Today’s column will have a slightly different theme. In fact, “Benjamin’s Chronicles” was launched out of the blue a month ago, and the Stay Sharp team had never mentioned it on social media… but that’s all changing today. So what better way to start than by introducing you to the author of these little slices of life?

My name is Benjamin, and I’m the youngest member of the Stay Sharp team in terms of how long I’ve been with the company… but the oldest in terms of the number of years I’ve spent on this beautiful planet. I arrived in Quebec in 2009 to learn the craft that would occupy most of my life from 2014 to 2026: instrument making. This involves building musical instruments (specifically acoustic guitars in my case), a skill that would later prove essential in my role as a consultant and string tuner at the Quebec City shop.

Japan has always played a big role in my life ever since I was 8 years old. I was introduced to Japanese culture through Studio Ghibli films and the manga *Dragon Ball*. My teenage years were marked by countless hours spent in front of a screen, watching every anime I could get my hands on… So you could say the groundwork was laid, and that the direction my life would take when I was hired at Stay Sharp wasn’t really a surprise after all.

I started working with Japanese tools in my luthier’s workshop nine years ago. So I had to learn how to sharpen them using an approach that was completely different from the one used with Western tools. To give you an idea of what this entails, just pick up a Yaganiba or a Deba—knives known as “single-bevel” knives. You’ll notice that there’s a slight indentation on the back of the blade; this is called “the Ura”. It means less material needs to be removed from the blade on the whetstone during sharpening, which saves a significant amount of time given that Hagane steel is extremely hard. On Japanese tools, this groove is very pronounced and requires a specific technique to avoid altering the tool’s geometry… just like with a knife.

We’ll have to ask Olivier, the founder of Stay Sharp, what led him to accept my job application, but I think all these factors worked in my favor… even though I’d never even tried sharpening a knife in my life. The game-changers include, among other things, the double bevel, the geometry itself, and the sharpening angles… I was trained by the entire team in Quebec City and Montreal for several weeks before I was asked to sharpen my first knife for our beloved customers, and once my initial apprehension had passed, I discovered a new Ikigai.

So it was with a heart full of gratitude and joy that I joined the Stay Sharp adventure. I hope you enjoy Benjamin’s Chronicles, and that they’ll guide you as best they can on your own journey into the world of Japanese knives. I look forward to meeting you in person at our beautiful store in Quebec City!

Benjamin