Tosho Knife Arts

I had a lovely experience at Tosho. I had something in mind before going in and was presented with that item, along with a couple of others. I was given all the time in the world, with no pressure, to chop carrots and get a feel for each knife. All my questions were answered and I was really happy to walk out with a new Santoku knife for my kitchen. I also bought a couple of impulse-buy utility knives from the front desk. Thank you!

Visiting Tosho was a dream come true. I've never been able to visit a store where I could try knives out and see what I liked and therefore have a lot of knives that come close and don't quite land. Tyler was exceptional, asking lots of questions before making a recommendation. I was presented several knives to try out in my price range, all of which were exceptional, and given all the carrots I could ever hope to chop. Not only did I leave incredibly satisfied with my purchase but received a personal email from Tyler thanking me fory purchase and giving me and my visiting family some dinner recommendations. This is clearly a business that values its customers and is building a legacy.

The experience at Tosho is nothing like other knife stores. You really get a hands on experience with the equipment before purchasing which I haven't seen anywhere else. Their selection is great and I would say their prices are more reasonable than other Japanese knife stores in Canada. Something that is also unique about them is that they have more budget and beginner friendly Japanese knives for people just starting to dip their toes into the game. The staff are super helpful and will accommodate your needs whether you are a knife newbie or a pro. Their new location is very nice too. Drop by and treat yourself to a new knife.

didn’t regret getting my first japanese gyuto from tosho! Emilia was so helpful in assisting me with my decision to get my first knife given they have a variety of selection which makes it even harder to choose. she was so knowledgeable and very friendly. even for a first timer who knows zero info about japanese knives, Emilia was patient enough in explaining the different types and styles of knives, the difference between carbon steel vs stainless steel, the purpose of each knives, etc. She goes above and beyond by even teaching me how to sharpen my knife using the ceramic rod! They provide carrots in store for you to cut and try the different feel of the knives in your hands. what looks comfortable may not feel comfortable in your hand. so, I highly recommend to try and feel it in person. I ended up getting the hitohira gyuto along with the maple sheath and the ceramic sharpening rod. They do give some % off for those who study/ work in the industry. So that’s helpful considering how costly these precious tools are. If you’re looking for a high quality with one of a kind experience, you should definitely give tosho a visit!

Great experience so far, good quality product, packed well and shipped in a good time frame. I am happy of the knife I bought, real good knife for many years to come...

I was in the city for a sporting event a few weeks back and had time to kill - and this store has always been on my "to check out" list whenever I am in Toronto. I am SO glad I did! I was only expecting to drop in to look at some top of the line knives, and maybe hold some in my hand, but the staff at Tosho Knife Arts went above and beyond!! Even knowing that I was not able to make a purchase that day (I wouldn't be able to bring my purchased knife into the ACC! LOL) They let me test out some of the knives, answered the questions that I had (and some that I didn't know I had!) and made some amazing recommendations. I was just a drop-in, but they gave me 100% of their attention and spent a good amount of time with me. I felt no pressure to make a purchase that day and it was so refreshing. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there! I ended up snapping a bunch of pictures of knives that I enjoyed using to remember for later. The staff were SO passionate and knowledgeable about their tools. I learned SO much from my short time there while looking and trying out all the pretty and high quality knives! I will definitely be making my next purchase (and probably all future purchases) at Tosho Knife Arts. Extremely HUGE thank you to Tyler and Emelia for your attentiveness, passion and knowledge. I will most definitely be dropping by again!

I had heard about Tosho and happened to stumbled upon the shop while walking with a friend. I’m a pretty decent cook and have long known about the need for high quality knifes, if for no other reason than safety, but boy was I in for a life-changing experience! Tyler was super friendly, professional & so knowledgeable about knifes. He took the time to listen to my needs, abilities and level of comfort with kitchen knifes, plus asked questions that led to enlightening discussions. Tyler was extremely patient & willing to spend the time to educate & recommend suitable products. I was thrilled to be able to sample several knives on chopping blocks using carrots provided & discovered the joy of handling beautifully crafted knifes that cut as smoothly as a “knife through butter”! I decided to treat myself to a stellar santoku that was excellent quality for the value. Needless to say I was giddy to cook dinner that night and made corned beef hash with Greek village salad… just so I could chop to my heart’s content (my Tosho knife did not let me down!)

I can't believe I've never reviewed this place. Five stars all the way! The new location is gorgeous, be aware the old location is now a Turkish towel shop or something. The fact that they let you test cut the knives on carrots is what separates tosho from the other boutique knife store in Toronto. Being able to tell the slicing and sticking action side by side is priceless. Tosho, please bring in more chuka bocho, that is my favorite style and I want to give you more money.

After a lifetime of watching too many Food Network shows I have accumulated way too many kitchen knives. So many that more than a few occupy space at the back of my knife block, patiently waiting while others get used and often put back clumsily. A little over a month ago I pulled out one of my rarely used knives-a Shun "Sumo" somewhere between a chefs knife and a cleaver; and was horrified to find a series of large chips along the cutting edge of the blade. Seriously, the damn thing was practically serrated. I debated tossing it, thinking it would cost more to repair than I paid for it, but instead reached out to my friends at Nella Cucina. They recommended Tosho. I called first since their hours are limited. I explained the problem and asked how much it might cost to fix my knife. They quoted me a very reasonable $20, much less than the cost of buying new-if I could find a new one. They did caution me over the phone that in order to make the knife usable again they would grind it down to the level of the deepest chip, which might change the angle and width of the blade. Since my choices were either to see if $20 could make it functional again or essentially throw $150 in the garbage, I figured I'd give it a shot. Not like it was going to a better place anyway. I dropped the knife off on a Thursday and was told it would be ready in a week. I was instructed to pay up front, which surprised me but again-$20 and minimal inconvenience vs. Throwing it away. The knife was ready way ahead of schedule and the edge looks flawless. My only complaint is that when I brought it in, the associate pointed out a number of scratches along the side of the blade. I took this to mean that they would try to remove them, but when I got the knife back they looked like they hadn't been touched. No matter. I view my cooking equipment as tools, not museum pieces. My knife is now functional for the next time the urge to use it strikes. I will gladly go back to Tosho next time I need sharpening.

Probably one of the coolest stores I've ever been to. Honestly, as someone who is a knife lover, it's just too cool. I imagine chefs would have a field day here. So I went online looking for the right knife for my mom's birthday. I narrowed it down to two knives and went to the store the next week. I talked to the sales guy there, he was crazy informative and gave me a few more options for what I was looking for. What was really cool, was he let me try the different knives and had vegetables readily available to be chopped. I ended up getting my dad to come in and give it a try too. We both went with the original option. It was a carbon steel santoku. So it's a Japanese knife, different steel than western knives and a different shape. Which makes a pretty cool birthday present. So here's why I'm giving 4, not 5. They gave us a card on how to care for the knife. My mom followed those instructions to a T, but while that steel is known to discolour, it's not supposed to that quickly and it did not hold an edge the way it's supposed to. Experience wise, great place. Product, 3/5.

Avoid this place! They are very overpriced. You can get equivalent or better quality knives elsewhere for much less cost - Sabatier for example. They said it would take over two weeks to be able to sharpen the knife I bought from them. And then they said if I paid 50% more I could have it the next day - do you call that service?

The sharpening service is very good, but it was much better a few years ago at the Markham St. location. Prices and turnaround times have increased, and they are now highly selective about what they will sharpen (no folders, scissors, tools, etc.). I find this really disappointing for a knife shop. Otherwise, I highly recommend Tosho -- still among the best in the city.

I first brought a single-bevel knife at Tosho for sharpening. They did a very good job and the cost was reasonable. Then I had a knife re-tiped. The work was flawless. Recently, I bought a Hitohira petty knife. I am used to sharp knives. I sold good quality knives for many years. The Hitohira knife is a "revelation"! It slices through material with practically no resistance. It's almost scary... I highly recommend Tosho for its excellent service, great products and reasonable prices (compared to the competition for similar products).

I've purchased 3 knifes from here and a few cutting boards The service is low key and informed - they make great suggestions with no pressure tactics

I have a Chinese Cleaver. Inexpensive and quite useful but can never hold a sharp edge. I would sharpen it myself on a whetstone and it would be good but never razor sharp. I brought it to Tosho Knife Arts and got back a razor sharp edge. All for $10. Totally blown away. I will be bringing it for sharpening more often in the future. Highly, highly recommended.

I had my Roselli UHC 40th Anniversary knife sharpened by Tosho (for 18 dollars, tax included). The sharpening on the micro bevel was evenly done and the knife is sharp as a new knife. Well done. I will be back for this service again.

Awesome knives beautiful selection! I kind of feel awkward that I was talking to them about accidentally cutting my nail off with a different knife, and I cut myself with one of their knives after I bought it! Does this mean I don't need a nail clipper?

It was fun shopping at Tosho knife arts. I enjoyed browsing through their selections of kitchen knives ranging from western to Japanese styles, both single bevel and double bevel designs (more double bevel than single ones in store.) Staff are attentive and friendly: Tyler is kind, knowledgeable about wabouchou, and gave me a ton of tips for knife sharpening. I ended up getting a SLD Santoku knife with Japanese handle from them and couldn't be happier about it :)

Expert knife shop, amazing service. I took my EDC Spyderco there that was severely damaged by another story in Vancouver, the previous shop had destroyed the edge on my blade, and after many hours and attempts by myself, I thought the blade was ruined. When I brought the knife here I explained what happed to my blade and figured it needed a re-profile, to my surprise when I picked it back up, it was perfectly re-profiled with a razor mirror finished edge. The angle was perfectly fine and super sharp, as it is VG-10 the sharpness had retained even through difficult tasks. I highly recommend this shop, as not only are they kind, and professional, they are definitely knife experts. I will always bring my blades here, at least until I take their course on sharpening! Honestly bring your blades here, you will be happy you did. Thank you for providing me with exceptional service and for being so kind. Cheers.