COOKING IN: Hugo Arnold recently replaced his lost-in-transit kitchen knives at a specialist Japanese shop in London.
I had planned to spend half-an-hour, at most, replacing a few of my sharp knives which had been lost in a house move. At the time, it was a bit of blow. I had quite a few. So many, in fact, that an entire drawer in my kitchen was arranged to hold each one in a specially designed wooden divider. The financial loss was substantial, as I'd bought them from two of the top German manufacturers, and keeping them sharp required further outlay for an industrial diamond sharpener that cost almost as much as one of the larger knives.
The Japanese Knife Company in north London was where I located replacements. I was there for two hours, learning a little about knives from the very impressive Jay Patel. He explained that the Japanese approach to knives is rather different. The Japanese cut differently - from the elbow rather than the shoulder. The knife is straight on one side and bevelled on the other, and some are far from straight, skewing off to the left so that as you slice, the knife glides upwards. Perfect for sushi.
The steel on a Japanese knife doesn't run through the handle at all, but stops about half-way. Ever noticed how often when you use a sharp knife you end up holding the blade? Well a Japanese knife plays to this tendency. The knife's balance is perfect when your hand is on the blade and using the handle as a counter balance.
On my new knives there is an elegant mother-of-pearl type material as a band near the blade. "I don't suppose," I said somewhat sheepishly, "these go in the dishwasher?" I expected to be told off, but instead Jay simply offered me another range of European knives he sold for those looking for convenience. The knife-making tradition in Japan is linked to the samurai and their swords. The expertise is carried to extraordinary lengths, but ownership and respect are key elements, along with understanding. A dishwasher clearly sits way outside this tradition.
So, I came home with an 18-centimetre Deba, all ready to do battle. My cutting has been totally transformed. I now cut by drawing the knife towards myself in one sweep, rather than any sawing process. I cut, wipe and put away my knives all the time and as for sharpening, because of the way Japanese knives are made, this is so easy I do it regularly. Effectively, you over-sharpen on a stone and then clean the edge up afterwards. This gives the knife a sharp blade, which typically lasts domestic cooks a month or two before needing sharpening again.
I ordered further knives from Jay when I'd tried out my purchase and had been able to think about the other shapes and sizes I needed. These came two days later in the mail. Konichi wa, as they say in Japan.
Japanese Knife Company, 131-179 Belsize Road, London NW6 4AQ, 00-44-872402248,
[ www.japaneseknifecompany.comOpens in new window ]
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