JAPANESE KNIFE - First Time Japanese Knife Buyers Guide 

Glad to hear it, thanks for watching!

👍👍

Agree, short, succinct, and to the point.

Thanks for the feedback! You know we ship world wide too ;)

Glad it helped!

We'll keep em' coming!

Glad it was helpful!

Glad you enjoyed it!

@@SharpKnifeShop Is it possible to list the knives in order you use them. Typically someone watching this video is a first time user so will struggle with the spellings. Many many thanks.

Glad you like it, what did you pick up?!

@@SharpKnifeShop One of Yu Kurosaki-san's bunkas. Still sharp, still great! I hope you guys are doing well and staying safe.

@@SharpKnifeShop Is Sowoll a good brand? Are they any good? Thanks

Glad you think so!

Fire away! Maybe we make a new video answering your questions!

@@JamesGCorlett is carbon with stainless layer on top the “best of both”? Will only the bevel rust? I have a wet stone but my current knives suck so much I cant really sharpen them. How do I practice? It seems like I cannot tell what is right even after watching tons of videos. For home use, a shorter blade is usually easier to handle, right? Does the shape of the tip matter much? I cannot see a benefit of one vs the other even for most precise applications. How do you best store knives? Magnetic strip, knife block, individual saya, fancy chef pants knife roll? Why are the good knives so expensive?!

I prefer rustic carbon knives myself!

This happened to me in Japan.... I was in a little knife boutique, shopping that day for a Deba, and I picked up a Takeshi Saji Gyuto just to look at it -- it wasn't the knife I thought I wanted to buy though. But it was the best knife I had ever held, the balance was PERFECT, and I couldn't get it out of my mind when I left. At the end of the day I walked miles back to that store just to get that knife. To this day, it's still my favorite.

@@J_LOVES_ME Good for you, I know the feeling about how attached one can get to a knife. I'm like that with coffee cups as well.

@@carlcat Haha.. me too!

We do ship internationally though ;D

Hey Brandon! So sorry for the late reply. We're more responsive and it's easier to communicate via email or the live chat feature on our website. We would love to help you out on either of those platforms. Our email address is info@sharpknifeshop.com. You can chat with us on the website at sharpknifeshop.com

Im unfamiliar with doing work like that but perhaps a kiridashi would be up your alley? They're small simple knives often used for bamboo and by wood workers. You can sharpen them on whetstones like we use in our sharpening videos and we dont recommend sharpening guides as kiridashis are sharpened with the bevel flat to the stone and then just touched up on a high grit stone on the back side like other single bevels or chisels!

Hey! Those are made by Piotr the Bear! We normally stock them but we're waiting for a new order now. (the ones on our walls are custom sized but we normally carry 8 and 16 inch variants!

So sorry for the late reply! That is the 210 mm Gyuto from Kato-san's Black Damascus line.

Im a gyuto man myself. Id rather have the length when I need it! If a santoku or bunka is your only you may want to add a sujihiki down the line, where as a gyuto is a happy inbetween!

@@SharpKnifeShop what do you think about the global G4 ? It should be between the bunka and the gyuto ?

Hey John, we recommend you start with a 210 gyuto! It is the most versatile shape and the most common length of that type of knife. If you are looking for lowest maintenance I would recommend the Ittetsu X Hammer as its fully stainless and is a tough SLD steel that isn't prone to chipping. If you want carbon but with the ease of stainless cladding look no further than the Ittetsyu Nashiji Kiritsuke 210. While this is a kiritsuke and not a gyuto, they have a lot of belly in the blade to also allow for rocking and can be used in the same manner as a gyuto. And finally if you're up for the maintenance of an iron clad knife, you'll get the most bang for your buck with my personal choice from the list, the Matsubara Kurouchi Gyuto 210mm!

I use paper shredder.

Then come to Spain lol.

I think there are less dangerous places to steal from.

Sharp's MVP

Hey! If you're looking for an a more affordable set you could check out the Ittetsu Tsuchime line! Thin and fully stainless with a western style handle! If you're looking for a carbon option our Ittetsu Nashiji line has a blue#2 core with a stainless cladding so it won't be as chippy or easy to rust as an iron clad and is a great place to start with getting into carbon, they also feature a sort of hybrid handle with a western feel but a more japanese balance. Send us a DM if you wanna learn more!

I have

Stein, berg, man

Hahaha

I have never not wanted to kiss a man before

i usually come in the backdoor. Unless I'm not let in, when pounding the backdoor. Then I Finish where I Finish. We are talking about knives here, yes? What is a woman?

I imagine VG10 will be more common and so more variety and choices of knives, particularly by Japanese makers. Iseya, Kanetsune and Sakai Takayuki all do great knives in VG10 layered Damascus. Depending where you live globally but try Hocho Knife Company or Japanny. 👍

We do!

A couple things to consider with handles and durability: If you are pushing your knife hard enough that you would damage a wa handle and tangs construction you aren't using your knife incorrectly and will likely damage the blade before the handle. I've never had to actively maintain my wa handles, the oils from my hands have been more than enough to keep them in good shape. Synthetic materials are not particularly more durable. They handle moisture well but knives shouldn't be soaked or put through a dishwasher because all the banging around will dull your knife and leaving a knife to soak is dangerous because theyre often forgotten when you plunge your hand into the bubbly water (if I had a dime for everytime someone hurt themselves in a restaurant like this I'd would be retired). Also synthetics fall short in their resistance to heat, while its possible to burn a wa handle if it accidentally gets left on a hot burner or surface, a synthetic handle will melt and be unusable. Also synthetic molded handles can't be replaced in most cases.

@@SharpKnifeShop I like your elevated response so much that it earned you a sub. I cant imagine leaving soaking any knife thats not butter knife in any shared environment.

Correct! Prices are Canadian dollars

Yes they do, it cost me $25 CAD but they discounted 10% which just about covered it.