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 Food / Recipes October 25, 2021 Sopa Paella Try the iconic Valencian dish as a hearty fall soup brimming with seafood and chorizo. We were going through a heat wave in Victoria when I ... Read More Food / Recipes October 25, 2021 It’s a Pancake Day! That crisp edge in the fall air stirs up a craving for comfort that sometimes only a stack of hot pancakes can deliver. So get your cast-iron pan ... Read More Breads / Food / How to Cook / Recipes July 13, 2021 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 EAT Magazine News / Food News January 28, 2021 CITY EATS February | March 2021 If you haven’t yet taken advantage of Victoria’s free local delivery program, Downtown Delivers, you have until February 15 to try it ... Read More Food News / Pantry / Review January 28, 2021 Some Like It Hot — A Hot Sauce Tasting Party A Hot Sauce Tasting Party Gillie Easdon gathered 15 local, house-made hot sauces and four brave souls to taste-test them. It was a mid-October, late ... Read More 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 Comments are closed.
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