Edge refinement service (Edge polishing, Honbazuke)
Most Japanese kitchen knives are delivered sharp and ready to use. However, particularly with knives originally intended for the Japanese domestic market, the factory edge is not always refined to the maximum sharpness the knife is capable of.
This is not necessarily a sign of an unfinished or poorly sharpened knife. Traditionally in Japan, the final refinement of the cutting edge — often referred to as honbazuke — may be performed by a specialist knife shop or by the user. This allows the final edge to be tailored to the intended use of the knife and the personal preferences of the cook.
There is also a practical reason for this approach. An extremely fine and acute cutting edge can provide exceptional sharpness and cutting performance, but may also be more delicate and susceptible to micro-chipping. A slightly more conservative factory edge therefore offers a good balance between sharpness and durability, while leaving room for further refinement.
In addition, storage and transportation can sometimes cause slight oxidation at the very edge, particularly on carbon steel knives. This may also affect the initial out-of-the-box sharpness.
Our Edge Refinement Service
For customers who want to experience the full cutting potential of their new knife straight out of the box, we offer our professional Edge Refinement Service.
We carefully refine and polish the cutting edge — approximately the final 0.5–2 mm of the blade — in several steps, finishing on an ultra-fine #16,000 grit polishing stone. This process removes the coarser grinding marks from the cutting edge and creates an exceptionally smooth, refined and razor-sharp finish.
The result is an outstanding level of out-of-the-box sharpness, allowing your new Japanese knife to perform at its best from the very first cut.
Please note that selecting our Edge Refinement Service adds approximately 3–5 days to the delivery time of your order.
Important information regarding returns
Our Edge Refinement Service is a custom modification performed specifically on the knife you have ordered and at your individual request. Once the edge refinement has been carried out, the knife has been modified from its original factory condition and can no longer be sold as an unmodified new knife.
For this reason, knives that have undergone our Edge Refinement Service cannot be returned or exchanged on the basis of a change of mind.
This does not affect your statutory rights in the event that a product is defective, damaged or otherwise not in conformity with your order.
