For some reason, I have had so much knife talks over the past week and I feel I am on some kind of mission to talk about hocho. This week, I bought two knives – Tsukiji Aritsugu nakiri bocho for myself and a Global Cook Knife for my mother. These two purchases just happened to be on the same week for a reason.

Nakiri bocho

Tsukiji Aritsugu
To be honest, I thought the Aritsugu knife shop in Tsukiji was the same as the famous Aritsugu in Kyoto. I have always dreamed about getting a Aritsugu Yanagiba or sashimi bocho, but thought it beyond my skills and needs. But, when I saw a special 50% off sale event on May 4th at Tsukiji Jogai and that Aritsugu nakiri bocho was on the list, I thought this was my chance and made a special trip.

Later, I learned that the two Aritsugu are unrelated, but regardless, I am happy how my recent acquisition cuts daikon paper thin with just the natural weight of the knife. The sole use of this big rectangular bulky knife with rounded corners is cutting vegetables–and it sure does a great job! It felt a bit heavy at first for someone used to a light stainless steel knife, but now I can see what it means to cut with the natural weight of knife, not by force. Also, this is a good chance to learn to take care of a real Japanese style hocho made of carbon steel.

Global

I have had a Global-Pro Slicer for some time and I have been very happy with this all-purpose knife. It’s very light and sharp. So, when I was thinking about a Mother’s day gift, I decided to get the same one for my mom and went to TDI in Kappabashi where I got mine. The staff at the shop always strikes me as quite helpful and knowledgeable.

This time, the guy at the shop said that they no longer sell these knives since the manufacturer, Yoshikin, started selling Global-Pro exclusively at their own shops and they are no longer available at any other retailers. So, I picked up a Global Cook Knife as a gift instead.

These two are my recent blade shopping experiences, but whenever I have a chance, I stop at knife shops to revere the sharp grinning items on the shelf with a hope that one day, my sashimi technique improves or my katsuramuki comes out evenly thin.

In an upcoming post, How and where to buy knives in Tokyo, I am going to list some areas and shops I know you can go for knife shopping.

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