Where to buy authentic Japanese knives?

There are many commercial brands and hand-crafted individual Japanese knife makers. The most common retail brands you will see are Global Knives, Shun, Kai, and Mac Knives. I have sharpened all of these brands of Japanese kitchen knives over the years and they all sharpen very quickly and are made of high-quality materials. Hand-crafted Japanese knives are rarely seen, making them special and truly unique.

Always have a professional sharpen your knives, especially Japanese knives to ensure you get a proper angle. It is common for these kitchen knives to have a thinner profile than the more common German kitchen knife. The edges of Japanese kitchen knives are minimal and require a specific angle. Hand sharpening at home requires a talented person to sharpen these knives without causing damage.

After some searching online, I found a website called Hocho Knife Company. Here you can find beautiful Japanese kitchen knives and accessories at reasonable prices. A unique Japanese knifemaker named Sakai Takayuki. His kitchen knives are unlike any other I have seen for great prices. Stainless steel handles with "INOX" AUS-8A Molybdenum Vanadium stainless steel blades that have good durability and rust resistance. These are hand-made knives with a limited quantity produced. See current prices for Sakai Takayuki, Yaxell YO-U, and Kei Kobayashi Japanese kitchen knives here at Hocho Knife Company.