Akita sharpening steel
and
Free delivery
in the UK
30-day
money-back
guarantee
English customer
service 7/7
Your knife felt amazing last month. Now it slides off the tomato.
The Akita sharpening steel brings a dulling edge back in a few strokes between sharpenings, so your knives stay sharp every day.
Who it's for: For cooks who want to keep their knives sharp day to day with minimal effort.
| Surface | Diamond-coated |
| Compatible with | Most kitchen knives (use the angle given on each knife's page: 15° for ours) |
| Care | Wipe with a damp cloth after use |
✓ Free UK delivery in 4–8 days · ✓ 30-day returns with a prepaid label in the box · ✓ Customer service 7 days a week
Christmas orders close on 21 December — add it to your order today.
Tracked and insured home delivery with Royal Mail / DPD / DHL / Evri
Our blades are made by Hideo Kitaoka in Echizen. Every knife comes with its own identity card: maker, steel, hardness and origin. We would rather tell you exactly what you are buying than sell you a myth.
Your knives are guaranteed for life against any manufacturing defect. When your order arrives, send us a photo of your knife: your warranty is registered and cannot be disputed. It does not cover breakage caused by misuse (bones, frozen food, drops).
Why offer a YORIKAI?
Proven origin and steel
Forged by Hideo Kitaoka in Echizen.
Echizen is one of the historic cradles of Japanese cutlery, where blacksmiths have passed down their craft for centuries. Every blade is forged in Hideo Kitaoka's workshop.
No “Japanese-style” knives, no printed pattern to create an illusion. The smith's name, the town, the steel: everything is set out in black and white. You know exactly what you are buying, and what you are giving.
Engraved with their name
Engraving is free.
Add the name of your choice when you order: it is engraved on the blade, cleanly and permanently.
The day they open the box, it won't be “a nice knife”. It will be their knife, the one they keep for years and that everyone recognises in their kitchen. A gift you won't find in any shop, because only one exists.
An edge that is easy to keep
A clean edge, year after year.
Even the best blade eventually loses a little of its edge. Our sharpening kits, designed for Japanese knives, let you restore it in a few minutes, with no technical skills needed. Your knife stays a pleasure to use for years to come.
Yes. It is hand-forged by Hideo Kitaoka in his workshop in Echizen, one of the historic cradles of Japanese cutlery. No “Japanese-style” knives, no printed pattern: the smith, the town and the steel are set out in black and white.
Wash it by hand with a soft sponge, then dry it straight away. Avoid the dishwasher and never leave it to soak. If it is carbon steel, the blade will develop a natural patina over time, the sign of a living steel. Careful drying is enough to protect it from rust.
Vegetables, meat, fish, herbs: it is made for everyday cooking. Like all Japanese knives, its hard, thin blade does not like bones, frozen food, fruit stones, or glass or stone boards. Use a wooden or plastic board instead.
Enter the name of your choice when you order: it is engraved on the blade cleanly and permanently. Allow 1 extra day before dispatch. For Christmas, order before 21 December for guaranteed on-time delivery.
A Japanese knife is sharpened on a whetstone, at a fine angle that protects the blade. Our sharpening kits contain everything you need, plus a step-by-step guide to get it right easily, even the first time. Avoid pull-through sharpeners and traditional honing steels, which are too aggressive for a Japanese blade.