Looking for one of the best Japanese kitchen knives for $200. This is the one you are looking for. Yoshihiro makes one of the knives $200 knives I have used up to date.

see how a $3000 knife ended up in the trash

Buying the right sharpening and polishing whetstone is an impossible task when you have hundreds to choose from. I have test hundreds of whetstones over the years, and the Naniwa Pro 3000 is still the stone I turn to for my everyday sharpening and polishing needs.

If you are looking for the Japanese knife that is universally loved by all knife enthusiasts, this is this is the knife. No one can fault the Tojiro DP. It is the knife that every knife enthusiast knows about, and the knife that you should at least consider.

If you are looking for a carbon steel Japanese chef knife that will not break the budget, this one is something you should look at. It even has an octagonal handle and hammer marks.

If you use lots of Japanese whetstones, you may want a diamond plate to help keep them flat. Atoma makes one of the best that I use regularly for flattening my whetstones and for repairing chipped knives.

The Yaxell Mon is a decent Japanese chef knife with some compromises. See if it is the right knife for you.

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King Deluxe 1k sharpening whetstone review - oldie but goodie