A knife's true worth can't be read off a spec sheet. Here you can pick up every product and check its balance — and, above all, we've built an environment where you can freely try and learn knife sharpening on the spot.
Re-sharpen an edge yourself, test how it cuts, and check the very tableware you'll plate on — all in one place. Not just touching and choosing, but reproducing the whole job from prep to plating, right here. That's why we bring together not only knives but tableware, too.
Weight, the balance of its centre of gravity, the way the handle sits. Spec numbers alone can't measure how a knife truly suits your hand. Here you can pick up every knife and check whether it settles into your grip and moves the way you want. That feel in the hand — beyond words and numbers — is the first step to choosing a tool you won't compromise on.
Choosing a knife isn't the end. However fine the blade, it can't keep proving itself on a professional line without proper daily care and sharpening. White steel, with its keen edge and need for frequent care, or a stainless such as VG10, strong in corrosion resistance and edge retention — each steel sharpens with a different feel and difficulty, and here you can face a real whetstone and learn it with your own hands. Gaining the sure technique to raise your ideal edge yourself is what nourishes a long partnership with your tools.
You sharpen the knife and cut the ingredients — and at the end of that work, there is always the vessel. So your thinking flows unbroken from cooking to plating, we keep Japanese tableware in stock. The weight of a piece in your hand, the slope of its rim, the texture of the clay. Touching the vessel in front of you, picture vividly the volume, the rise and the colours of the dishes you plate in your own kitchen. Because the real thing is here, the finished plate — grounded in your own skill and experience — comes into sharp focus.
Every member of our staff comes from the floor of the food business. Backed by Tenpos's long record of supporting Japan's restaurants, we face tools and kitchens from the same viewpoint as you. Because the logic and language of the floor get through directly, things move fast. Ask us anything — the quirks of your prep, a problem with a tool. We help in English and other languages, too.
Knives are restricted from carry-on. Even for checked luggage, we finish each piece in dedicated protective packing built for air transport, sparing the blade and handle any damage.
Buying several pieces, stocking up, or keeping your luggage light while you travel — no worries. We pack securely and arrange reliable shipping to the country and address you specify.
Mark your own tool. We work in kanji, katakana and the alphabet, each piece finished by a craftsman, and hand it over reliably before you head home or depart, to fit your schedule.