Shigeharu — Local services in Kyoto

It has been a longtime dream to own a handmade knife from Shigeharu. Why? Hand-forged carbon steel knives (and wood carving tools) with full tang (blade goes full length of handle, strongest type for serious knife skills) and made on the premises by Mr. Shigeharu who is the 24th generation of his family to make these knives and tools. A negative review complained that his knife rusted after a short time. Well, carbon steel will rust, but is far superior to stainless in that it holds a razor-fine edge forever. To care for this "living artifact", wash after use, dry, and wipe with an oiled cloth. The blade shouldn't look oily, just a micro film of oil! Never in the dishwasher, never leave to soak. With proper care, you can will this fine instrument to your favorite cook or chef. The balance and heft if superb, and a joy to use.

Mr. Shigeharu helped us select our knives, showed us how the blades are properly held, and carefully engraved our names on the blade next to his. Kyoto is a wonderful city with ancient vibes as it was the Imperial capitol, and many beautifully preserved shrines, palaces and temples. But if you love to cook, make this your knife Mecca and fall in love with the beauty and charm of...

It is going to be extremely hard to get a knife here, but if do get one, consider yourself extremely lucky for this once in a lifetime experience. First, you need to catch them when they are open. They are rarely open, more often than not you’ll find a sign that says closed for some time. Second, if you do find him open, there is a slim chance that he has knives available that were made by him. There will be knives for sale in the store, but made by other makes to sell in his store. Others have suggested calling, but they almost never answer the phone.

People leaving one star reviews, I totally get the disappointment and frustration, I went through it myself. Once you finally make it into the store, you’ll understand. It’s a very old man and his wife, imagine two old Japanese grandparents running a shop together.

Should you come here? The experience is priceless, if you have time to spare, it’s totally worth it even with the slim chance (he’s very old so you never know if there will be next time). Even if they aren’t open, you can take a photo in front of the oldest knife...

Spent two weeks in Japan recently and had purchasing knives on my mind the entire time. Shigeharu was my last stop because I had been frustrated everywhere. Not because the quality elsewhere was bad or that the pricing was out of all boundaries (except for one shop near the palace in Kyoto - but the knives there were beyond any home chef need).

The reason for this post is to tell the story of navigating for an hour or more in the rain from Nishiki market, on foot, to locate Shigeharu. The quest was worth it.

The selection was adequate. The quality sublime. The pricing better than the mass marketers.

Locals go there for repair and purchase. The photos posted of the care in engraving don’t come close to expressing the outstanding work and memory created.

The experience would not have been worth if the knives were second rate. They are not. In fact, they may be better than we could have ever purchased anywhere in Japan.

My deepest respects and happiness expressed...