois kitchen
After our scrumptious, almost gluttonous meal, I’m practically waddling to the Bathurst bus stop. Getting an intimate view into the Patois menu and kitchen, where many of the chefs including Craig use knives serviced by us at Tosho, really brings things full circle. As guests, we got to experience the end product that begins with having a well-maintained knife as well as supporting our local food scene. Our journey as diners, where we’ll navigate the endless sea of wine-bars, sushi joints, gastropubs, has started on a delicious note.
]]>Sakai, Sanjo, Echizen, Seki and Miki - these are places known for kitchen knife production in Japan. Sakai is best known for making 90% of Japan’s single bevel knives. But did you know that there were also many bladesmiths in Tokyo before? When speaking to anyone of that particular era in Japan, they will always remember the sounds of forging throughout Tokyo every day.
During the Edo period, Ieyasu Tokugawa, the head of the Edo Shogunate wanted to build a strong trade community where Edo would be filled with master craftsmen. As a result, Kajiya-cho (Blacksmith Village) was built, which is present-day Kanda district in Tokyo. Edo City was known for street fights and fires, so when fire broke out, the skilled blacksmiths would be responsible for creating the fine tools that the woodworkers would use to rebuild the damaged structures. After the Meiji period, swords were prohibited. Many swordsmiths were not able to find much work, so they turned to forging woodworking tools, farm tools and kitchen knives. Since Edo City was established, this tiny geographical space called Tokyo had one of the largest populations in the world, which resulted in many tight-knit communities. The communication between users and makers were a common part of every day, the gap between them was very small, if any. Any complaints about the tools by the users would quickly get back to the tool makers, which then resulted in many legendary blacksmiths, such as Chiyotsuru-Korehide (千代鶴是秀) and Ishido.
Chiyotsuru-Korehide with the Previous president of Morihei
Around 20 years after the end of World War II, Japan experienced a period of high economic and population growth. The sounds of forging became less welcomed in the streets and many blacksmiths had to move out of the city. Today, blacksmiths in and around Tokyo are rare, but a number still reside around the area, in cities like Saitama, Yamanashi and Chiba. When the city blacksmiths dispersed, they lost the union that they once had. Their work remains well respected, however and their history should be credited for putting Tokyo on the map for well-made forged tools.
Population is getting higher in Tokyo
Morihei has been a knife and whetstone supplier for more than 100 years. They are one of the few companies left in Japan with a long-standing history of relationships with blacksmiths and whetstone and natural stone makers that has been maintained to this day. At one time, more than 20 groups of blacksmiths and sharpeners worked under the name Morihei. When some of the blacksmiths decided to resign, Morihei asked them to make a large number of knives before they left, for those original Morihei’s customers who may wish to continue to use those same knives.
Craftsman used to work for Morihei
There is now a limited stock of those knives at Morihei who kept them safely in storage for the past 20 years. These are the final pieces from the blacksmiths in Tokyo from the Edo period. Each knife is stamped with the engraving Tokyo (東京). We are not sure how much longer we will have Tokyo-Made knives to sell, but we hope that each one will go to someone with a heartfelt sense of care for these knives.
Photographed, documented and written by: Hokuto Aizawa (Hitohira)
Edited by: Olivia Go (Tosho Knife Arts)
Morihei(森平) is a knife and whetstone supplier located in Asakusabashi, Tokyo. They have been a part of the industry for over 100 years, including the predecessor of Morihei “Oguro-Morihei-Shouten (小黒森平商店)“. At one point in time, more than 20 groups of blacksmiths and sharpeners were working exclusively under Morihei. They are one of the only companies in Japan with a long-standing history of relationships with blacksmiths and whetstone and natural stone makers that still exists today. Mr. Akimitsu Oguro, the president of Morihei, is the advisor for natural stone researchers from universities and government groups. People who visit Morihei for technical information from Mr. Oguro include researchers, blacksmiths, sharpeners, chefs, craftsmen, and knife shop employees. Morihei is like a school for the industry people, the source of all knowledge.
Crftsman used to work under Morihei
The start of Mr. Oguro’s remarkable career began at a traditional knife sharpening shop, the kind that can no longer be found in Japan. It consisted of four to five sharpening stations where the sharpeners were working independently. If the sharpener had superior skills, people were waiting in his/her line. New sharpeners were in charge of flattening other sharpeners’ stones if nobody stood in their line.
Back in the old days of Morihei, blacksmiths and sharpeners would have disputes in regards to each other’s quality of work, and placed pride on some ranking of superiority. Morihei the company acted as the peacekeepers and decision makers of these rankings, and developed a better understanding and eye for quality than other craftspeople.
Mr. Oguro's father and Chiyozuru-Korehide
At the age of 23, Mr. Ogura hand-delivered natural stones for Morihei. He experimented and tested out each of the stones before his deliveries, providing detailed information about the products for Morihei's customers. One of their customers was a Japanese sword polisher who offered him the opportunity of a placement as a sword polishing disciple. Normally a student of a sword polisher would graduate after 5 to 6 years of daily training, living in-house. This sword polisher made Mr. Oguro an exception of being a part-time student since he had his other job at Morihei. After 15 years of weekend training, he graduated as a sword polisher. These are just some of the reasons that Mr. Oguro and Morihei are known for having such a wealth of history, experience, knowledge, and skills related to Japanese knives and whetstones.
Mr. Oguro and Swordsmith Kiyoshi Kato
Some synthetic and natural whetstones from Morihei have serial numbers on them that are traceable from the beginning: when they were mined and made, to the people who currently own them.
Morihei’s exclusive and in-house brands include: Hisamoto(久元), Kiyomitsu(清光), Yoshitomo(義友), Kisaku(喜作), Kunihide(國秀), Kikuyu(菊勇), Seppu(雪峰), Edomitsu(江戸光), Sukefusa(助房), Hakuraku(博楽), Hatsutora(初虎), Chiyomasa(千代正), Hisahiro(久弘), Kikumitsu(喜久光), Setsugetsu(雪月), Honkunihide(本國秀), Gousaku(豪作), Shigezoku(重族), Munetsugu(宗次), Unsen(雲仙), Koshiro(幸四郎), Kesa(ケサ), Kikumitsu(菊光), Korenobu(是信), Azuma Hisamoto(東久元) and Korehisa(是久). Mr. Oguro has set aside some knives and tools for the next generation of blacksmithing and sharpening. If you are lucky, you may be able to see his gallery.
Photographed, documented and written by: Hokuto Aizawa (Hitohira)
Edited by: Olivia Go (Tosho Knife Arts)
At the moment we don't have signage, so just look for the old computer shop with a sharpening station out front.
Our favourite is when people walk by and double take the signage and whatever that's inside.
As insider information, you'll know that this shop is Tosho, and we are open from Monday to Saturday from 11am - 6pm and Sundays from noon - 5pm.
Hope to see you soon!
]]>Douglas Chang is the owner of this wonderful space. He's an ex chef with a huge heart and a mind full of invaluable wisdom. We went to visit him before the opening in the summer.
And what's happening in Japan?
Many of you know Ivan, he's my business partner. Not too long ago, maybe about a year and a half ago, he followed his heart and found himself in Japan. Not just to visit, but to work and fall in love with the life that surrounds him. I call him "Knivan" for a reason. He has become one with the knife; I think he was born this way, and there's no other place than Japan that I can see him. Sharpening, finishing, designing, and re-handling knives. His life consists of working closely with some of the best sharpeners, blacksmiths and sushi chefs in the world on a daily basis. You can see his Instagram posts under the name @toshoworks, which is much that is going on with him in Japan. I'm noting that it is different than the Toronto's version of instagram @toshoknifearts.
So it's the Christmas Season and the streets are getting a bit slippery in Toronto. There is much word and inquisition of the change that's happening. Mirvish Village is closing down by December 2016, and Westbank seems to hold a vision to reopen in about four years, with the goal of retaining Mirvish's sense community. I've got my hopes that the quirky and diverse lives on.
Our new space isn't too far away, just north of Bathurst Station. Write down our new address: 934 Bathurst Street. We are located on the West side between Barton and Follis. We'll keep you posted if we're closing the brick and mortar for any renovations. For now I think we might keep it simple but you never know...so keep in touch!
In the meantime, hope you're getting in the winter spirit! I'm just pulling out my skates now...
]]>About ten years ago, a German man commissioned Shosui Takeda to make single bevel knives. This man is not around today, and so the knives were not claimed. Composed of Blue #1 and Aogami Super steel, we are able to dig up fifteen blades that completes this collection.
They lay in Takeda's workshop for years, until we stumbled across them and decided to salvage and refine them in the state that you'll see them today.
So you just bought your first Japanese knife and you want to keep it looking and performing at its best. Depending on what knife you bought (double bevel, single bevel, carbon, stainless or semi-stainless), here are a few tips to keep you going in the right direction.
Before you start using your knife, it's a good idea to establish a few things; some are pretty obvious but others are not. All the tips and techniques here are from my own experience as a sharpener and cook, and from working with blacksmith and sharpeners in Japan. One of our main goals at Tosho Knife Arts is to educate knife users, and share our experiences.
Please feel free at anytime to contact us about any questions you may have.
Ok let's get started!
Honing
Let's go through each step of honing a knife with daily and weekly maintenance for home and professional cooks.
What you will need:
Depending on how much you use your knife, the steel it's made from, HRC (rockwell hardness), types of forging and quenching and what type of surface you are cutting on will usually determine how often you need to actually go to a wet stone. Other things like what you are cutting and your cutting technique can also be a factor in how long your edge lasts.
The tools you will need are:
Here is a honing video to help you understand how to use the honing leather on your kitchen knife.
Here is a sharpening video to help you understand the basic sharpening technique on whetstones.
DO: KEEP YOUR KNIFE DRY
Leaving your blade wet with water or acid can build rust and degrade the edge of your blade. Be sure to wipe it clean and dry in between uses.
DON'T: CUT FROZEN FOOD
Although Japanese steel is incredibly hard, it's not meant to come into contact with frozen solids. Know your knife and it's purpose, and avoid hacking into ice, bones, and other frozen foods or risk cracking the blade's edge.
DO: HONE YOUR KNIFE REGULARLY
While honing doesn't remove metal, it does realign the apex of your blade keeping the edge sharp. We suggest using a leather strop for greater quality and accuracy.
DON'T: USE GLASS OR HARD PLASTIC CUTTING BOARDS
Stick to wood or cork instead. The hard surfaces of glass and dense plastics can crack your knifes blade.
DO: KEEP YOUR BLADE COVERED
Keeping your knife in a sheath is not only the safest way to store it, but it will prevent your blade from being nicked by other utensils and surfaces.
DON'T: PUT YOUR KNIFE IN THE DISHWASHER
Between the prolonged exposure to extreme heat, the harsh chemicals found is most dishwashing detergents, and the risk of water logging your wooden handle - putting your knife in the dishwasher is a recipe for disaster. We recommend using a mild soap and gentle cloth when cleaning your knife.