Anatomy of a Japanese Knife: The Ultimate Guide to the Culture and Craft

The Anatomy of a Japanese Knife is the definitive introduction to the best knives in the business.

The craftsmanship of Japanese knives is unparalleled and much coveted across the globe; to own a blade forged in Japan is to know quality, respect history and love food.

The Anatomy of a Japanese Knife walks us through the principles of knifemaking, from blade shapes, materials, handles and finishes to showcase the very best that Japan has to offer. It also tells the story of iconic blades and world-renowned forges, and it is packed with need-to-know information about everything from how to select the right tool for the job to care guides that will keep your knives sharp.

With location photography of incredible, multi-generational forges, stunning images of the knives themselves, diagrams to showcase the intricate workings of their design and step-by-step images to show you how best to care for and sharpen your knives, this book is the ultimate guide to the home cook’s most covetable piece of equipment, and a must-have for any knife nerd in the making.

Kitchen Provisions was set up almost 10 years ago by Helen Symonds and Tom Saunders. Tom came from working a brief stint as a chef and was already obsessed with Japanese knives, while Helen had lived and worked in Japan. Both loved the London food scene and wanted to bring some of the excitement of restaurants and ingredients to the tools used in the kitchen. Kitchen Provisions grew from a stall on Druid Street Market to Netil Market to its first full time shop in Stoke Newington. This has since evolved to the current shops in Stoke Newington, Coal Drops Yard, Borough Yards and Soho where they offer walls of the best Japanese knives, interesting and unusual kitchen equipment, and knife sharpening and tuition.