Do I Need a Special Knife like a Sashimi or Yanagiba Knife for Sushi?
February 7, 2017
Can you make good sushi at home without a Yanagiba? Where single-bevel slicers ground 70:30 or 90:10 actually earn their keep, and when they don’t.
The Journal · Stories from Oishya
The Oishya Journal
Stories from the workshops, the table, and the long way around.
Featured · From the Journal
In this issue
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Shirogami (#1) & Aogami (#2) Steels – The Difference
February 7, 2017
The difference between Shirogami (#1) and Aogami (#2) steels, how their carbon and alloy content compares, and which blades each suits best.
Guide To The Best Knife Steel: VG10, Blue Steel And More
February 7, 2017
A guide to knife steel including VG10 and Blue Steel, explaining hardness, toughness, wear resistance, and edge retention in plain terms.
3 Ways You May Be Ruining Your Japanese Knives
February 7, 2017
The three most common mistakes that ruin Japanese knives: the dishwasher, loose storage in drawers, and how to avoid both with simple care.
Knife Steel Composition Chart
February 7, 2017
What separates one knife steel from another? A sortable composition table, plus what carbon, chromium and molybdenum each do to edge, hardness and rust resistance.
The Difference Between A Single And A Double Bevel Blade
February 7, 2017
Western blades meet in the middle at roughly 20 degrees; most Japanese knives are ground on one side only. What that single bevel buys you, and where it doesn’t.
How The Japanese Knives Are Made
February 7, 2017
How Japanese knives are forged, from joining iron and steel and the role of tamahagane to the hammering that gives each blade its strength.
How To Keep Your Kitchen Knives Sharp And Shiny Like A Pro
February 7, 2017
Three simple rules for keeping kitchen knives sharp and rust-free, plus how to clean, dry, oil, and store your blades and whetstones.
How To Sharpen Your Kitchen Knife
February 7, 2017
A dull blade slips and crushes food at the cellular level. Here’s why a keen edge is safer, and three sharpness checks using paper, a fingernail and food.
The steel decides when it's ready. Not me. — Our Sakai blacksmith, on patience
From the workshops
Stories from the places our knives are made.
Japanese Knife Care: 5 Essential Rules for a Lifetime of Sharp Cutting
April 4, 2026
Five rules for caring for a Japanese knife, covering hand washing, the right cutting board, whetstone sharpening, and proper storage.
The Story Behind Oishya: From Japan’s Knife Villages to Your Kitchen
April 4, 2026
The story of Oishya, a brand born from trips to Sakai and Seki that works with Japanese workshops to make knives for European home cooks.
Best Kitchen Gifts for Summer 2026: 10 Ideas They Will Love
April 4, 2026
Ten kitchen gifts for summer 2026 cooks, from a Sakai Kyuba santoku and brass chopsticks to walnut cutting boards and a three-knife set.
A note from Kamila
Why we write a journal at all.
We grew Oishya through stories, not ads. The articles we wrote, the workshops we visited, the meals we cooked. This journal is where that work lives.
Some pieces teach you about steel and edges. Some are recipes. Some are just the long way around to saying that good tools, made by people we know, are worth keeping.
On the table
Meals worth keeping.
Japanese Knife Care: 5 Essential Rules for a Lifetime of Sharp Cutting
April 4, 2026
Five rules for caring for a Japanese knife, covering hand washing, the right cutting board, whetstone sharpening, and proper storage.
The Story Behind Oishya: From Japan’s Knife Villages to Your Kitchen
April 4, 2026
The story of Oishya, a brand born from trips to Sakai and Seki that works with Japanese workshops to make knives for European home cooks.
Best Kitchen Gifts for Summer 2026: 10 Ideas They Will Love
April 4, 2026
Ten kitchen gifts for summer 2026 cooks, from a Sakai Kyuba santoku and brass chopsticks to walnut cutting boards and a three-knife set.
Blades behind the stories
The knives these stories are about.
Every story here started with a blade. Find the one that matches the way you cook.
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