Leave it to a skilled chef to transform a dull chore into a sensory delight. Over many decades, cooking shows have grown in popularity around the world, with many chefs having gained celebrity status and many more restaurants becoming sites of a different sort of pilgrimage.
This growing interest has given birth to a new breed of home cooks, those who aspire to create restaurant-quality dishes with the same tools used by their culinary idols. They no longer buy just any sort of equipment. Chef knives, for instance, are now scrutinized for their material, design and feel.
To further prove how technology can help foster an appreciation for authentic, handcrafted Japanese kitchen knives, Seisuke Knife Portland Store Manager Will West said product exposure in a popular TV show led to an increase in sales.
“Last year, we were lucky enough to work with the producers of the FX show, The Bear. We sent them quite a few knives, which were used in the second season of the show. The one particularly used by Syd (one of the main characters) has been very popular and for the past months is out of stock,” West said.
Deeply rooted in centuries-old traditional techniques, Seisuke knives are hand-made in limited quantities by craftsmen using mostly Damascus steel, valued for its durability and lightness. The material also allows Seisuke’s artisans to come up with razor-sharp blades and put creative designs on the sides of the blade.
“Don’t be afraid of something that looks like an art piece because it’s also meant to be used. But do use them with caution and make sure that you are treating the knife with respect so that it will also treat you with respect,” West said.
To spread its message about these unlikely art pieces, Seisuke Knife Portland organizes live knife-forging demonstrations in the city and in San Francisco, California every September.
