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. Let the shop-master show you what he has in your budget range. You will most likely not get ripped off. You are paying for what you get. Be aware that the best high-carbon steel does rust and corrode quickly and needs to be wiped clean and sharpened regularly. 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. But, 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. Razor-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. yo sushi menu birminghamI 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. sushi online brasiliaThere are plenty of stainless knives out there that are serviceable. where to buy sushi vinegar in singapore

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. sushi grade fish online canadaIt's the only one in the market place. Above all, don't put them in the dishwasher. 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 "Hipster" Stays in Tokyo Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park - where to stay? 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? There are several knife shops in the market. Some of them are friendlier than others. Fifth generation Tsukiji Masamoto (opened in 1891) has always been on the friendly side and has an English speaking staff on some days. This is where my husband and I have purchased knives in the past and we love the service here. It’s a very busy shop with not only tourists, but also with the fishmongers from Tsukiji.

Presdient Hirano-san in the photo below is there most days. The staff that work there are very knowledgeable about knives. Hirano-san has said that when the market moves to its new location at Toyosu that his shop will remain in place in the outer market. Hirano-san of Tsukiji Masamoto putting initials on a knife Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 4-9-9 中央区築地4-9-9 Kiya Knife Shop 木屋 *Note – this is the NEW address for Kiya Nihonbashi Nihonbashi-Muromachi 2-2-1 中央区日本橋室町 2-2-1 10am – 8pm seven days a week Closed only on New Year’s Day. The corner shop, opened in 1792, has a sign in English, “World’s Finest Cutlery” over the door. The compact shop displays a shining collection of knives, pots, pans, and many things for the kitchen. Here you will find graters, pepper grinders, tweezers for pulling bones out of fish, as well as scissors and gardening tools. The friendly staff is patient and will help you to find exactly what you are looking for.