The importance of a good knife

I have never been particularly good at buying myself the things that I really want if they feel even slightly extravagent. I always find some excuse as to why it doesn't make sense to spend the money. A perfect example of this strange phenomenon happened in the summer when I was out in Calgary visiting my family and stumbled upon a Japanese knife store called Knifewear. Without even realizing what was happening, I was opening the door and stepping through the threshold like a magnet was pulling me in.

I was like a kid in a candy store walking along the display case and seeing knife after beautiful knife staring up at me from under the display glass. With what must have been a huge smile plastered on my face I stepped up to the counter and asked the salesman if I could perhaps try one out. He brought me a gorgeous wooden cutting board, handed me a tomato and a knife and told me to try it out. I can only describe that first slice as exhilerating. The blade literally fell through the tomato like it was soft butter. Effortless. I did nothing but start the motion and the blade did the rest. A slight shiver went down my spine. I was in love. How could I go home and use my old knives, when I knew knives like this existed.

So, I asked the very nice man helping me how must it cost. When he told me $250 I think I may have gasped audibly. Now I am not saying that I did not think this knife was worth the asking price. It was. It was just that it felt extravagent and I knew what happened to me when something felt extravagent. I felt like I couldn't possibly buy it.

As I was walking away from the store, my husband told me that I should buy the knife. He reminded me that I would use it for business and that I loved to cook. He was right, and I knew it but still I just couldn't do it. So we left without the knife and for the first 100 metres I think I nearly turned back 3 times.

So on Christmas morning when I unwrapped this long slender box which was a gift from my husband and I saw a Japanese knife starting up at me it was like he had given me an Hermes bracelet. He had told me the night before that he hoped I would like it because he was worried it might be too practical. He bought it for me at a knife store in Toronto called Knife.

Now whenever I am in the kitchen and it comes time to chop something, I don't care what it is, it's a joy. Even if I am chopping onions and I know there is a pretty good chance they will make me cry, I still enjoy it. Because using this knife is a joy.