A 360° look at my knife journey
First stop: Baba Hamono. This is one of my favorite companies in all of Japan. The company is solid from top to bottom. Their Kagekiyo knives are among the best in all of Japan.
Baba Hamono storefront in Sakai, Japan. Open to the public!
Where the magic happens! Nishida-san and Wakae-san work hard to produce some of the best knives in Japan
bonus content of Wakae-san testing out the 360 camera!
It took 4 tries, but I finally have a life! I was lucky enough to grab a Singetu Gyuto in 240mm. Takada-san is one of the kindest people I've met and he makes some of the most beautiful blades to date.
I finally have a life!
I couldn't visit Takada-san without mentioning TJ's honyaki.
I was lucky enough to visit Nakagawa-san at his workshop during one of my visits thanks to my friend Sakamoto-san. The way he runs his workshop is incredible and he really showed me why he's one of the top blacksmiths in all of Japan today.
One of the best blacksmiths in Japan: Nakagawa Satoshi
When Ivan and Yuka announced that they would be accepting visitors to their Gallery in Kyoto, I knew I had to find a way to see them. Ivan's sharpening are the backbone of my sharpening journey. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to learn from one of the best sharpeners in the business. I learned more in 3 hours with him than I could have imagined.
Ivan and Yuka's Komon gallery in Kyoto
Shibata-san's video describing his thought process behind the Tinker Tank was one of the first videos that got me interested in Japanese Knives. I was accepted as an official retailer by Shibata-san's company earlier this year!
Shibata-san's storefront may be small, but it isn't lacking!
The timing of my trip corresponded to the annual Seki Outdoor Knife Festival. It wasn't easy to get to but it was a cool experience. A lot of EDC and hunting knives on display and some vendors were there from the US and Canada.
Vendor Hall at the Seki Outdoor Knife Festival
Getting my name engraved at the engraving exhibit at the Seki Outdoor Knife Festival
The close down the main street in Seki for food and shop vendors
