Date: Saturday, September 14, 2024, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Contents:
- First half: Learning about the difference between artificial and natural grinding stones
- Second half: Sharpening experience using your own knives
The 3rd Kitchen Knife Sharpening Experience was held – Learn how to sharpen kitchen knives with residents of Shibuya Ward neighborhood
On Saturday, September 14, 2024, the third “Kitchen Knife Sharpening Experience” was held in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, with five neighborhood residents participating. On the day, in the mild early autumn air, participants learned knowledge and skills to enrich their daily cooking through the maintenance of kitchen knives.
First half: Learn the difference between artificial and natural grinding stones
The first half of the session, which started at 1:00 p.m., began with a detailed explanation of the differences between artificial and natural whetstones. Participants were interested to learn how the differences in materials and manufacturing methods of whetstones affect the sharpening and durability of kitchen knives.
Artificial whetstones are less costly and easier to handle, while natural whetstones are characterized by their unique sharpening feel and sharpness. By learning these facts, they seemed to have gained hints for choosing the best whetstone for their everyday kitchen knives.
Second half: Finally, practice! Try sharpening your own knives
After deepening their learning, the second half of the seminar finally moved on to the practical part. Participants actually sharpened the knives that they had brought with them in advance. At first, some of them seemed a little confused, but with careful instruction, they gradually got the hang of sharpening, which was impressive.
I’m glad I had a chance to learn how to sharpen knives,” said one participant, “I’m looking forward to using the knives I sharpened myself.
Daily life becomes more enjoyable through knife sharpening.
This hands-on experience was not just about learning a skill, but also an opportunity to realize the importance of “taking good care of tools” in our daily lives. A kitchen knife is a basic tool for cooking, and learning to maintain it is a step toward enjoying cooking even more.
We plan to hold another practical hands-on workshop next time for those interested in maintaining knives and other kitchen tools. Everyone in the Shibuya Ward neighborhood is welcome to come!
Thank you very much to everyone who participated.