This is 3Bits & Change, an email about building a service and retail business in 2023. This one was written to some groves from KCRW.
Good day,
Yesterday, I had the chance to grind and observe the Ajioka team, do some shopping and received an intro to installing handles on kitchen knives.
Coffee must be for the afternoons here. The earliest a coffee shop opens in our area is 7:30AM. It’s not busy at that time. Most shops open at 11AM. What? The jet lag has me up around ~4AM in recent days. That’s longer than I usually go without coffee.
The picture above was taken around 8AM. We were the only ones in the cafe for our whole breakfast. But the egg sandwich with salted butter, cucumber and no crust was great.
The Ajioka Team
Mr. Ajioka has been working in and running a sharpening shop for knife production for 55 years, starting when he was 25. He received a prestigious, the first of its kind given to a sharpener, award from the Emperor for his sharpening skill and craftsmanship. In his shop his mastery is clear in his presence and the way in which he moves about and works with the equipment.
Here is how the knife I’ve been working arrived to his shop.
In this lineup, the next step is to put the first bevel on the knife. That’s represented in the darkest blade on the right of the picture below.
Like the forging process was more intricate than it leads on, the picture above shows just three steps for the work done in this shop. I can recall 12 steps from memory that make up the three shown above.
The first grind starts the process of building the cutting edge.
Then refining the edge on various wheels.
There are sandblasters!
And a few more steps produces finished products like…
What a fantastic time. I immediately got the sense that I could spend days and days in this shop - easy. There is so much to learn! And, it’s so fun!
Starbucks nearby
The operational execution, brand building and consistency of Starbucks worldwide is super impressive in my experience. I stop when I can while traveling to observe, to check the product mix, to get a sense of changes in process and design that are being executed in different cultures. And, for some reason, I don’t see it as nearly a meh thing as going to Mcd’s. Plus, they have solid coffee.
This wonderful wrap around bench is not something I’ve found in the States. It’s because of our climate in the North. It’s likely because of other cultural factors in different parts of the country. But, it was lovely here. The shade was pleasant, the height and length of the bench was spot on.
There were 12 people on shift.
Enjoy Your Drink!
We also shopped a Walmart crossed with a Home Depot. Then we shopped a grocery store crossed with a Best Buy and a Herbergers with a parking ramp on top. The 4L bottles of Alcohol for $17 might be moped fuel? Who knows what to do with this stuff?
Assembly
Let’s put some handles on and finish the edges, if needed.
We have a handful of these on order. I wonder if these are ours. I wonder when they’ll get to the states and into your kitchen. :)
The etching station below.
Sum
The second day in workshops expanded my knowledge, understanding and respect for the process, the people and the skill both built and involved.
I have an open dialogue with myself about how to speed this up, to make more, faster, better, etc. After all, this is the country known for black belts and continuous process improvement. And, yet, I get the sense that my “Western” instincts would change these knives in a way that I’m not sure is better.
On Your Way
Enjoy Saturday. It’s Sunday morning here.
Oh, and check the stories on Instagram for a slew of photos.
Follow Vivront.com on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.
Follow @josephrueter on Instagram or Linkedin.
Order kitchen knives sharpened or give the gift of sharp at Vivront.com.
When you see one of those knives in person, you can guess that a lot went into it and it’s amazing to see the process!
What a wonderful experience. A trip of a lifetime. So many lessons here.