Kyoto · Curation
A Nishiki Market cutlery house and a Kyoto maker offer two different routes into knives for traditional kitchen work.
Producers to know
Kyoto Aritsugu
Nishiki Market's cutlery house traces its history to 1560. Its catalog is especially useful for comparing the vegetable knives used in Kansai and Kantō cooking.
Yoshisada
The Yamaguchi family’s Higashiyama workshop makes and sharpens tools for chefs and other Kyoto crafts. Its specialist knives offer a route into the particular cuts and techniques behind traditional kitchen forms.
Knives and lines to seek
Kyoto Aritsugu Tokusei Kama-usuba, 19.5 cm
A Kansai vegetable knife with a rounded nose and a straight cutting edge for peeling sheets and cutting fine garnishes. Aritsugu lists about 18 cm of actual edge on this size.
Yoshisada White Steel Shōbu 300 mm
A long, right-handed, single-bevel sashimi knife for slicing fish in one draw. Yoshisada names the steel as white carbon steel without specifying a numbered grade.