Precision
A properly sharpened blade dramatically improves cutting precision. It allows you to slice exactly as intended, making your movements safer and more controlled.
Maximized texture and flavor
A super-thin edge slices through ingredients cleanly, without crushing or tearing cells. This helps retain juices, aroma, and freshness inside the food. The smooth cut surface also increases contact with the tongue, enhancing flavor.
Comfort and cleanliness
A sharp blade glides through food effortlessly. When cutting onions, for example, you’ll notice less eye irritation because the juice remains inside rather than being splashed out. The cleaner cuts help keep your workspace neater and reduce mess.
Unlocking creativity
Enhanced sharpness makes more advanced cutting techniques possible. From paper-thin slicing to precise decorative cuts, a well-sharpened knife opens the door to greater expression and creativity in the kitchen.
Speed and efficiency
Less resistance from ingredients means faster, smoother cuts with less effort. You’ll feel the difference in your workflow, whether you’re prepping at home or in a professional kitchen.
Higher yield and less waste
For professionals, sharper knives increase yield by allowing you to make precise cuts and reduce waste. Whether trimming fish, meat, or vegetables, the accuracy translates into better product usage and less loss.
Sharpening needed less often
A properly thinned edge is easier to maintain at home. When sharpness begins to fade, a light touch-up on a whetstone can restore the edge quickly. This reduces how often you need full sharpening and keeps your knife in top shape longer.
Custom-tailored geometry
When I receive your knife, I ask how you use it and what you prefer. Based on that, I select the best combination of whetstones and adjust the final geometry to balance sharpness, durability, and longevity. For example, I may make the tip area thinner for delicate slicing and keep the heel slightly thicker for durability. Each part of the blade is treated with intention.
We are here to deliver Tohging — the finest form of sharpening. It is fundamentally different from the quick, affordable services. Tohging is not casual maintenance, but an artistic act of craftsmanship, where every blade is treated with the respect and precision it deserves.
Why Our Sharpening Costs More and Why It’s Worth It
Many sharpening services in Europe offer “Japanese sharpening,” sometimes for even less than €20. Such pricing is possible only when quality, time, and effort are compromised. Our work involves no compromise. The price simply reflects the difference in expertise, dedication, and craftsmanship.
Most services rely solely on grinders and finish the job within 10 to 15 minutes. At Tohg, every knife is hand-sharpened with full control over the edge geometry, allowing the formation of the coveted clamshell edge, a technique that enhances both sharpness and durability. This is the standard we uphold for those who seek true precision and performance.
Authentic Japanese Expertise, Not a Quick Service
Many services promote “Japanese sharpening,” yet most are self-taught through online videos or general techniques. True Japanese sharpening can only be mastered through direct apprenticeship under a real master, not casual learning. Without understanding the precise geometry of Japanese knives, these services often make the edge thicker, dulling performance or even damaging the blade.
At Tohg, your knife is sharpened by Yuske, a trained master sharpener who apprenticed directly under Ichimonji’s renowned master sharpener in Sakai and worked for the brand in Japan. Each knife is thinned and hand-sharpened through at least eight whetstones, taking around one hour per blade, while most others finish in just a few minutes or 10 mins at best.
No Compromise, Only Mastery
Sharpening can be done quickly with a thick edge, or carefully on a thin edge. We choose the latter.Reaching a knife’s prime performance requires deep expertise, patience, and the right tools. That is why our sharpening proudly costs more: it reflects our commitment to the highest Japanese standard. Every Tohging session is a full-service process with no shortcuts and no compromise.
We always respect the knife’s original geometry:
• For traditional Japanese knives, the edge is thinned and reshaped to restore its authentic form.
• For Gyuto or Western knives, we optimize both sharpness and toughness for balanced performance.
Experience the Art of Tohging
If you own a quality Japanese knife, have Yuske perform Tohging and experience what authentic Japanese sharpening truly means. Not just sharpness, but a rebirth of your blade.
1. Process
We carefully evaluate the knife's condition.
Planning:
Determine the optimal sharpening and finishing method.
Whetstone Selection:
Choose from over 20 high-quality stones tailored to your knife's material and desired finish.
Sharpening Steps:
-Reform the blade for an ideal curve.
-Thin the edge using 200-400 grit whetstones.
-Smooth the surface to eliminate deep scratches with 1000-2000 grit stones.
-Perform middle sharpening with 3000-8000 grit stones to form the clamshell edge.
-Finalize the sharpening with natural whetstones or 8000-12000 grit stones.
2. Premium Materials:
We use only the finest Japanese whetstones, ensuring exceptional quality and performance.
3. Expert Craftsmanship:
Our skilled sharpener, trained by top expert at Ichimonji, bring years of experience to every knife, providing care and precision unmatched in the industry.
4. Superior Results:
Precision and Durability:
Our hand-sharpened knives offer unparalleled sharpness and longevity, maintaining a superior edge over machine-sharpened blades.
Attention to Detail:
The clamshell finish, a mark of true craftsmanship, cannot be achieved with machine sharpening, which often distorts the blade's edge.
5. Long-Term Value:
the sharpness of the kitchen knives we sharpen lasts extensively longer, making our service cost-efficient in the long term.
While our service is more time-consuming and costly, the investment is well worth it. Experience the unparalleled sharpness and durability of a knife sharpened by Tohg, and elevate your culinary skills to new heights.
"Honba," meaning "true blade" in Japanese, refers to a thinner sharpening finish favored by professionals who demand uncompromising sharpness. As shown in the photos below, the honba finish enhances sharpness by thinning the blade.
However, even with clamshell finish this increased sharpness also makes the blade more brittle. Therefore we recommend the honba finish for those skilled in maintaining a sharp edge, such as using soft chopping boards and proper cutting techniques.
The edge of the blade is thick, preventing itself from entering ingredients smoothly. Most kitchen have this edge in the beginning.
An extremely thin edge, making the blade very sharp but also quite brittle and prone to chipping.
The curved cutting edge maintains a thick blade while tapering to a thin, sharp endpoint. This design ensures both sharpness and excellent durability, providing a balance between cutting efficiency and longevity.
The most common Western sharpening method by machine knife sharpening is, at best, unsuitable for Japanese knives, and in many cases, they cause lasting damage. The two approaches are fundamentally different.
Western sharpening often relies on machines that grind away the edge at a steep, uniform angle. This method may be fast and sufficient for mass-produced knives, but it ignores the unique geometry and steel characteristics of Japanese blades. In contrast, "tohging" (Japanese sharpening) requires significantly more time, skill, and attention than machine-based approaches. But for Japanese knives, this is the only method that truly maintains their sharpness, performance, and longevity.
There are certain types of kitchen knives that we do not sharpen.
These include:
-Knives with inward curves
-Knives made from extremely hard materials
-Knives with blades longer than 40 cm (excluding the handle)
For specific examples of knives we do not sharpen, please refer to the detailed list below.
If you are unsure whether your knives qualify for our sharpening service, please send us a photo of the knives via WhatsApp for clarification.
Please note the following:
-Hand sharpening may result in some scratch marks on the blade. See photos of before and after below.
-Some kitchen knives have coatings on the surface and sharpening will scratch off the coatings.
-If you use a hard chopping board, we recommend Western finish for long-lasting sharpness as well as durability.
-Even with Western finish, avoid hitting the edge roughly on the chopping board to maintain sharpness. We do not refund for chipping.
-On the part of the blade sharpened, which refer to as mirror finish, you see fine lines of the mark. Therefore, if your knife is mirror finished by the manufacturer, the sharpened part does not look as the mirror part. See the photos of the sharpened knives below.
-Additional charges may apply for blades with significant chipping.
-If you send us knives that we do not sharpen, we will return them to your address.
-If you're unsure about anything, contact us via WhatsApp with a photo of the knife.
Complaints arising from ignoring the cautions will not be considered. See this page for general knife maintenance.
Please fill out the form below for our sharpening service. We will calculate the cost and send you a quote. For an estimate, refer to the price table. Your sharpening request is confirmed once payment is completed.
If you're unsure whether your kitchen knives qualify for our service, feel free to inquire via WhatsApp with a photo of your knives.
Complete the form below and submit it. Alternatively, you can send us a message on WhatsApp with a photo of your kitchen knives to be sharpened.
We will assess the condition of your knives and confirm the price. If you are satisfied with the quote, proceed with the payment.
Wrap the knives safely and ship them to us. Refer to the video for shipping instructions. For customers in Amsterdam, same-day in-person pick-up and delivery service is available for more than 5 knives.
We sharpen your knives with utmost care. This usually takes 1-2 days.
We will wrap the knives safely and ship them to your address.