Hi!
My name is Alex and I live in Helsinki, Finland. I am the main driving force behind hawatari Japanese Knife Specialist.
Since nearly one and a half decade ago I have been blessed with the opportunity to visit Japan on regular yearly basis. Having possibility to spend prolonged periods in Japan during my visits, I have travelled around the country and have experienced first-hand the incredible and diverse beauty of Japan, its people and their culture. My connection to Japan is a very personal one and I can truly say that prolonged exposure to Japanese cultural traditions, both in Japan and back home in Finland, has greatly shaped me as person I am today.
One of the things that have greatly affected me during my time spent in Japan is the attitude of Japanese craftsmen towards the work that they do. Having been blessed with countless opportunities to experience the world of Japanese craftsmanship first hand, to observe master craftsmen at work and to learn from them – these experiences have truly inspired me to pursue my passion, deepen my knowledge and improve my skills.
During my early visits to Japan, well over a decade ago, I was introduced to the traditional Japanese art of knife sharpening. My new found passion for this subject and constant hunger for more knowledge have led me to a path, on which I was able to meet and learn from many inspiring and very knowledgeable individuals, both in the traditional Japanese knife manufacturing areas and beyond.
Because of my ability to spent prolonged time in Japan during my visits, I was able to study traditional Japanese knife sharpening and knife maintenance in Tokyo, city of Sanjo and city of Sakai. Tokyo is my “base” while staying in Japan and the skill of Tokyo scissor sharpeners is famous all over the country. I was very lucky to have numerous opportunities for studying Japanese scissor sharpening techniques under very skilled Tokyo sharpeners. Wanting to deepen my horizons, I have also delved into traditional Japanese woodworking and tool maintenance. My studies in Japanese woodworking techniques have opened an opportunity for my company (hawatari Japanese Knife Specialist) to offer our unique handmade products: traditional Japanese saya (wooden blade guards) and handmade knife handles.
I am not a chef by my main profession and I have felt that a more detailed understanding of the correct knife techniques, that Japanese professionals use during their work, will help me to improve my sharpening skills and deepen my knowledge. While staying in Tokyo, I’ve had possibility to study Japanese knife techniques and cooking, together with the local Tokyo professionals and home chefs. I have also taken part in numerous fish butchering courses, where traditional Japanese fish butchering techniques were taught under the guidance of a professional fish butcher from the world famous Tsukiji (Toyosu) fish market in Tokyo. During my time in Japan, I have also had many opportunities to provide sharpening services for local customers in Tokyo (strictly on volunteer bases).
Perfecting your own skill is a constantly on-going process. Every time I visit Japan, I always seek new opportunities to expand my knowledge base through study and practice, under the guidance of my Japanese teachers.
Back home in Finland, since summer of 2017, hawatari Japanese Knife Specialist started to officially offer high end sharpening services to customers in the Greater Helsinki area and beyond. We are a small team and we are very passionate about our mission – providing traditional high quality Japanese sharpening and maintenance services to our customers in Finland. Over the years we have gradually expanded our range of services and today we are offering not only sharpening and our handmade woodworking products, but also authentic Japanese high quality kitchen knives and sharpening equipment, from selected Japanese manufacturers. From the beginning, our goal was to offer high quality products and services at a price level that is affordable for our customers. We have exclusive contracts with our suppliers in Japan, and we are importing all of our products directly from the manufacturer. This allows us to provide highest quality Japanese kitchen knives and sharpening equipment at customer-friendly prices.
We are always striving for providing the best service we possibly can – be that delivering a great Japanese kitchen knife or making a dull knife razor sharp again. To see you – our dear customers – happy is probably the best reward for us!
If you want to get in touch with us – just write us an email at alex@hawatari.com or use the contact form found in the menu above.
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