The Art and Mastery of Knife Sharpening: A Craftsman’s Journey and Expertise
In Sakai, knife sharpening craftsmen take the raw blades created by blacksmiths and meticulously hone and straighten them, making them razor-sharp. The essence of knife sharpening lies in this process, and if the sharpeners don’t consider the future use of the knives, the end-users won’t be able to sharpen them properly.
But let’s set that aside for a moment…
Or maybe not (LOL).
Sharpening craftsmen are the ones who first put the edge on the blade, so they are well-versed in the structure of the edge. Because of this knowledge, they can perform precise repairs and understand why the blade has lost its shape or why the edge isn’t coming out nicely. This understanding only comes from a lot of trial and error…
Today, I had the chance to hear directly from a craftsman about how they’ve repeated failures and successes to build their experience. They’ve also gathered extensive feedback from chefs, sharing various stories with me.
Having this vast knowledge from different eras gives them a convincing, logical, and thoughtful perspective, and I found myself wanting to become like them. It made me think, maybe I need to try putting an edge on the raw blades from the blacksmiths myself.
Right now, I don’t have the time for it, but once things settle down, I plan to knock on that door. I’ll try not to get too deeply involved though (LOL).
- 2010-11-18
