Frequently Asked Questions

Back to Blog

How often does my knife need sharpening?

Sharpening a culinary knife really is a personal thing, we have professional chefs that insist their Japanese knives are as sharp as a razor blade and have us sharpen their knives weekly.  Others are happy to use our ceramic honing rods to align the cutting edge until they cannot slice a tomato effortlessly, then they have them sharpened once or twice a year.  When you need a lot of force during cutting, this is a sure sign that your knife is blunt. A very wise Japanese Chef once told ...

How to care for my Japanese Knife?

Knife care is top of the list. A Japanese kitchen knife guarantees exceptional cutting pleasure. Japan has been forging quality knives for thousands of years. These knives do, however, need some extra TLC. A well-cared for knife will be a great addition to your kitchen and will last a lifetime....

How to send us culinary knives for sharpening?

Once we have confirmed your knife sharpening booking, carefully package and courier your knives to the address we provide. If you have a Trade Me account, we recommended using the courier service link on your ‘My Trade Me” page to collect send us your knives. Please ensure your knives are well wrapped, either in their original box or individually wrapped in paper and then placed in a cardboard box ...

How to use a ceramic honing rod?

After a period of time, you will notice the cutting edge is not quite what it used to be and your knife needs a touch up using your Ceramic honing rod.  When we sharpen your knife professionally the angle is precise, within plus or minus 0.1 degrees, and razor sharp. Please don’t worry that you are going to ruin the edge of your beautiful knife! The purpose of the rod is to realign the blade edge, not remove steel from it, which maximises the edge retention (sharpness) between professiona...

What is Rockwell Hardness or HRC?

HRC is short for Hardness Rockwell C Scale. There are different Rockwell hardness scales, but the C scale is the industry standard for knives. The higher the HRC means the harder the steel which gives a longer-lasting edge and more acute cutting angles are possible. On the flip side too high an HRC and the blade becomes brittle.  Generally, our knives are in the range of 60-61. This degree of hardness enables our Japanese knives to be thin, hard, and precise without being overly brittle. Ho...