Knifewear Official Blog

2012-01-30T15:26:00.002-07:00

Let's Beer!

What goes better with knives than beer? Clearly we need a beer and knife party.

We were thinking what would make our awesome knife shop even awesomer and came up with the idea of Knifewear Beer. The good folks at Beer Revolution have a great brewpub and were just as excited as we were about the idea. Sooooo as a collaborative effort we have brewed an IPA that is so hoppy it will be reminiscent of the flavour of steel. Strong enough to cut your tongue.

6.2% ABV

80+ IBU

It will be available in pints at Beer Revolution and all Brewsters Brewpubs in Calgary. Also might be available in the downtown Edmonton Brewsters. 500ml bottles for off-sale will be available at Beer Revolution. Only 20 kegs were made so Tongue Cutter won't be around for long, maybe 2 weeks. Get it when you can.

We will also have the Masakage Zero knives for sale that night for the first time ever.

Knifewear Tongue Cutter IPA launch party:

February 21 at 7:00pm 

Beer Revolution 1080 8 ST SW

New Faces at the Shop

If you've been into the shop recently you would have noticed some new staff. We are proud to announce that Mike Wrinch and Elise Gee have joined the Knifewear Inglewood team.

Mike is a chef from way back and has spent time at many awesome restaurants world wide. If you wanna talk food and knife passion he is your man.

Elise's enthusiasm for sake is nearly unbearable and she is a Japan-o-phile of the highest order. We will be offering sake classes very shortly at Knifewear Inglewood.

Knifewear Kelowna and Vancouver

Well, the rumours are true....at least we think they are. We plan to open two new Knifewear shops this year. One in Kelowna and one in Vancouver.

Our Kelowna store, in the heart of Canada's wine country, will be in the steady hands of Mark. We are gonna misss him and his legendary sharpening skills at Knifewear Inglewood, but, hey, Kelownites are gona have way sharper knives now. Personally I'm looking forward to summer visits.

Elise is planning to guide Knifewear Vancouver. With her enthusiam, attention to detail and passion for all things Japanese Vancouver is in for a treat. Expect sake classes at the Vancouver store as well. How cool is that?

Knifemakers in the House

This summer (maybe June?) we are having the coolest event ever. We will have 6 blacksmiths from Takefu Knife Village demonstrating old style knife making techniques. Ya, amazing huh? Fire, anvils, sledgehammers, the works. Oh, and traditional white kimono.

The blacksmiths will be Kato san, Anryu san, Kurosaki san, Saji san, Tamura san, Ikeda san. AWESOME!!

Masakage Zero

Masakage Knives are launching a new line caled Masakage Zero. The knives are made by Yu Kurosaki san of Takefu village. He's a young, but awesome knife maker who trained under Kato san. The blades are made with Aogami Super (Super Blue Steel) core and clad with stainless steel. Tsuchime (hammer marks) are added after forging the blade for good looks and so the balde will slip through food easier. The western iron wood handle has a sexy mosaic pin through it for a bit of extra awesomeness. For those who like a heavier blade Masakage Zero will blow your mind. Launching at the Knifear IPA party on February 21.

Best Videos of the month

2012-01-19T16:55:00.002-07:00

Shonen Knife Blitzkrieg Bop

Ok, I have a total weakness for Japanese punk rocker chicks. Especially doing Ramones covers. Shonen Knife, written in Japanese characters as 少年ナイフ, which transliterates as Shōnen Naifu, literally "Boy Knife. I remember see them years ago at the Republik and I think they were actually rightened of the fans. I was slightly scared that night too.

Tying a Fundoshi

Not just fun to say, but super sexy. Fundoshi (褌) is the traditional Japanese undergarment for adult males, made from a length of cotton. Before World War II, the fundoshi was the main form of underwear for Japanese adult males. However it fell out of use quickly after the war with the introduction of new underwear to the Japanese market, such as briefs and trunks. It's instructional and ....well, you'll see. I think this video may appeal to some more than others.

New Knifewear stickers/shirts

2012-01-14T23:25:00.000-07:00

A Pierre Lamielle/Mark Puttick image

So, what do ya think? The plan is to make shirts and stickers that say what we've always wanted to say.

Food Trends for 2012

2012-01-14T21:59:00.000-07:00

What's in store for 2012. Easy.

Obviously I think that chefs and home cooks will become more interested in Japanese knives. The more that people use them they realize that a lighter, sharper knife is a great idea especially when it stays sharp longer. Also people will start looking for super high performance cooking gear, even if it’s not dishwasher safe. Think hand hammered copper pots.

Bincho-tan charcoal is the future.

Super pure Binchō-tan char coal from Japan will create a major buzz this summer.

Right now everybody is braising with red wine, garlic, bacon and bold rich flavours, smokers are being used to maximum effort and fatty charcuterie is de rigour. I think that food will lighten up and clean up flavour wise. Think Japanese food based on raw or gentle cooked fish with very few ingredients based on miso, soba noodles, dashi and yuzu. Also Spanish food will continue it’s rise with simply grilled fish, olive oil, nuts and fresh herbs.

Paleo Diet is hot. BTW Pierre Lamielle was the kid in this film.

Eating habits will continue changing toward lower carbohydrate diets. Look at the popularity of #Paleo diet on Twitter and among the CrossFit crowd (biggest workout trend for the next year I predict) and Gary Taubs book “Why We Get Fat”. Carbs are tastey and awesome but looks like they are not terribly healthy after all. Sorry to bring you the bad news.

Sustainable fishing. Yum yum.

Meat and fish is gonna be even more popular in the coming year, but properly sourced. Customers will be asking questions of their meat’s provinence (health, free range, local, drug free, properly fed). Of fish people will be looking more and more for sustainable catching practices and heavy metal levels. I know this is happening now, but it will become almost a religion I hope.

Gluten free will be the new cholesterol free.

Fresh pomegranates will finally get the respect they deserve.

January News

2012-01-02T10:42:00.001-07:00

15% Off Maskage Knives

As a thank you to or kick butt customers we are offering 15% off Masakage Knives for the entire month of January.

Masakage knives are near to our hearts at Knifewear because these are the knives we help design.

Come by the shop if you are in town. Or order on-line (the discount is calculated at the checkout).

Knifewear Beer

We love IPA and we love knives, so.......we are gonna make a beer that tastes like a knife. Overly hopped to the point of metalic tasting, almost able to cut the tongue. Cool huh?? This is a collaboration between Knifewear and Calgary's newest brewpub Beer Revolution.

Obviously the label will be designed by our fave designer, Pierre Lamielle.

Expect the launch party to be in early Feb.

Knife Making Demos

This summer (July or August) we are having the coolest event ever. We will have 6 blacksmiths from Takefu Knife Village demonstrating old style knife making techniques. Ya, amazing huh? Fire, anvils, sledgehammers, the works. Oh, and traditional white kimono.

The blacksmiths will be Kato san, Anryu san, Kurosaki san, Saji san, Tamura san, Ikeda san. AWESOME!!

Takamura san

Always looking for new kick ass knives we were very fortunate to meet Takamura san last year. He makes fantasticly sexy and great cutting knives with R2 powder steel. I would rate his knives amongst the best I've ever used (and I have had the chance to try many, many amazing knives). Takamura san is an outstanding blacksmith and we are mega happy to offer his knives at Knifewear.

New Waterstones

It's time for even more cool stuff at the shop. We have ordered new stones from Imanashi in two styles. Some are mega hard which means they dish very slowly and sharpen knives very quickly. Perfect for hard stainless steels like VG10 and powder steels like R2. The other style we've ordered are synthetic stones that give results like natural stones, perfect for carbon steel knives, like Aogami Super.

NOTE

Not just knife nerds, but waterstone nerds too. How embarrassing.

December news

2012-01-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

Shave Like a Pro

I got hooked on classic shaving gear when trying a proper brush and soap. Who knew shaving could be enjoyable and didn't need to be painful. Turns out all you need is good gear.

Proper soaps lubricates your skin, help the razor glide and leaves your skin moisturized when your done. Those cans of foam just don't do the job well, not to mention the chemicals, drying alcohol and pain killers in that stuff. To go to the bonus round a safety razor or straight razor is just the ticket.

Naoto and I have been rocking safetys and Rob has raised the bar with a straight. All of us, including Mark and Kasumi are using brushes and real soap. Tune into Twitter to catch up on our daily shave updates. @KnifeNerd

We carry:

Brushes: Kent, Simpson, Vie-Long and Vulfix Safety Razors: Merkur

Straight Razors: Dovo and Iwasaki san Soaps: DR Harris (Arlington, Marlborough, Almond, Lavendar, Rose), Dovo (Eucalyptus, Almond, Mint),

Kent (English Gentleman), James Bronnley (Seville Orange & Bergamot), Col.Conk (Lime, Bay Rum, Almond, Amber)

New Stuff in da House

Knives

Just arrived are some super sexy hand folded Damascus blades from Takamura san made from R2 powder steel. These are some of the best blades I've ever used and live in the last cabinet.

New knives from Saji san have arrived as well. The blades are blackened VG10 Damascus steel but the aweosomest part is the Japanese deer antler handles. Very Macho for the manly man you know.

Copper Pots

If you’ve ever cooked with a copper pot you know you can’t go back. Hand hammered copper pot from Shimakura-do and Gyokusen-do will be hitting the shelves today. The pots from Shimakura start at $300 and the pots/artwork/objects of desire from Gyokusen start at $1100. Gotta see them to believe them.

Books and Magazines

Meat Paper, Lucky Peach, Bones, Fat, new elBulli, Momofuku, Mission Street Food, Joe Beef, Keith Richards Autobiography, Blowin In the Wind (children's book by Bob Dylan), Extraordinary Chickens, Extraordinary Pigs, Ham, Good Meat and books from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

Stocking stuffers
As usual we have a fun collection of small items perfect for stocking stuffers. Guitar shaped spatulas, "pot" holders, small chicken books, Field Guide to Meat, hipster food mags, fish scalers, fish tweezers, Best whisks, sharpening stones, sushi

Carve a Turkey like a pro

2011-09-06T17:56:00.003-06:00

Dudes, are you tired of feeling like a fool every Thanksgiving and Christmas when it's hack up the turkey time? Knifewear can help. We will teach you how to carve a turkey like a pro to win the admiration and glory you rightly deserve.

Our 1 -1.5 hour demo class will cover:

Two techniques to carve a turkey
Displaying the awesomely sliced meat so you look even cooler
How to get the best bit (the oyster) for yourself
Discussion of carving knives and tools
Debate tongs versus forks
Eat turkey sandwiches
Drink beer
Guy stuff

Saturday Oct 8, 7PM

Knifewear 1316 9Ave SE

$40 includes:

$20 toward a carving knife

a couple beer

a turkey sandwich

To book call the shop 403 514-0577
Be quick as we are capping the class at 20 chaps

Cooking School Knife Set

2011-08-13T17:45:00.000-06:00

Knifewear has a theory: Student Chefs need great knives, but they have little money. For this reason we have set up the biggest bang for the buck student knife set. Rob and I have been chefs forever and this is the set we think will be the most useful for students at culinary school.

What you get in the set:

240mm Tojiro VG10 chef knife

270mm Tojiro VG10 slicer

150mm Tojiro VG10 boning knife

90mm Tojiro VG10 paring knife

Arcos 270mm bread knife

Kuhn Rikon paring knife

Kuhn Rikon peeler

12" french whisk

fish scaler

fish tweezers

ceramic honing rod

8 pocket YakPak knife bag

free Knifewear shirt

Regular price for the set is: $748
But for cooking school students the price is: $583 (this means you save $165)

So, it doesn't matter if you are going to SAIT, NAIT, CIA, FCI, Leith's, Courdon Bleu (or any cooking school) Knifewear wants you to succeed with your studies. We believe that cooking is easier with the right tools and these are the tools we would use if we wanted the best for the best price. Good luck.

Knifewear is hiring!!!

2011-07-23T07:41:00.001-06:00

We are looking for knife nuts with personality.

Our Calgary retail store has one full-time retail sales & knife sharpening position available.

What we want:

an enthusiastic person who is passionate about our products
enjoys talking with customers
has the desire to learn

What you get:

in depth knife knowledge and sharpening apprenticeship in the Japanese knife sharpening style. We sharpen our knives by hand on waterstones, the most precise way and with the best results. Learn a dying art.
enjoy a fun and professional working environment, a healthy discount on knives, and the love/admiration of chefs, foodies and knife nerds.

Previous knife knowledge is not required - we will teach! Knowledge or interest in knives, a cooking background or Japanese language skills would be beneficial but not necessary. The desire to learn is mandatory.

At Knifewear we sell the finest handmade Japanese kitchen knives available. Most of our knives cannot be found in Canada, many of our knives are not seen outside of Japan. We work with 25+ Japanese knife makers who we consider to be the top blacksmiths in the world.

Please check out our website. www.knifewear.com

Be cool, become a Japanese knife expert at Knifewear.

Wages: start at $10 per hour and increase after 3 month probationary period.

Submit resume along with cover letter explaining how awesome you are to kevin@knifewear.com

2 for 1 'Cut Like a Chef' Class

2011-06-30T15:07:00.001-06:00

Summer is here and we are offering our Cut Like a Chef class at a super hot deal.

What's cool about it

Slice and dice in culinary bliss with a knife-cutting class.
Bring your honeypie or a BFF as this class is for two people.
Stick with your own knives or shop around for the shop's blades.
Don't have knife envy - borrow some from the Knifewear collection.
Cutting 101: Learn to choose, hold & wield a kitchen knife.
Hate veggies? Great, you'll be slicing them into paper thin strips.

What you get

One purchase equals a knife-cutting class for two people.
Class is a little over two hours in length (knives not so long).
Located in Inglewood, Calgary, where all good things are.
Classes are held Saturdays at 9am.

Carving a turkey gets pretty tricky when you're only trained to use a spork, and when someone asks you to dice you eagerly find a spatula and get ready to rumble. Let's get you rocking the kitchen by taking a class designed to make you cut like a chef. With this experience, you'll pop on down to Knifewear with one very blade-friendly pal and learn the ins, outs, arounds and throughs of all things slicing related. Start with understanding which knives suit what purpose, plus contextualize through learning about why knives are shaped as they are. Move onto holding a knife safely and then being practicing the motions one should employ with their knives. Finally you'll learn classic cuts and practice on common fruits and vegetables to demonstrate your slice-savvy powers. Next dinner party, you're bringing your own cleaver.

Pecha Kusha Night #8 in Calgary

2011-05-27T20:26:00.000-06:00

I am super excited and honoured that Calgary Arts Development (CADA) have asked my to present at the up coming PechKucha Calgary night. The theme is "Inspire" and I hope that I will......inspire. If you are free on Monday I say pop down to the Grand and find out how I can connect these pictures as well as 17 others.

Devised in Tokyo in 2003, PechaKucha Nights are now taking place in over 400 cities around the world. Drawing their name from the Japanese term for the sound of "chit chat," PechaKucha Nights are based on a simple presentation format: speakers present 20 slides each, for only 20 seconds per slide. It's a format that makes presentations concise and keeps things moving at a rapid pace.

Please join us for Calgary's contribution to the global PechaKucha Night fundraiser for Japan.

Monday, May 30
Doors at 6:30pm, event at 7:00pm
Theatre Junction GRAND, 608 1st Street SW

The theme of PechaKucha Night Calgary #8 is "Inspire." Speakers include:

- Dean Bareham, Co-Artistic Director, Green Fools
- Suzanne Boss, Project Manager, Calgary 2012
- Ken Cameron, Playwright/Persuasive Presentation Specialist
- Aviv Fried, Owner/Baker, Sidewalk Citizen Bakery
- Ken Greenberg, Architect/Urban Designer, former Director of Urban Design and Architecture for the City of Toronto
- Kristina Groves, Four-Time Olympic Medalist, Speed Skating
- Kevin Kent, President/Chief Knife Nerd, Knifewear Inc.
- Tony Luppino, Executive Director, Leighton Art Centre
- Dan Meades, Director, Vibrant Communities Calgary
- Lara Presber, Fashion Designer

Hosted by Tim Tamashiro.

Tickets available by donation at the door or in advance at http://PKN8.Eventbrite.com.

All proceeds will go to Architecture for Humanity's efforts to rebuild Japan.

Knifemakers Visit Knifewear!!!

2011-05-16T13:58:00.001-06:00

Anryu san, Master Blacksmith

Kato san, Master Blacksmith

We are super lucky again to have some great guests at Knifewear.

Masterblacksmiths of Masakage Knives, Kato san and Anryu san, will be joining Shibata san, President of Maskage Knives for a Calgary visit. Shibata san will give a talk about knifemaking and knife sharpening, maybe we'll even get him to sharpen a few.....

15% off all Masakage Knives all weekend!

Kato san and Anryu san have made special letter openers for the first 10 Masakage customers on Saturday. Cool huh. I have one and they are stupid sharp!!

Masakge Knives will be launching a new like of sexy knives. Here's a sneak peek:

Knifewear

1316 9Ave SE, Inglewood

Calgary

Saturday May 21

11am - 4pm

Help Japan

2011-03-28T14:04:00.005-06:00

We are all aware of the recent catastrophes in Japan. We, at Knifewear, have many, many friends in Japan and want to help the people we feel such affection for. This is currently how we are actively raising money for the effort.

1. GET SHARP KNIVES AND HELP JAPAN.

We are donating 50% of all the money we make for knife sharpening FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR. Now is a great time to get those knives back to their awesome potential. This means we will donate to the RedCross Japan Tsunami Relief effort $5 for every $10 we charge for knife sharpening. So, on average every knife we sharpen raises $5 for the RedCross. We are hoping to send a rather large cheque every month.

2. EAT AND DRINK TO HELP JAPAN: APRIL 1, 2011

This will be great night! Paul Rogalski and Olivier Reynaud at Rouge Restaurant (one of the top spots in the world www.theworlds50best.com/awards/51-100-winners) have graciously decided to turn their 10 year birthday party for the restaurant into a fundraiser for the Red Cross Japan Tsunami Relief Fund. Hayato Okamitsu (ex of Catch and currently instructing at SAIT) joins forces with Mike Dekker (Rouge) and Paul (Rouge) to create a 6 course awesome meal with great wine pairings. I know that one of the courses will be a "Duck off" battle between Paul and Hayato san on one plate.

I have been asked to host the night and talk of my love for Japan. Finally, I'm putting my motor mouth skills to work.

Friday, April 1, 2011
Tix are only $200 ($100 goes to the fund)
Call Rouge for tix. There are only a few left : 403 531 2767

3. DONATE TO HELP JAPAN

For the entire year we will have a donation box in the shop so people can donate directly to the cause. All money collected will be sent directly to the Red Cross.

Japan Disaster Update

2011-03-14T21:39:00.000-06:00

We have all seen the devastation/disaster in Japan. We at Knifewear have many friends and contacts in Japan. The good news is that everyone we have direct dealings with have been in touch, but the problems are on-going.

To show our support Knifewear will be donating 1/2 of all money received from knife sharpening for the entire year.

Now is a good time to get sharp knievs and to make donations to a country that needs our help.

Japan Earthquake Relief

2011-03-11T22:37:00.001-07:00

We have been hearing the news of the devastating earthquakes and tsunami from Japan. We, at Knifewear, and our customers, have been thinking of Japan and the difficulties many face. Our hearts and prayers go out to a nation in distress.

Bring your dull kitchen knives to Knifewear from now until Saturday, March 19 and have them sharpened in exchange for your donation. All donations will go to the Canadian Red Cross Japan Earthquake/Asia Pacific Tsunami relief.

After our first half day of collections we have already collected over $200. We will do our best to raise as much money as we can for the relief efforts.

Please bring kitchen knives carefully wrapped in a tea towel or other protection to the Knifewear shop at 1316 9 Ave S.E., Inglewood, Calgary.

All knives are sharpened by hand using a series of water stones. Every effort will be made to sharpen knives while you wait, however due to increased volume it may require a longer wait than usual.

Our hearts are with you, Japan.

White Hat Award

2011-01-19T15:47:00.001-07:00

Congrats to Rob for being nominated for a Calgary White Hat Award. It was one or more of his overjoyed customers that gave him the nod. This is the 49th year of the White Hat awards and Rob was nominated in the 'Best Customer Servic: Retail' category. More than just a pretty face and a mustache.

I for one am dying to see Rob in a cowboy hat. Well, the awards will be announced on May 18, 2011. Good luck matey!!

Knifewear is hiring.

2011-01-08T16:54:00.000-07:00

We are looking for knife nuts with personality. You must enjoy talking with customers. Knowledge or interest in knives, a cooking background or Japanese language skills would be beneficial. The desire to learn is mandatory.

Our Calgary retail store has 1 position available:

• full-time (or part-time for the right person) retail sales person with some knife sharpening responsibilities.

All Knifewear employees receive an in depth knife sharpening apprenticeship in the Japanese knife sharpening style. We sharpen our knives by hand on waterstones, the most precise way and with the best results. Learn a dying art.

Knifewear staff enjoy a fun and professional working environment, a healthy discount on knives, and the love/admiration of chefs, foodies and knife nerds.

At Knifewear we sell the finest handmade Japanese kitchen knives available. Most of our knives cannot be found in Canada, many of our knives are not seen outside of Japan. We work with 25+ Japanese knife makers who we consider to be the top blacksmiths in the world.

Please check out our website. www.knifewear.com

Be cool, become a Japanese knife expert at Knifewear.

Wages: $10 per hour

Send resume and cover letter to kevin @knifewear.com

I made these!

2010-11-25T17:51:00.000-07:00

I made these. Clearly I rock!

Takeda san, a very patient teacher.

I always have a great time in Japan. The food is outstanding, the people warm, the temples and shrines peaceful. I especially like the local train ride to Niimi. The train weaves through cute rounded hills covered in pine forests. Every valley has mist a stream and a tiny lake. It really is magical.

Takeda san collected me at the train station with some good news. I was going to make a few knives with one of my knife making heros.

It was soo fun....and sweaty. I am ceratinly not a natural. I think the blades look alright, but they do feel like hammers. A bit on the heavy side, if you will. I can't wait to do it again.

Takeda san was kind enough to finish the blades for me and put handles on the santoku.

Thank you Shosui, it was a highlight of my life.

BTW I got to make a few blades with the Moritakas the very next day. I'll post some pics when they arrive. What a great trip!!

Tsukasa Hinoura and Konosuke. New sexiness from Japan!

2010-11-23T17:36:00.001-07:00

Knives from Hinoura san have finaly arrived. We've been waiting a long time. Tsukasa Hinoura san is from Sanjo, just outside of Niigata. He is a third generation knife maker and has been forging since he was 22 years old (that's 31 years experience now). His method of twisted damascus steel is unique and totally cool. The blade is forged from #1 Shirogami (HRC63ish) and the handle is octogon magnolia wood and water buffalo. These knives are so fabulous in the looks department with the 'twisted' Damascus pattern that he has won awards twice at the Seki knife show. Truely works of art from the man himself.

Petty 135mm $791
Santoku 165mm $1339
Nakiri $1339
Gyuto 210mm $1756

Konosuke Knives are a great little knife company based in Sakai, just outside of Osaka. This knife is hand forged from Ginsan stainless steel. Ginsan is, in my opinion, a knife makers steel of the future. It cuts smooth like carbon steel, sharpens as easy as carbon steel, but is stainless. What a great idea. But what really sets these apart is the mirror polished sakura (cherry blossom) pattern. Easily the sexiest knife in the world. I have seen the process, but have been sworn to secrecy about how the mirrored blossoms are hand polished onto the blade. Each blade comes with a handmade wooden saya (sheath).

It's been hard keeping these in stock since we started carrying them in July.

petty 120mm $285

petty 150mm $298

nakiri 165mm $350

santoku 165mm $387

gyuto 180mm $387

gyuto 210mm $466

Here is a new one with same kind pattern, but obviously based on a different plant.....................................A Japanese maple of course. Comes with a Japanese maple and water buffalo horn handle.
165mm Santoku $398

This is my fave new stuff. Also from Konosuke these are mirror polished by hand. They are sandvivk stainless steel, which means they will always be super mirro shiny. Check out our wave logo reflected in the blade. Next time I'm on TV this will be my go-to knife. It will look sick!!! Oh, also, these knives are made exclusively for Knifewear. Konosuke makes knives that look like this, but only in Sandvick steel for us. Cool huh? Waterproof hoo wood and water buffalo horn handle. Did I mention they are as light and as thin as any knife I've ever held. They cut like a dream.

120mm petty $284
150mm petty $295
165mm Nakiri $340
165mm Santoku $346
180mm Gyuto $361
210mm Gyuto $381
240mm Gyuto $422

Christmas in Inglewood

2010-11-03T16:24:00.001-06:00

Knifewear will be participating in Inglewood's customer appreciation night, Christmas in Inglewood, again this year. It is a super fun night out. Many, many shops stay open late and offer great deals, samples, entertainment. A fun way to kick-off or maybe even finish your Christmas shopping.

We will be offering 10% off all nine lines of Masakage Knives in the shop that evening. Aviv Fried (Calgary's best bread baker) will be with us serving awesome samples and loaves to buy. Pierre Lamielle (Swerve's 'Easy Cook') will also be in the house signing cookbooks and generally being a nuisance.

Thursday November 18 6pm - 9pm

Movember

2010-11-03T16:05:00.000-06:00

The Mo, slang for moustache, and November come together each year for Movember.
Movember challenges men to change their appearance and the face of men’s health by growing a moustache. The rules are simple, start Movember 1st clean-shaven and then grow a moustache for the entire month. The moustache becomes the ribbon for men’s health, the means by which awareness and funds are raised for prostate cancer. Much like the commitment to run or walk for charity, the men of Movember commit to growing a moustache for 30 days.

Knifewear's Gentlemen have joined as a Movember team. In fact we've challenged Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters to a fund raising competition. Winners get to brag and bad mouth the losers for a whole year.

Please donate here: http://ca.movember.com/mospace/852290/

Rob, obviously, is our spiritual leader. May we all grow as well as him.

Knife makers in the house.

2010-09-01T16:59:00.000-06:00

Knifewear is super excited to announce that Shibata san and Kato san of Masakage knives will be in the shop Saturday 25 September. Kato san is a renowned knife maker from Takefu village who has been making knives for the last 51 years. Not bad huh? Shibata san is Hiroshima's top knife sharpener and has a unique method of sharpening knives using a different grit on each side of the blade.

Shibata sna and Kato san will be answering questions, showing off new products, sharpening Maskage knives, and generally being cool.

All Maskage knives will be 10% for the weekend (Sept 25-Sept 26).

Calgary Tours

2010-07-19T13:22:00.000-06:00

Super fun news. Patrick Dunn of InterCourse Chef Services is offering culinary tours of Calgary. Knifewear is one of the big stops. We will offer a quick little 'Cut Like A Chef' class for the tour. The next on takes place this Saturady (July 24). For more infor please see the link below. I look forward to seeing you on the tour.

http://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=c96441981536d2b798c4a6422&id=0fca0fdbdb

Calgary food in Vancouver Sun

2010-07-08T18:35:00.001-06:00

Nice article about Calgary food in the Vancouver Sun today. Some of my fave restaurants were mentioned as was a certain knife shop. As any good report about Calgary's food scene should be, Inglewood was featured prominently.

http://www.vancouversun.com/life/From+Cowtown+culinary+capital/3251994/story.html

Kawamura san will be in the shop Sunday

2010-07-08T16:41:00.000-06:00

We are super excited to announce that Kawamura san from Konosuke Knives will be in the shop this Sunday (July 11) from 12-4. He has promised to bring some super sexy stuff and at a special price. Pop by to say Hi. He would love to meet you. This is one of Konosuke knives. It's not shiny, but an actual mirror.

The Shirts are HERE!!!!!

2010-07-08T16:31:00.001-06:00

Super great news. Our new yummy horse themed shirts have arrived. We only had 100 printed and the first 20 went out the door yesterday and today. Look around town for some foodie celebs sporting our super cool shirts. Get 'em while we still got 'em.

Calgary Stampede is coming!!!

2010-07-01T08:24:00.000-06:00

To celebrate the Calgary Stampede we have new shirts designed by our fave designer, Pierre Lamielle.

The shirts have a yummy horse theme and are printed in classic Rock and Roll cliche colours (white on a black t-shirt) on Hanes tagless shirts. They will be available in dudes sizes (sm, med, lg, xl, xxl) and only $20.

We have printed only 100 shirts, so first come first serve. Give us a bell at the shop to reserve yours. 403 514-0577

Ya hoooo!!!

MEDDIA WHORE ALERT!!

2010-06-17T08:46:00.001-06:00

Calgary's weekly arts and listings magazine, FFWD, just did a fun little feature of moi. I am feeling a bit of a riockstar again. It will be leather pants and sunglasses at the shop for the next week....again.

http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/life-style/your-face-here/kevin-kent-owner-knifewear-5847/

There is also a great write up of Sugo Restaurant and Bar. Nice one Angelo, I'll pop in for some happy champers with you later today.

As a side note we have a special Calgary Stampede shirt coming out next week for just $20. It is a cool new design by Pierre Lamielle http://www.kitchenscraps.ca/ . A bit offensive to some even. I like it.

Masakage Knives launch party

2010-04-21T07:15:00.000-06:00

Masakage Knives started as bit of fun for Shibata san and myself. While in Banff (January 2009) we spoke about what we loved about kitchen knives and what would make our perfect knives. By June we had our first line available at Knifewear. A good bit of fun really. Now we are ready to launch Masakage Knives. We currently have seven lines each consisting of 2-9 blades.

Shibata san is Hiroshima's top knife sharpener and I am arguably Canada's largest knife nerd. At least the nerdiest. We have been sending prototypes back and forth, selecting the steel we want for each line, choosing handles, adjusting shape, height and width of individual blades, fine tuning the appearance of each knife and naming each line. This was/is one of the most fun times of my life. I believe we've created kitchen knives that are new, unique and desirable.

Masakage knives are all handmade in Japan by four of our favourite blacksmiths. Kato san, Anryu san and Kuroskai san hail from Takefu. Kageura san works on Shikoku Island near Tosa.

The knives represent what we love in kitchen knives. High performance, sexiness and personality. As you can imagine we are more than a bit proud of these knives.

Currently Masakage knives are available exclusively through Knifewear.

Our launch party for Masakage Knives is at Knifewear on Tuesday 4 May starting at 6pm. Beer by Wildrose Brewery and food by Sugo. Hope to see you then.

Trust us we are professionals

2010-04-18T17:14:00.000-06:00

More great press

2010-04-06T19:32:00.001-06:00

I really feel like a rock star. It will be leather pants and sunglasses all the way next time you're in the shop. And if you look hard enough you can find a link to a video to go with the article. Cool huh?

http://www.avenuecalgary.com/articles/page/item/the-expert%3A-kevin-kent

New Gallery

2010-03-19T08:38:00.000-06:00

Yay!! We now have a new knife making gallery. Check it out. These are all picutres taken on my last trip to Japan. I especially like the picture of Fujiwara san and his sword. He can make you one as well if you have a spare $100,000.

http://knifewear.com/japanese-knife-gallery.asp

Staff Update

2010-03-09T09:10:00.000-07:00

This is Rance. He is our part-time Go-To-Man. You may see him on the weekends, helping out with sharpening classes or at events away from the shop.

Rance is a Knife Nerd who found our shop while shopping for better Japanese knives. After spending an our with us he asked for a job. He really is one of us.

Welcome aboard.

Meet the New Staff

2010-02-25T11:57:00.002-07:00

As regular visitors to the shop will know, Toru has returned to Japan. His plan is to apprentice as a blacksmith, possibly with Iwasaki san the most talented straight razor maker in the world or with a knife maker. I can't wait to use your handy work, Toru.

We are mega happy to welcome Mark and Kasumi to the team. Mark is a knife nerd from way back as well as a carpenter and drummer. You can find Mark behind the kit of the Steve McQueen Band most Saturday nights. Kasumi comes to us from that great city of Tokyo. She is easily the most professional and organised of us all. BTW her Japanese and English are flawless. Her French is pretty good as well.

Welcome aboard Mark and Kasumi. The shop is a better place again.

We are as cool as John Deer and Budweiser

2010-02-22T16:12:00.003-07:00

Yes, it true that we are officially super cool. We have ball hats and new shirts!! The hats say "don't touch my knives" on the back. And I hope the Ramones don't sue us over the shirt design. Thanks, Keith, for modeling. $16 for the hats and $20 for the shirts.

Cool sword/tanto week

2010-02-19T23:12:00.000-07:00

Wow. It looks like we had an unofficial weapons week. The tanto arrived in the post to get us all excited and earlier in the week this wandered through the door. What a fun treat.

Now we get a lot of cool 'show and tell' at the shop, but this was one of the best. On Saturday afternoon this gentleman walked into the shop with a distinctive looking parcel. Out of the silk bag he drew a katana that his father picked up in the 1920's. It was old at that time. Now I am no sword expert, but I can tell you that the folded steel had that sexy look that old swords have, their was a small bit of tarnish including a very clear finger print and the hamon had a subtle, but poetic wave. All of the handle hardware was intact, but in fair condition. The saya was particularily good. All in all it was a special treat to see a very nice blade with all of the original hardware attached. It felt a bit like I was on Antiques Road Show and I was the specialist who was woefully under qualified.

I feel foolish that I didn't get his name. Thank you if you reading this.

160 year old Tanto in the post today

2010-02-18T17:16:00.001-07:00

What a great day for post today. Shiba of Masakage knives has sent us this Tanto that I purchased on my recent visit to Japan.

The Tanto was most likely constructed as a Talisman for a girl of marrying age to give her strength in birth. It was made at the end of the Edo period, about 160 years ago. The blacksmith is unknown, but it was forged in the city of Fukusima just North of Tokyo.

The steel is in great condition, no mentionable tarnishing and the old folded/Damascus steel looks super cool. The Hamon is crisp and has a nice artistic wave. This is a great example of an 1850's tanto. SUPER SEXY and for only $2966.

Free Knife Sharpening - Donate to Haiti Relief Fund

2010-01-24T10:59:00.002-07:00

We have all been affected by the bad news about the earthquake and the desperate situation in Haiti. Toru Tamura is volunteering his time to sharpen any knife purchased through Knifewear on Thursday 28 January for a donation to our Haiti Relief Fund.

All proceeds raised will be matched by Knifewear. In addition the Government of Canada will match all donations to the Canadian Red Cross. This means that every dollar we raise will turn into four dollars donated to the Canadian Red Cross for emergency and long term help for Haiti.

We look forward to seeing you.

http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=000005&tid=003

As a side note Toru's last day at Knifewear will be Saturday 30 January. He is heading back to Japan and is planning to apprentice as a blacksmith, either for kitchen knives or maybe with Iwasaki, the famed straight razor blacksmith. Please pop into the shop to say good bye and good luck. He has been our knife sharpening secret weapon since August. We will miss you, Toru!

Knifewear is Hiring!!!!

2010-01-10T20:59:00.000-07:00

We are looking for knife nuts (obviously) with personality who enjoy talking with customers. Knowledge or interest in knives, cooking , the Japanese language, or metallurgy would be beneficial. The desire to learn mandatory.

Our Calgary retail store has 2 positions available:

• full time retail sales person with some knife sharpening responsibilities

• full or part time knife sharpener with some sales responsibilities

All Knifewear employees receive an in depth knife sharpening apprenticeship in the Japanese knife sharpening style. We sharpen our knives by hand on waterstones, the most precise way and with the best results. Learn a dying art.

Knifewear staff enjoy a fun and professional working environment, a healthy discount on knives, and the love/admiration of chefs, foodies and knife nerds.

At Knifewear we sell the finest handmade Japanese kitchen knives. Most of our knives cannot be found in Canada, many of our knives are not seen outside of Japan. We work with 25+ Japanese knife makers who we consider the top in the world.

Be cool, become a Japanese knife expert at Knifewear.

Send resume and cover letter to info@knifewear.com

Pork and Such

2009-12-13T17:00:00.000-07:00

I think this is the best new business idea I've seen in ages. Maybe we will sell off all the knives in January to buy a monster truck, bacon, chocolate and sticks. If you would like a sneak preview of the product Pierre Lamielle http://www.kitchenscraps.ca/ and I (Kevin) are doing a couple of cooking classes at the Cookbook Co. We'll probably do chocolate covered bacon on a stick both nights.

www.cookbookcooks.com/

You Only Live Once - January 26 Pierre and I love rich, boozey fatty foods that make a terrible diet if eaten all of the time, but in moderation make a body happy. This night though will not be about moderation. Think bacon, cream, butter, gin, beer, duck fat, olive oil, confit, and any thing else that is tastey, but maybe a tad unhealthy. We even made pot brownies last time we did this class. $90

Pork Stars - April 12 Hey, everyone loves pigs, even vegetarians have a weekness for bacon, so Pierre and I will take it to the next level. We will be serving six courses of porky goodness. Bacon, braised belly, smoked chops, lardo, proscuitto, pig kidneys, trotters and cracklin' are all fair game for us to serve. See ya there. $85

Call 403-265-6066 to book a spot. They run 6:30-9:00. See ya there.

Knifewear hits the modern age

2009-12-04T18:55:00.000-07:00

Wow, we've really become modern. We are now offering gift cards. Just like the Bay or Starbucks. We are so cool.

December specials

2009-12-04T18:26:00.000-07:00

For the month of december we have our New Tradition sushi blade on sale for 30% off. They are stainless steel (AUS8) 60HRC and have a chestnut handle. Also we are clearing our Ohishi VG10 western style knives for 30% off. Can't go wrong with these. Call the shop if you are interested. They have been flying out the door this week. 403 397-2394

New knives

2009-12-04T18:06:00.000-07:00

So, here's some fun stuff from my recent trip to Japan.

The top knife is made by a true master, Tsukasa Hinoura san, from Sanjo, just outside of Niigata. He is a third generation knife maker and has been forging since he was 22 years old (that's 31 years experience now). His method of twisted damascus steel is unique and totally cool. The blade is forged from #1 Shirogami (HRC63ish) and the handle is octogon magnolia wood and water buffalo. I only have a santoku for now and it could be yours for a mere $1400CAD.

The other knife is hand forged in Sakai city, just outside of Osaka, by Sugo Yamatsuka san and sharpened by Yukinori Oda san. The blade is forged from Ginsan (HRC63ish) and the handle is octogon magnolia wood and water buffalo. Ginsan or three silver steel has the qualities of carbon steel: capable of wicked sharpness, easy to sharpen, keeps a great edge and feels super silky BUT IS STAINLESS. Sounds like the future to me. I suspect we will be seeing more of this steel. Check out the damascus pattern. It looks like finer prints. How cool is that. We only have 1 x 240mm gyuto left. $565.

Thanks for kicking my ass, Otokar.

Alberta Venture Magazine

2009-12-02T09:05:00.001-07:00

Knifewear is in Alberta Venture Magazine December 2009. Alberta's top business magazine has featured Knife wear in their 'One of a Kind' section. Obviously it's the 'Weirdo' section. I think it's a great little article. Thanks Colleen.

http://www.albertaventure.com/sales-and-marketing/choice-cuts/?year=2009

Christmas in Inglewood

2009-11-18T08:32:00.000-07:00

Season's Greetings,

Christmas in Inglewood is here again. This is a great evening for those in the know. You can expect great deals in all of the Inglewood shops and Christmas hospitality. Carolers, drinks, food.

Kevin has brought some great tea back from Japan. Please pop by for a cup to warm you. Also we are offering great deals on Ohishi and Fujiwara knives.

We look forward to seeing you.

Christmas in Inglewood
Thursday November 19
5pm - 9pm

Kind regards

Kevin Kent
owner/chief knife nerd

Awesome New Fujwara Prices

2009-10-12T13:42:00.001-06:00

The knives of Teruyasu Fujiwara are always a favourite of the shop. We are mega happy to announce that we have just had an awesome price down on Fujiwara san's knives. On the average each knife is now 10% cheaper than it was. Check it out.

Japan Here I Come

2009-10-06T12:15:00.002-06:00

Kevin will be leaving for Japan October 13-27. No doubt there will be lots more cool stuff at the shop for the beginning of November.

Pork Stars Classes

2009-10-06T11:09:00.001-06:00

Kevin will be leading a cooking class at the Cookbook Company on Tuesday 22 Sept. The evening will feature many, many fine recipes from our fave animal. Are you ready for a bacon caramel sundae? Call the Cookbook co. for details 403 265-6066.

Masakage Knives Have Landed

2009-10-06T11:08:00.000-06:00

Masakage knives are here!

Knifewear is mega lucky to have received a new shipment of Masakage knives. The specs are: Shirogami(white carbon steel) hand folded Damascus with an unique "X" pattern and hoo wood handles. These are stunners and at a great price for hand made knives.

150mm Petty $149
165 Nakiri $177
170mm Santoku $177
210mm Gyuto $293
240mm Gyuto $327
270mm Sujihiki $344

Welcome Rob and Toru!

2009-10-06T10:28:00.000-06:00

Rob and Toru have joined the Knifewear team and we are lucky to have them. Rob was a chef for many years with a knife passion and what a great stache. Toru studied metalurgy in Japan as well as worked with a blacksmith. They both bring a strong skill set to the table. We are in good hands with these two.

Good Luck Wil

2009-10-06T10:27:00.000-06:00

For those of you how hang around the shop you will have met Wil at some point. He is off to SAIT studying computer stuff and will still work part time. Good luck and thanks for your help!

Master Keijiro Doi san knives at Knifewear

2009-10-06T10:26:00.000-06:00

A 300mm Yanagiba Suisin Hayate with Mirror polish, ebony and waterbuffalo horn handle made from #2 Blue carbon steel is now available at the shop. This amazing blade comes with a Kiri wood box and the admiration of all who see it. Performance, style, beauty, history, romance all in one knife. It's a deal at $850.

Takeda Shosui-san knives

2009-10-06T10:25:00.000-06:00

Thin means sharp and you can't get much thinner. Takeda knives are hand forged and hammered from Aogami Super steel to a super hard 63:65 Rockwell hardness. All of these knives have rosewood handles and kurouchi finish. Performance, great looks, super light/thin, easy to sharpen, Takedas have it all. Thursday 24 July is the first day they will be in the shop. I don't think I'll have this shipment for long. Come check them out.