‘There was one thing lacking in my life – it turned out to be a set of Japanese knives’
Daily Star Assistant Editor Richard Brown took on the next step into becoming middle-aged by testing out a set of Japanese knives – and lived to tell the tale
Richard Brown tested out a new set from the Japanese Knive Company
Like (I presume) everyone in their early 30s, my partner and I found ourselves exploring Dunelm recently.
And it was there, in amidst buying a new bathroom mirror, some cushions and a coffee table, that I had a revelation…there was something missing from my life.
When you think of ‘peak adulthood’, you may think of financial stability and weekends playing golf. And while those things are good, there is nothing that screams ‘I’ve got my s**t together’ more than owning some fancy kitchenware.
So, as I perused the marble chopping boards and kitchen utensils, I realised something; I had a huge knife-shaped hole in my heart – one I had to fill immediately.
Fortunately, just a few days later, I was lucky enough to get hold of a set of two knives from the Japanese Knife Company.
While I’m a keen amateur cook, the world of Japanese knives can be daunting. But the MAC Limited Edition set of two is ideal for a beginner like myself.
The set includes a serrated 10cm pairing knife and a 16cm santoku, which, together, cover almost every possible necessity.
And to say they’re a joy to use is an understatement. While I was excited to get hold of them, I was slightly sceptical about just how much difference a good knife can make – the answer is a hell of a lot.
I do a lot of batch cooking (peak adulthood remember) and dicing up tonnes of onions, peppers, carrots and courgettes had become both boring and painful using my old budget knives.
Now, however, I’m done much quicker and have a lot more fun doing the veg prep than ever before.
And it’s a similar story with meat and fish. The santoku in particular glides through pretty much anything I put in front of it.
But be careful…they’re obviously incredibly sharp, so much so that my girlfriend cut her finger when putting the santoku back in our kitchen drawer.
As well as providing practicality, the set I got hold of is also ideal as a gift, with lovingly made mahogany handles on the knives and a classy 60-year anniversary gift box.
Ultimately, Japanese knives don’t come cheap and require care and attention. No leaving them to soak in a sink or being put through the dishwasher. They need to be washed carefully by hand, dried immediately and sharpened regularly to really get the most out of them.
But like most luxury products, the effort you put in is more than repaid by the sheer quality on offer.
I’ve only been using my Japanese knives for a few weeks, but I’ve been so impressed that I’m already thinking about expanding my range.
The Mac Limited Edition Set of Two is available for £109 through the Japanese Knife Company. For a cheaper alternative, you could try the SHAN ZU 3 Piece Kitchen Knife Set in Powder Steel, available on Amazon for £50.88. Or you could really splash out on the HOSHANHO 16-Piece Knife Set, retailing at £259.99
