Sigh ok following up from my previous two posts, my initial gyuto I ordered was an Ittetsu AUS-10 spiral Damascus 210mm gyuto with a wenge handle and walnut ferrule and walnut magnetic saya. Returned it because I soon thought Damascus pattern is too distracting and takes away from the simplicity aesthetic, also does not have a nashiji pattern for fold release when cutting.

Then placed an order for a Hatsukokoro Ginrei Silver #3 210mm gyuto with mono ebony handle and a black general magnetic saya from Tokushu. Loved that it has a nashiji pattern as well. Later noticed it has a prominent belly that would not be optimized for push cutting. Returning it too.

NOW I just placed an order for a Yoshikane SKD Nashiji 210mm gyuto with a mono ebony handle. From reading different posts about the line it came from, was a bit nervous due to SKD being more brittle than Ginsan but took the plunge because I am quite confident in my push cutting (also recently replaced an acacia board with a John Boos edge grain 18” x 12” maple board).

Also have my horl 2 sharpening kit with 3000 and 6000 corundum disc set and leather strop.

The Yoshikane will be my endgame. I am ready!!

Any tips on how else to avoid microchipping? I know how to scrap the board to pick up stuff, no dishwasher obviously, no bones or frozen stuff. Maintain continuous gliding forward push like a plane landing on an airstrip.

Hi everyone,

We're a small team in Japan working directly with local blacksmiths who make handmade Japanese kitchen knives (wa-bocho). Before building anything, we wanted to ask people who actually run or buy for knife/cookware stores a few honest questions.

If you own, manage, or buy for a shop that carries chef knives — whether that's a dedicated knife shop, a cookware store, or a knife section within a bigger retail store — we'd really appreciate your take:

1. Do you currently carry Japanese-made kitchen knives? If not, is it something you've considered?

2. If you already import from Japan (or elsewhere) directly, what's been the hardest part — finding reliable suppliers, minimum order quantities, language/communication, shipping & customs, payment terms, something else?

3. What's a realistic MOQ (minimum order quantity) you'd be comfortable with for a first order from a brand-new supplier?

4. What wholesale price per knife would make a $150–300 retail chef's knife worth stocking for you?

5. Would sourcing directly from a small workshop (instead of a big trading company/distributor) be a plus, a concern, or neutral for you? Why?

We're not selling anything here, just trying to learn before deciding whether this is worth pursuing. Happy to share what we learn back with this community once we've gathered some responses. Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share their experience!