Well it started with an interest in knives, I think it may have come from watching my dad sharpen his knives on an oilstone. From there, in my travels with the Navy I would make an effort to go into places that sold knives in different countries, not kitchen knives at that point but exotic knives.
That was 35 years ago and my interest has shifted to kitchen knives but mostly, sharpening those kitchen knives. A few years ago I went into Paderno here in Bayer's Lake and met a gentleman who really changed my life now that I think about it. The manager of the store was very interested in how I sharpened knives and supported me and continues to support me like no one else has, except my wife.
So my sharpening business started to actually become a business with actual customers with Malcolm's support and offer to use Paderno as a drop off and pick up spot for folks that wanted their knives sharpened. He is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to knives and I highly recommend treating yourself to one of the beautiful knives he sells.
Over time, the good folks at Cucina Moderna allowed me to leave my business cards there and through that, many good people with dull knives have found their way to me. Recently, The Ikebana Shop offered a similar service that Paderno has, so that is how my customers find me other than visiting my website. I can't express how grateful I am to these establishments and of course to the people who bring me knives. NOT TO MENTION the chefs and cooks at places like Chives and The Bicycle Thief.
So what about the other knives, the Japanese Hand Made knives that you cannot buy here where I live in Nova Scotia. What is big mystery about them and are they better than the knives we can purchase right here.....down the road so to speak?
I am not suggesting abandoning the stores you purchase your knives from, stick with them, I do.
However, there is nothing wrong with just having something different in your inventory. There are a couple of places right here in Canada that we can use to buy knives that are hand made in Japan.
I'm not talking about Global or Shun or MAC, the names of these knives come from the family name of those who make them, a generation in many cases such as Moritaka, Takeda, Masakage and many more.
There is a store in Calgary, now in Ottawa too called Knifewear. I have shared several emails with the owner, Mr. Kevin Kent and I come to respect him very much. Knifewear sells several brands of Japanese hand made knives. Kevin has been to Japan, actually met with the blade smiths, this man knows his knives. You will be surprised at the costs, they are not as expensive as you may think.
Here is a link to his site and you can browse through it to see all the beautiful knives, it's an awesome website, very funny and what I love about it is how he tells us about the Master's who created the knives, that is very cool.
Dream Knives
Also, it is free shipping for purchases over $200.00.
So what is so good about these knives? Besides being hand made and knowing that each knife undergoes scrutinization by people that have been doing so for years and perhaps have learned the art from their father. (That alone has to mean something, it does to me). The material used in the knives is nicely described by Kevin, I won't go through it here, he does a much better job. However, having seen some of these knives and sharpened them, I can promise you that in terms of cutting performance, they are really something you need to experience. The hardness of the steel allows/begs for much more acute sharpening angles, 12 degrees in some cases and with that ridiculously low angle, it is truly like a razor blade and because it is so hard, it will hold the edge longer.
What is really cool is that these knives are easier to sharpen, seriously, I love sharpening them, it is relatively quick process and the results are startling.
Again, this is not to say there is anything wrong with your Wusthofs, Henckels, MAC's and Grohmann knives. Nothing wrong with your Toyota Corolla or Honda Accord either, that doesn't mean you wouldn't like to own a BMW.
Now many are full carbon knives or have a very high carbon content, this is a good thing. It does mean however that if left out on the kitchen counter wet, the blade will rust in spots. It's simple, use the knife, love it, be blown away and then dry it off right after use, just keep it dry.
Just something to think about, Knifewear is a safe place to purchase from, he has stores in four cities, take a look and if you have questions, just email them or call them.
By the way, I don't get anything from Knifewear for mentioning them here, if I were to buy a knife there I would pay the same as you do. I'm just providing information on what is available.
Now I personally would support one of the local stores (Paderno or Cucina Moderna) and get one of their knives or 5 of them but I would also, and will some day purchase a Knifewear knife and put it proudly on my magnetic knife strip right beside my MAC or Grohmann or Shun. They are something you need to see and use to appreciate.
Thanks
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