The door bell rings, a large (light weight) cardboard box arrives and we all look at each other – no one ordered anything!…or did we…

One year ago at a local Tokyo knife show, I tentatively purchased this knife but wasn’t absolutely sure I would get it. Things are never clear cut in Japan.

The reason was the knife maker wanted to keep it but agreed that he would sell it in the future. At least that was the translation. So I waited until the maker was ready to release it.

Agreeing to purchase it (last year) and I had no choice except to wait, or forfeit the opportunity. The reason the maker wasn’t releasing the knife was puzzling so I asked. The maker intended to keep the knife in order to show it in competition, and that’s the way the story goes.