Shiba | Japan Craft Finds

Traditional Sashiko Patterns: 7 Designs, Their Meanings and Printable Sheets

Seven traditional sashiko patterns, from asanoha and seigaiha to hitomezashi, with the meanings makers and museums give them, which ones use only straight lines, and free printable sheets.

2026.10.19

Sashiko

Best Higonokami Knife: 3 Japanese Folding Pocket Knives by Steel and Size

The higonokami is a Japanese friction folding knife made by Nagao Kanekoma Seisakusho in Miki, Hyogo, according to the maker’s site. Three picks compared by steel (SK or Aogami), closed length and price, with how the chikiri lever works.

2026.10.19

Japanese Knives

Best Japanese Sujihiki Knife 2026: 3 Slicing Knives for the US, UK and Europe

A sujihiki is the Japanese slicing knife for roasts, ham and boneless fish. Three 240mm picks compared by steel, handle and where each one ships, with how a sujihiki differs from a yanagiba.

2026.10.17

Japanese Knives

Best Japanese Deba Knife: 3 Picks by Fish Size, Steel and Bevel

Three Japanese deba knives for breaking down whole fish, compared by blade length, steel and bevel, with the fish sizes Tojiro matches to each length.

2026.10.10

Japanese Knives

How to Do Kintsugi at Home: Step-by-Step

The steps of a traditional urushi kintsugi repair and how long each one takes, as published by two Japanese kit makers, Chimahaga and Tsugu Tsugu.

2026.10.10

Kintsugi

Best Cutting Board for Japanese Knives: Hinoki, Soft Synthetic Boards, and What to Avoid

Cutting boards that suit Japanese knives: Shun’s hinoki boards, made in Japan, and Hasegawa’s soft-surfaced wood-core board, with what the knife maker says about hard surfaces.

2026.10.07

Japanese Knives

Is Kintsugi Food Safe? What the Makers of Urushi and Epoxy Kits Say

Whether a kintsugi repair can be used for food depends on the materials. What two Japanese kit makers say about urushi, epoxy, gold and brass powder, and when to use the piece again.

2026.10.07

Kintsugi

Best Sashiko Needles: 4 Packs from Japanese Makers, Compared by Length and Eye

The sashiko needles picked in this guide: Clover for a mix of four lengths in one card, Lecien Hidamari with a threader, and Tulip long needles for straight-line patterns. Four packs compared by length, thickness and eye.

2026.10.04

Sashiko

The History of Sakai Knives: From Burial Mounds to Chefs’ Kitchens

How Sakai became Japan’s knife city: iron tools for burial mounds, guns in 1543, tobacco knives with a shogunate seal, and a three-craft division of labor.

2026.10.04

Japanese Knives

Best Japanese Santoku Knife 2026: Picks by Budget, Steel and Handle

Five Japanese santoku knives compared by budget, steel and handle: Kai, Tojiro, Sakai Takayuki, Takamura and Tsunehisa, from about ＄57 to ＄292.

2026.10.03

Japanese Knives