Japanese Cutlery: A Practical Guide

Why it surfaced

This is unusually specific and unusually candid: it explains why Sakai knives often involve separate smiths, sharpeners, and houses, while other regions more often keep the work under one roof. The guide names its sources, flags contested claims, and refuses rankings or affiliate links.

A free reference guide to Japanese kitchen knives, covering blade shapes, steels, grinds, regional makers, sharpening, buying, care, and trade-offs.