Visiting Japan, TF and Takada no Hamono

[crosscut]

Hey Everyone,

I will be visiting Japan next month and have already planned to visit some blacksmiths and sharpeners. So far my list includes:

Teruyasu Fujiwara - I ordered a "thin" 210mm Denka Gyuto. Miho assured me that he would pick the thinnest one they have available. I already have the 210mm Maboroshi which I plan to pass on to my sister. I know they are controversial here, but I have really enjoyed the Maboroshi, and the feel in the hand (Western Handle) and performance are something I enjoy.

Takada No Hamono - I reached out via his IG and ordered a 210mm Blue #1 Suiboku and will pick it up directly from his shop. I am actually tempted to have him take a look at the Denka and if its thicker than I would like, have him thin it and sharpen it if that is OK with him.

I wanted to pick up a petty 135-150mm and was considering *edit Konosuke. I am hoping to get something slightly more stainless than a full carbon knife since it will be mostly for cutting fruit in the morning. Has anyone here gone to his shop in Sakai? I see he makes a SLD. Google shows a place, but on the street view it doesn't look very promising. I will probably send an email to confirm. Any suggestions on what line to get would be appreciated.

Any other suggestions for a petty to pickup directly from the smith\sharpener?

I will be in Tokyo, Osaka, Sakai and Kyoto.

Thanks!

 

[superworrier]

I would not expect Takada to just thin a knife for you, and I don't think I'd even ask.
Yoshikane is in Sanjo not Sakai.

 

[jedy617]

Sounds like fun. Not sure if takada San will mess with someone else's knife, sounds like a little bit of a no no. I'm sure it will be good though.

 

[crosscut]

I would not expect Takada to just thin a knife for you, and I don't think I'd even ask.
Yoshikane is in Sanjo not Sakai.

Yes my mistake. I am thinking of Konosuke.
Good to know if its a bad idea to ask about the thinning.

 

[blokey]

Maybe some old retailer at Tsukiji would be nice- Sugimoto, Aritsugu, Tsukiji Masamoto. I plan to visit as well

 

[blokey]

Yes my mistake. I am thinking of Konosuke.
Good to know if its a bad idea to ask about the thinning.

Does Konosuke even have a storefront?

 

[dragjp]

Kinda, you can search for カネシゲ刃物. Sister store but same stuff AFAIK.

 

[crosscut]

Kinda, you can search for カネシゲ刃物. Sister store but same stuff AFAIK.

This is the one I found. From the map view, it doesn't really look like a store. I think the best bet is to email them and ask.

 

[dragjp]

Don't worry- the google maps street view dated back to 2022, but the store was opened like earlier this year.
Front now looks like this:

 

[Heckel7302]

I'd love to visit Takada some day. He seems like a really nice guy. There was a guy on FB I think (could have been reddit, IDK) that posted a video of him visiting the shop. He was very generous with his time. There was even a surprise visit by Tanaka, who was dropping off some blanks. The guy knew next to nothing about knives, never even heard of Tanaka.

 

[crosscut]

I'd love to visit Takada some day. He seems like a really nice guy. There was a guy on FB I think (could have been reddit, IDK) that posted a video of him visiting the shop. He was very generous with his time. There was even a surprise visit by Tanaka, who was dropping off some blanks. The guy knew next to nothing about knives, never even heard of Tanaka.

Yes, I know the one! I saw it on Reddit and it was part of the reason I reached out to him directly. I will link to the video below in case others are interested.

 

[toddnmd]

Takada-san is very friendly, and I'm sure will be welcoming. I met him once at Cutlery Tsubaya when he was visiting Tokyo and helping out.
Kosuke-san is also very friendly. I'm not sure if I'd call Konosuke a store, per se, but they do have some display cases and will probably have some knives, but I would not expect a wide selection. When I visited in 2019, there were a few 240s available (of course I bought one). I'd absolutely make an appointment in advance.
As for Takada modifying a TF, I'd suggest you at least try it out first, and there's often a certain amount of respect for other craftsmen's work, so there would at least be some hesitancy to regrind it. You know the Suiboku is going to be thin and cut very well. I think a Denka, even a thinner one, would be a better complement to the Suiboku in something close to its original grind. It's probably also going to cut very well. If you use it for a while and later decide to thin it or have someone do it, that would make more sense to me. You may very well like it just fine as is.
I would also caution about taking knives around much in Japan. The limits are pretty strict, and I personally knew someone who had to leave the country and agree not to return for 5-10 years (a better option than going to prison), for carrying a pocket knife with a 3-inch blade I'd just leave them in your suitcase at your hotel, wrapped in the nice Japanese paper, until you get home.

 

[dragjp]

Fun read if you google 銃砲刀剣類所持等取締法, or check the abstract here The Japanese Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law: Translator's Introduction.
Last time I checked, 5.5 cm edge is the limit for carrying.

 

[crosscut]

Takada-san is very friendly, and I'm sure will be welcoming. I met him once at Cutlery Tsubaya when he was visiting Tokyo and helping out.
Kosuke-san is also very friendly. I'm not sure if I'd call Konosuke a store, per se, but they do have some display cases and will probably have some knives, but I would not expect a wide selection. When I visited in 2019, there were a few 240s available (of course I bought one). I'd absolutely make an appointment in advance.
As for Takada modifying a TF, I'd suggest you at least try it out first, and there's often a certain amount of respect for other craftsmen's work, so there would at least be some hesitancy to regrind it. You know the Suiboku is going to be thin and cut very well. I think a Denka, even a thinner one, would be a better complement to the Suiboku in something close to its original grind. It's probably also going to cut very well. If you use it for a while and later decide to thin it or have someone do it, that would make more sense to me. You may very well like it just fine as is.
I would also caution about taking knives around much in Japan. The limits are pretty strict, and I personally knew someone who had to leave the country and agree not to return for 5-10 years (a better option than going to prison), for carrying a pocket knife with a 3-inch blade I'd just leave them in your suitcase at your hotel, wrapped in the nice Japanese paper, until you get home.

Great information. Thanks for the heads up! My plan is to leave the knives at the hotel, and I was not planning on bringing an EDC.

Looks like I need to do a bit of research on how to transport them on the Shinkasen to and from Osaka\Kyoto\Tokyo

 

[dragjp]

Great information. Thanks for the heads up! My plan is to leave the knives at the hotel, and I was not planning on bringing an EDC.

Looks like I need to do a bit of research on how to transport them on the Shinkasen to and from Osaka\Kyoto\Tokyo

ship it to your hotel or lock it in suitcase and travel with you, that's fine per my experience.

 

[superworrier]

Great information. Thanks for the heads up! My plan is to leave the knives at the hotel, and I was not planning on bringing an EDC.

Looks like I need to do a bit of research on how to transport them on the Shinkasen to and from Osaka\Kyoto\Tokyo

I think you'll be fine. "Carrying" in this case usually means carrying on your person (i.e. in your pocket). Similar laws exist in the US with respect to carrying knives on your person, and it's usually dependent on the type of knife it is. Carrying a kitchen knife in its box is totally fine, just don't let them spill out (Sushi chef drops knives on train, causing panic and delays)

 

[superworrier]

Though in general I'd recommend shipping your large luggage anyway. It's pretty convenient