Written By Guest Writer Edibles / Kitchen Tools / Victoria Jul 30, 2014 Knifewear Pop-Up Store in Victoria July 30-Aug 3 SHARE VIA: Facebook Twitter Pinterest“Knifewear’s handmade Japanese knives are usable art for the kitchen.”For some, combining coffee with knives sounds dangerous: caffeine jitters, pointy things.But for Kevin Kent, it sounds like—pardon the pun—a sharp decision.He’s the creator of Knifewear, a Calgary-based store specializing in handmade Japanese knives. He and his team will open two temporary pop-up locations this summer on the West Coast: a Vancouver shop in The Chinatown Experiment and a Victoria shop in the Fernwood Coffee Roastery.Yes, a roastery. “It makes perfect sense,” says Kent.“People who like really good coffee tend to like good food and cooking.”A self-proclaimed “knife nerd,” Kent himself is a big fan of good coffee, food and cooking. He became fascinated by Japanese knives when he was a sous-chef at St. John restaurant, legendary chef Fergus Henderson’s restaurant in London, England.There Kent was introduced to a Japanese blacksmith who challenged him to try his handmade knives. Kent brushed him off, noting that he already had a set of “fine European knives.”But the blacksmith insisted.“That’s the day I discovered what ‘razor-sharp’ really meant,” Kent says with a chuckle.That’s also the day Kent started both a collection and a new career. He bought his first knife, then another and another. Shortly after returning to Canada in 2007, he began selling these handcrafted Japanese chef’s knives to his chef buddies out of his backpack on the back of his bicycle around downtown Calgary.By 2008, he had left his job as a chef at River Café and opened his first store. Now he has shops in Kelowna, Edmonton, Ottawa and Calgary, plus a thriving online business at knifewear.com.Yet he still finds time to visit Japan twice a year, to meet with makers like Kato san and Fujiwara san, and learn more about what makes their knives so special. He continues to be impressed with Japanese craftsmanship, which descends directly from ancient samurai swordmaking traditions, more than 1,000 years ago. And he loves to discuss why he thinks Japanese knives are the best.“They’re made from harder steel, so they’ll stay sharp longer,” Kent says. “I think people appreciate buying a good knife once, instead of a bunch of crappy knives often.”Just like the year-round permanent locations, the pop-up stores in Vancouver and Victoria will sell cool kitchenware, T-shirts and cookbooks, in addition to the Japanese knives. And shoppers will have a chance to try sample knives in their search to find the one that fits their budget and lifestyle. (A Japanese knife, Kent notes, is perfect for cutting paper-thin slices for the perfect tomato sandwich.)“Most people, if they have something handmade, it’s generally food or a painting on the wall,” Kent says. “But a Japanese knife gives you something handmade that you can use everyday, something with a link to both fine craftsmanship and the past. It’s like art for your kitchen.”– By Shelley Boettcher Knifewear’s pop-up store in Victoria takes place July 30 to August 3 at Fernwood Coffee Roastery (#5, 1115 North Park St., Victoria B.C.), 250-590-3320). Hours are 11 am-7 pm Japanese knivesVictoria SHARE VIA: Facebook Twitter Pinterest Written By: Guest Writer We get many people writing guest articles for us, as well as past contributors. This is the Guest ... Read More You may also like EAT Magazine News / Food News December 7, 2020 EAT’s 2020 Gift Guide EAT’s 2020 Gift Guide. Not just for the holidays! Bolen Books Flavor by Yotam Ottolenghi ($45.00) Cat’s Meow Trivet ($6.95) Book Seat ... Read More EAT Magazine News / Food News November 30, 2020 CITY EATS December 2020 | January 2021 A new bakery has opened in the Leland building at 2506 Douglas St. Working Culture Bread is serving up naturally leavened sourdough breads, as well ... Read More Food / Food News / Restaurants November 30, 2020 Eating Out—At Home Originally published in EAT Oct|Nov issue. Are you missing those romantic date night dinners, a favourite dish from a local chef, the fluffy ... Read More Breads / Food / How to Cook / Recipes November 27, 2020 Rosemary and Feta Potato Loaf A delicious homemade bread is always a welcome treat that can really set the mood for a good day. This is an approachable recipe to bring to holiday ... Read More Food / How to Cook / Main course / Recipes November 27, 2020 Skewered Spicy Chicken and Shiitake Skewers Rebecca Wellman serves up her delicious take on chicken and mushroom skewers with a tasty side of sauce. Serves 4 ... Read More Food News October 10, 2020 Green Sauce — Jambalaya Recipe Oct|Nov Issue We neglected to provide a recipe for green sauce in this recipe. There are many recipes online if you want to make your own, or can’t find one ... Read More Comments are closed.
EAT Magazine News / Food News December 7, 2020 EAT’s 2020 Gift Guide EAT’s 2020 Gift Guide. Not just for the holidays! Bolen Books Flavor by Yotam Ottolenghi ($45.00) Cat’s Meow Trivet ($6.95) Book Seat ... Read More
EAT Magazine News / Food News November 30, 2020 CITY EATS December 2020 | January 2021 A new bakery has opened in the Leland building at 2506 Douglas St. Working Culture Bread is serving up naturally leavened sourdough breads, as well ... Read More
Food / Food News / Restaurants November 30, 2020 Eating Out—At Home Originally published in EAT Oct|Nov issue. Are you missing those romantic date night dinners, a favourite dish from a local chef, the fluffy ... Read More
Breads / Food / How to Cook / Recipes November 27, 2020 Rosemary and Feta Potato Loaf A delicious homemade bread is always a welcome treat that can really set the mood for a good day. This is an approachable recipe to bring to holiday ... Read More
Food / How to Cook / Main course / Recipes November 27, 2020 Skewered Spicy Chicken and Shiitake Skewers Rebecca Wellman serves up her delicious take on chicken and mushroom skewers with a tasty side of sauce. Serves 4 ... Read More
Food News October 10, 2020 Green Sauce — Jambalaya Recipe Oct|Nov Issue We neglected to provide a recipe for green sauce in this recipe. There are many recipes online if you want to make your own, or can’t find one ... Read More
Chefs / Victoria May 22, 2014 Nature’s Chef: Tom Kral Ocean front dining doesn’t get more authentic than this, thanks to Chef Tom Kral (a.k.a. Nature’s Chef) and his knowledge of wild, edible food. ... Read More