I'd like to buy a Japanese knife/knives when I'm in Tokyo. My budget is around £400 (60,000 yen) for a set of 3, or I'd pay £250 (40000 yen) for a really nice individual one. Does anyone have any recommendations of which brand, or where to buy one? Shun knives are by far the best/sharpest knives I've ever used so far and I've used well over 100 high quality Japanese knives. Their bread knife in particular is a must have. It's totally and amazingly sharp! Forgot to say that I bought mine at a Williams Sonoma in California, but I've seen them in department stores in Japan. I know that Isetan in Shinjuku has them for sure. You can probably buy them on Amazon in your country too. In addition, you can buy one of a kind knives in Kappabashi in Tokyo or at Sakai Ichimonji shop in Osaka Doguyasuji: I have a few of "one of a kind" knives but I still think Shun is better. 2 destinations mentioned in this post Great advice thank you. Thanks for taking the time to post a reply

That is a nice budget. If you want something unique then shop the usual places where knife shops tend to be (i.e. Asakusa, Tsukiji outer market, Kappabashi, etc.) and look for a knife shop that appears to have been around for awhile. Know the style you want. sushi online dubaiLet the shop-master show you what he has in your budget range. sushi express online menuYou will most likely not get ripped off. sushi cat the honeymoon online gameYou are paying for what you get. sushi online passareBe aware that the best high-carbon steel does rust and corrode quickly and needs to be wiped clean and sharpened regularly. play sushi cat free online

Like S-san, we have a large collection of knives collected through the years. They all require a great amount of care and feeding. We lost our sharpener (he used to come to the local Mitsuwa Marketplace but no more) so we're kind of in a quandary of what to do now. sushi los angeles magazineBut, once you start using a real nice Japanese knife with a good edge you will be surprised how dull your existing "sharp" knives actually are. order sushi shanghaiRazor-sharp is not an exaggeration. Hi, thanks for your reply. We're staying in Asakusa so that'll be useful for browsing the shops. Thanks for the advice regarding the carbon steel- I have little experience with knives, I've used some expensive ones before, but never had to care for them. Kiya 木屋 is a very famous shop for knives in Tokyo. The head shop is Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku Tokyo;

it's in front/across the road of Mitsukoshi Department Store. I have a set of Shun Knives as well...bought them in Canada when some store had a 50% off sale on anything (normally they exclude high end knives from that offering...). You have to remember they are not designed for slicing through bones, frozen meat etc. Shun (at least in North America) offers free sharpening on their knives. You mail them to Oregon and they will sharpen them for free. One destination mentioned in this post As for the reasons said, I would not recommend carbon steel knives unless you buy with them a sharpening stone and know how to sharpen yourself unless a vendor is available. They discolor easily, too. Like a sword, cutting edge angle is important to kepp it razor sharp longer. I still sharpen mine & my sashimi knife is dangerously too sharp. Stick with stainless steel knives. You might consider a white ceramic knife for straight cutting. It remain sharps & will not rust but will break/chip easily, if twisted or cutting bones.

amazinga, I'm not sure why someone would bother buying a stainless knife in Japan. I guess you can get a laminated one with high carbon in the middle but those do not get a razor edge like a pure carbon one. There are plenty of stainless knives out there that are serviceable. You really can't cut sashimi properly with a stainless blade edge. You can with a laminated one but those are extremely expensive if you want to get a professional quality one. The rust wipes clean with a non-metallic scouring sponge. The best way to store long term is in a sheath after thoroughly drying. A great knife shop is the one in the Nishiki market place if you're in Kyoto. No knife leaves the shop without being sharpened and cleaned. It's the only one in the market place. Above all, don't put them in the dishwasher. New Otani vs Imperial hotel Hotel booking sites for Tokyo Kimono Rental and 1 hr photo service in Japan Tokyo or Hakone luggage and suitcase lockers or storage area

Been to Nikko Lately? JR Rail Pass or not. First time in Tokyo (2 days) - Location/Hotel advice 2 to 3 days in Tokyo - can I do it all? Discover card issues still a thing? 4 Beds in 1 Room Reservations needed for theme cafes or restaurants See All Tokyo Conversations top 10 best places to go in tokyo in 4 days? Confused with which area to stay Tokyo to Kyoto by train 1st time in tokyo... where to stay?Ginza Shinjuku or Shibuya Fly in to Haneda or Narita Airport? Does Tokyo have a hop on and hop off Sightseeing Bus? Tokyo Weather in March? Tokyo-Kyoto bullet train advice Weird things to do in Tokyo? Did anyone fly Delta Airlines Singapore - Narita recently?One of the most satisfying shopping trips in Tokyo would have to be to the area called Kappabashi, or Kitchen Town. Here the main street is lined with stores selling the most wonderful array of items to stock any kitchen or restaurant. It is along this street that two rival knife shops, only a block apart, offer their wares.

Unlike many of the smaller establishments that sell knives in Kappabashi, the Kamaasa and Kamata stores sell top-of-the-range, artisan-made Japanese steel knives. The Kamaasa shop has been operating since 1908 and has knives for every application available. Some of the staff speak not only English and Japanese, but other languages as well. This comes in very handy when purchasing a knife, as a cursory look around the store and its shelves, lined with a vast array of cutting implements including scissors and other small tools, may leave you feeling a little perplexed. The staff are skilled in helping you decide just which knife is right for you. First, however, they will quiz you about the following things: Last but not least you will be asked to hold the knife to see just how it feels in your hand. This is often the deciding factor for chefs and novice cooks alike. All Kamaasa knives are works of art, and some are patterned with waves or notches, the first are for decoration only, the second to stop food from sticking to the blade.

They also offer an engraving service whereby your name will be rendered into katakana and engraved onto the blade. Just a block away is an equally reputable and historic family business called Kamata. The patriarch of this family is the head of the venerable knife sharpening guild in Tokyo, and the staff here are passionate about the care and longevity of your knives. After going through a similarly rigorous selection process, they will guide you in the dos and don’ts of sharpening your knife. Often the recommendation is to return to the store, where an industrial-sized rotating sharpener takes pride of place. Here the trained staff will sharpen your knife for free to maintain its perfect edge. Kappabashi has many other knife shops that deal in European knives and factory produced Japanese brands, but for a genuine Japanese artisan-quality blade, with a bit of culture and theater thrown in, the family businesses of Kamaasa and Kamata are the places to go. They are also great places to take your overseas visitors or to indulge in a little domestic retail therapy for yourself.