FAQs

Unlike factory-made knives, handmade Japanese knives take longer to design. They have to go through a series of rigorous stages and strict quality control in line with the high standards of Japan's forges. We therefore encourage the purchase of quality kitchen knives that can do the vast majority of the work in the kitchen, replacing the knife set purchased at a discount. We suggest you beware of low-priced imitations and always check the knives' provenance.

Japanese blades are lighter, very balanced, higher hardness, sharper and retain their sharpness longer. This allows the user greater control of his work tool and a clean cut to alter the texture and flavor of the food as little as possible.

Every Japanese knife is made with a specific purpose in mind. There are types of versatile knives such as the Gyuto which is the equivalent of the chef's knife or the Santoku which translates into three virtues , a name that represents its multiplicity well. The Sujihiki and the Yanagiba are made for slicing while the Nakiri and the Usuba are specialized for cutting vegetables. Without forgetting the Petty for precision tasks. The list goes on and the possibilities are diverse. To be sure to make the right choice, you can consult our collection pages. They all include a detailed description and an explanatory video.

For a first purchase, we recommend the most versatile knife possible, either the Gyuto or the Santoku. The Gyuto is the Japanese chef's knife, it is generally found between 210mm and 240mm of blade. Its versatile profile will allow you to perform 95% of the tasks in the kitchen; both the cut of vegetables and the slice of fish or meat. If you are less comfortable with longer blades, the Santoku with its 165mm to 180mm blade will be your best option. A little more focused on cutting vegetables, the Santoku can also slice small pieces of fish and meat with no problem.

We recommend washing the knife well after each use and drying it well by wiping it completely dry. A safe way to store it after use: provide yourself with a magnet holder covered in wood or leather, provide yourself with a wooden Saya for the protection of the blade, have a quality knife case or simply, put it back in its box. Avoid twisting movements with the blade and scraping on the cutting board to move food as this may damage the edge of the blade. Do not cut bones or frozen food, we like to use the following image; if you can break a tooth while biting into food, you can also break the blade of the knife. If your blade is made from stainless steel, it will require extra care and will need to be dried regularly during use to prevent rusting.

It should be noted that there is a difference between sharpening and sharpening a knife. Sharpening aims to refocus the edge of the edge, while honing is used to recreate an edge by removing steel using a whetstone. For sharpening, you can use a ceramic sharpener or a leather strip before or after each use of the knife. We strongly recommend the leather band instead of the ceramic rifle since the latter will tend to damage the knives in the long term. Do not wait until the knife is dull before sharpening it, it would have very little effect. If the blade is dull and no longer cuts, you will need to remove steel to thin it out and recreate the edge by sharpening the knife with a water stone. Sharpening a knife is done daily and only takes a few seconds, while sharpening can take from 30 minutes to 1 hour. We recommend sharpening on a water stone twice a year.

If you do not sharpen yourself, we recommend that you drop off your knives in store to let us take care of them. You can also send us your knives by post via our postal option. We specialize in water stone sharpening, the traditional Japanese technique. We don't limit ourselves to Japanese blades, we sharpen all kitchen knives without discrimination. The deadlines for sharpening or repairing your knives vary according to the traffic and the scope of the task. Do not hesitate to contact us to make an appointment by email: info@staysharpmtl.com or by phone:

We deliver all over the world (except in Russia and Ukraine). Customs charges are to be expected depending on the destination.

Canada: $15 (free for orders over $150)
US: $20
Rest of the world: $50

We make every effort to ensure that your order is processed within 72 working hours (does not include weekends) in order to send you the package as soon as possible. The delivery time depends on the carrier. If you want faster delivery, please contact us at 514 503 1185.

Our knives are guaranteed for 5 years. However, the warranty does not cover damage due to misuse or accidents. All damage must be inspected according to our standards and must be accepted according to them for the guarantee to apply.

No refunds are accepted.

Our only exception is for faulty items (although our team checks each order very carefully).

If you receive an item that appears to have a defect, please notify us as soon as possible after receipt. For breakage due to the carrier, please keep all of the original Items as well as the packaging materials for future inspection by the carrier.

Items returned to Stay Sharp are at buyer's expense. Items must be properly packaged to avoid damage and must be fully insured. Also please let us know the tracking number so that we can track the shipment status of the package. Funds will not be refunded until we have received the items and are satisfied with their condition. The amount refunded will be the amount paid less shipping and handling, online selling fees and any other costs incurred.