Adrichops.
Kitchen knives, sharpening, makers and buying notes from Adrian — a former line cook who learned on chipped Shun edges, lived with a Tojiro DP, and came back from Japan with a problem best described as functional-art appreciation.
Start with the useful path.
Minimal site first, card deck second. The main experience is built for reading; the deck is there when you want to browse.
Line cook, chipped Shun, Tojiro DP, Japan, then Adrichops.
StartReviewsKnives, stones and boards with owned/researched labels.
StartMaker spotlightWorkshops, sharpeners and brands worth understanding.
StartWhat’s in my rollThe personal kit, the sensible kit, and what to edit over time.
StartKit BuilderDrag up to 10 knives, stones, strops, boards, storage and utensils into a saved kit.
StartRecommendationsKnife Finder, starter paths and maintenance pairings.
StartExplore deckA tactile card browser for the notebook.
From the line to the makers.
Adrichops starts with college line-cook years, a manager’s chipped Damascus Kai Shun, YouTube sharpening rabbit holes, and the Tojiro DP VG10 gyuto that became Adrian’s working reference. A trip to Japan and conversations around makers like Takada-san and Baba Hamono turned the private obsession into a public notebook.
First notes to read.
Start here: the kitchen knife profiles that actually matter
A practical map of the knife profiles that actually earn drawer space: chef knife, gyuto, santoku, nakiri, petty, paring, bread knife and the specialists.
Guide
King vs Shapton: the starter stone choice without the forum fog
A practical comparison of King and Shapton starter stones for kitchen knives: soaking, feedback, speed, dishing and what to buy first.
Practical guide
Japanese knife culture, minus the incense cloud
A practical introduction to Japanese knife culture: respect, specialization, maintenance and why the romance should never outrun the cooking.
Guide
Hasegawa, Asahi and hinoki: cutting boards that do not hate your edge
A practical guide to Hasegawa, Asahi and hinoki boards for Japanese knives, Amazon hunting and everyday maintenance.
Guide
Chef knife vs gyuto: choosing your all-purpose blade
The chef knife and gyuto solve the same problem with different geometry, weight and cutting rhythm.
Guide
Sharpening basics: burr, angle, pressure and the tiny wire gremlin
A friendly but precise guide to what sharpening actually does: make two flat-ish planes meet cleanly at the apex, then remove the burr.
Practical guide