Tosho Knife Arts

Buying a high quality Japanese knife from Tosho Knife Arts has honestly changed how we cook at home. Our Hitohira NM Tsuchime Santoku was the little push we needed to take our everyday meals to another level. We are not professional chefs, just people who love cooking, and this knife along with our hinoki wood cutting board makes every prep session feel special. Everyone at Tosho has been so kind and knowledgeable, helping us choose the right knife and accessories without any pressure. We always bring our knife back here for sharpening and would not trust anyone else to handle it. Tosho Knife Arts is a place we look forward to visiting and we recommend it to anyone who is a professional cook, or wants to enjoy cooking even more. You will find amazing gifts as well. The new location is very clean and beautiful.

A great store offering a wide selection of high-end cutlery and kitchen knives. Excellent one-on-one service and fair prices. They offer both Japanese import knives as well as the work of a number of Canadian makers. They also offer genuine higonokamis and Ohta pocketknives, well worth visiting if in the area.

I took a freehand knife sharpening class at Tosho Knife Arts on November 23, 2025 and the instructor was Olivia, the beautiful and knowledgeable co-owner of the store. We were so lucky! We were given new stainless steel santoku (KAI Seki MagoRoku line) knives and were taught how to evaluate their blades and sharpen them by hand on 2 Naniwa Chosera Pro sharpening stones, #400 and #1000 grit supported and anchored on the NanoHone stand inside the NanoHone sharpening pond, followed by deburring the edge on rock hard felt and cleaning it up on unloaded leather strop. The resulting knife sharpness was tested on a piece of white printer paper and by doing the three fingers test and carrot cutting. There were 4 students in class, so there was plenty of time for the instructor to pay attention to each one of us and what I learned in this class was priceless. I have nothing to compare it to, but I left super satisfied with the knowledge gained. It demystified the sharpening process, laid the foundation for the future skills, and it was exceptionally useful in practical terms. We were taught both how to sharpen our knives and how to maintain that sharpness on a daily basis. That was so great! Now I truly believe that one needs a class, at least one class with a teacher in order to learn how to pay attention to things as one sharpens and hones their knife. I am now both able to sharpen my knives and to understand when master sharpeners speak or teach in videos or books to gain more knowledge. This class eliminated several blind spots that I had when I looked at the knife blade and its edge before and it taught me how to sharpen evenly, including the very tip of the knife. I do not know how sharp those made in Japan santoku knives were right out of the box, but they effortlessly cut carrots into shiny paper thin slices by the end of sharpening them on each stone and by the end of the class. At home I measured my santoku's sharpness on PT50A BESS certified scale and it turned out to be in the working sharpness range, about 320BESS measured in different points of the blade. In other words, it would pass the newspaper cutting test and the fingernail test, and it did pass the printer paper test and carrot cutting test, but the cutting edge strongly reflects bright light, so it is not arm hair shaving sharp, and it still has a burr and needs a bit more work. We were invited to come to the store with questions and with our knives at any time afterwards, or even stay after class and practice for as long as we wished, but I was too tired to stand on my feet any longer. I do not know anything about Japanese knives, so I cannot comment on the store inventory, but they do carry everything necessary for sharpening knives by hand and the service is great. They do both educate you and they let you test their knives on carrots when you shop for the one that you fancy to see how it performs and how it feels in your hand. Thank you, Olivia, you are my teacher, my kind sensei now! Thank you Ivan for your videos that got me interested in the freehand sharpening and led me to your Toronto store. And thank you both for the Tosho Knife Arts store that made us feel welcomed and relaxed. It's a great place to learn and to shop for everything that has to do with knives.

If you want a new kitchen knife, go to Tosho Knife Works. Actually, even if you don't think you want a new knife, go to Tosho. I went in to buy a serrated knife and ended up with something even better—knowledge. Matt and Olivia are incredible. I told them what I was looking for, and they could have easily sold me a new knife. Instead, they took the time to explain why my current knives weren't working for me. It wasn't about the knife itself, but about proper sharpening and maintenance. They patiently walked me through the benefits of a utility knife blade and showed me how to care for my equipment so it stays sharp. It was an eye-opening experience. They talked me out of buying a new knife, which shows how much they genuinely care about their customers. Their passion for what they do is clear, and they're dedicated to helping you become a better home cook, not just selling you a product. Tosho Knife Works isn't just a store; it's a place where you can learn and improve your skills. Thanks, Matt and Olivia, for the fantastic experience. I'll definitely be back for my sharpening needs and any future purchases!

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!

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.

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.

Had an amazing experience here, after it was recommended to me by a friend. Brought my partner over as a surprise to pick out an early birthday gift together. We were well taken care of (as we are still newbies when it comes to knives), and the knife picking process was pretty fun! Thank you to Tosho’s wonderful and knowledgeable team!!

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.