[ EMBED ] FAQ - Japanese Knife Co. (Frequently Asked Questions)

Shipping and Returns

Do you ship from the USA or Japan?
How do you ship knives?
How much do you charge for shipping?
Do you ship your knife to the UK?
Do you ship anywhere in the USA?
Do you ship to Hawaii and Alaska?
Do you ship to Canada?
Do you ship internationally outside the USA?
How long does it take to get my knives after ordering?
Does your shipment require a signature?
Can I send the package as a gift to someone?
Do you allow shipping to a PO Box?
Why is your shipping fee so low?
How do you pack your knives?
Do I need to pay for sales/import tax?
What payment method do you accept?
How secure is your shopping cart?
Do I need to create an account order from you?
Does your website keep track of my account, so I know how to repeat my order?
How to add a discount code? I cannot find where to put the discount code.
Are there late fees?
What is the option to pay in installments?
What if I make a return on a purchase made through Installments?
Which payment methods are accepted if I use the option to pay Installments on Shop Pay?

Japanese Knives

I'm a beginner. Which knife is best for me?
Is it true that Japanese knives are brittle?
How do I know if my knife requires oiling?
What kind of oil can I use on my knife?
Why is my carbon steel knife changing color even though I've been oiling it?
Why does my Japanese-handle knife feel so different to hold?
Are Japanese knives only suitable for professional chefs?
How often should I sharpen my knife?
Are there knives for left-handers?
I want my name engraved into my knife in Japanese, but what's the difference between Katakana, Hiragana, and Kanji?
Do I need whetstones if I already own a honing rod?

Club Rewards Program

How can I get my first order 10% off?
How do I join?
How can I access my account? How can I see how many points I have?
How many points do I get per order?
How do I spend points?
What are Birthday Points?
How much does it cost to join?
Is there a limit to how many order points I can get?
Do points expire?

Shipping and Returns

Do you ship from the USA or Japan?
We ship all our knives from Japan.

How do you ship knives?

We regularly use DHL, Japan Post, and FedEx (including automatic tracking) at our discretion. This is because these shippers are highly efficient, and we rarely have problems with them.
For more information, please see our Shipping and Return Page.

How much do you charge for shipping?
We ship free shipping worldwide. (Except to the UK)

Do you ship your knife to the UK?

Due to changing the firearms/weapons law in the UK (young people under 18 years old are prohibited from buying firearms/weapons, including cooking knives), our courier cannot ship our products to the UK.

Do you ship anywhere in the USA?

Yes. We ship anywhere in the USA, including Hawaii and Alaska.

Do you ship to Hawaii and Alaska?

Yes, we ship to Hawaii and Alaska at no extra charge.

Do you ship to Canada?
Yes. We ship anywhere in Canada.

Do you ship internationally outside the USA?

Yes, we ship worldwide. (Except to the UK)

Can I send the package as a gift to someone?

Yes, you can specify the shipping address separately from the billing address to send it to your friends easily. We do not include the receipt in shipment in general unless required by the country’s customs.

Do you allow shipping to a PO Box?
Yes, we do allow PO Box. The local post office delivers the package shipped via Japan Post, and they can access your PO Box.

Does your shipment require a signature?
For customers in the USA, you are not required to sign. However, some countries may require you to sign upon receiving it.

How soon do you provide the tracking number?
We ship items Monday - Friday 11:00 AM Japan Time. When the item is ordered after 11:00 AM, we send it the next day. So you get the tracking number before 11:00 AM on the same day (if ordered before 11:00 AM).

Why is your shipping fee so low (free)?
At Japanese Knife Co., we are revolutionizing buying Japanese knives by partnering directly with knife manufacturers in Japan. Because they forge, process, and package their knives on-site, we get shipments to you much faster!

By cutting out the middlemen, you get your knives faster without fees.

You get your knives in 5-10 days in the USA and most countries worldwide. (Click here to check when you will get your knives if you order today.)

How long does it take to get my knives after ordering?
We ship the same day!
Orders placed by 10 AM Japan Time will be shipped from our warehouse daily, Monday-Friday, after payment is verified. Orders placed after 10 AM Japan Time will be shipped the next day.
With processing, you will receive your order in 5-10 days.

How do you pack your knives?

We wrap the knives with proper protective materials so that the knives do not get damaged during the shipment.

Do I need to pay sales tax/import tax?
Importing goods of $800 or less is not subject to sales/consumption tax in the US. Sales/consumption tax on shipments outside the US will be collected by the carrier, dependent upon the local tax authority regulations, and is the buyer’s responsibility. If the goods are taxed in your part of the world (Europe for example), the carrier will collect this tax from you, the buyer.

What payment method do you accept?

We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, JCB, and Diner’s Club. We also accept PayPal, Amazon Payment, Google G-Pay, Apple Pay, Venmo, and Shopify Pay.

How secure is your shopping cart?

Shopify Inc. provides our shopping cart with maximum security features, including Level 1 PCI CSS Compliant Secure Provider, Visa's Global Compliant Provider List, and Master Card's SDP List.

Do I need to create an account order from you?

No. You can check out as a guest by providing your name and shipping address. You are not required to create an account to order.

Does your website keep track of my account, so I know how to repeat my order?

If you enter an email address when you order, the order information is tracked with your email address.

At any time, you can register on our site with the same email address you used when ordering at
https://dreamofjapan.com/account/register
This will allow you to easily see past ordered products to purchase the same item.

How to add a discount code? I cannot find where to add the discount code.

You can enter your coupon code on the checkout page.
If you cannot find it, don't worry; email us with your order number and coupon code , and we will refund you the discount.
Are there late fees?

No, there are no late fees if you miss a scheduled payment.

What is the option to pay in installments?

When checking out with Shop Pay, you now have the option to pay now or later. Paying in installments on Shop Pay allows you to split your purchase amount into sour equal, biweekly installment payments—with 0% interest, no hidden or late fees, and no impact on your credit score. In some instances, your first payment is due when you make your purchase; otherwise, your first payment is due two weeks after your purchase

What if I make a return on a purchase made through Installments?

If your refund amount is less than the amount remaining on your Shop Pay Installments balance, you can expect one or both of the following:

- A smaller payment balance on the final payment.

- Less future payments on the remaining loan balance.

If your refund amount is more than the amount remaining on your Shop Pay Installments balance, then you can expect to receive the difference as a refund to your original debit card or credit card payment method within 3 to 10 business days.

Which payment methods are accepted if I use the option to pay Installments on Shop Pay?

The installments option on Shop Pay is available on debit and credit cards.

Japanese Knives

I'm a beginner. Which knife is best for me?

We recommend starting with one of our all-purpose knives (Gyuto, Bunka, or Santoku). If you sign up for our Japanese Knife Club (it's free!), we'll provide you with our Ultimate Guide to Choosing and Enjoying Japanese Knives e-book to help you decide - plus, it comes with a 10% off coupon for your first order!

Is it true that Japanese knives are brittle?

Japanese knives are made with super-hard Japanese steel, which is how they maintain a long-lasting edge and extreme sharpness. However, they are so rigid that they can chip when misused or accidents occur. Generally, as long as you only use your knife to cut appropriate things (vegetables, meat, etc.) and not hard objects (frozen food, bones, or non-organic materials), this isn't an issue. Read more about this topic here.

How do I know if my knife requires oiling?

Any of our carbon steel knives will require regular oiling after each use. That means any knife made with Kasumi Superlative Carbon Steel, HM Carbon Steel, or Honyaki. Read more about our steels here. Oiling is unnecessary for stainless steel knives, but they should still be cleaned and dried after each use.

What kind of oil can I use on my knife?

Generally, any food-safe oil will be okay to use. That includes oils such as canola or sunflower oil - just make sure it's a neutral-tasting oil; otherwise, it will flavor whatever you are cutting. You may also find knife-specific mineral oils that also work well.

Why is my carbon steel knife changing color even though I've been oiling it?

Even if you religiously oil your knife after every use, it will gradually discolor on the surface. This transformation is nothing serious to worry about. It's what's called a patina. It's a natural oxidation that will happen over time as you use it, and actually, it's good for your knife. The patina will help to protect your carbon steel from rusting.

Why does my Japanese-handle knife feel so different to hold?

Knives that use Japanese-style handles are made with a half-sized tang (the lower spike-shaped part of a blade hidden within the handle). That means Japanese-handle knives are heavier on the blade end. It is a sensation that you will quickly get used to, especially if you use a pinch-grip. We have some tips on holding knives in our knife size guide.

Are Japanese knives only suitable for professional chefs?

Anyone can benefit from one of our high-quality knives. However, some of our knives are used for specialist tasks (such as the Yanagiba, for making sushi) and hence are more valued by professionals (or at-home sushi enthusiasts!).

How often should I sharpen my knife?

It depends on how often you use it. If you cook every day, once a month should do the trick. Otherwise, sharpen it whenever it feels like it's losing its edge.

Are there knives for left-handers?

Yes! We can provide a left-handed knife at no extra cost. Select the option below 'add-on' before you put the knife into your cart.

I want my name engraved into my knife in Japanese, but what's the difference between Katakana, Hiragana, and Kanji?

Japanese has three 'alphabets.' Katakana is used for writing foreign words, and Hiragana is used to write Japanese words. Finally, Kanji is a writing system based on traditional Chinese characters. Because written Japanese uses no spaces, the three writing systems are combined to break up sentences and make them easy to read. For a visual comparison, here's my name (Kei) written with each of them: けい (Hiragana), ケイ(Katakana), 圭 (Kanji). Choose whichever writing system looks most pleasing to you.

Do I need whetstones if I already own a honing rod?

A honing rod should never be used on a Japanese knife. They tend to chip Japanese knives and are only intended for softer European steel. They don't sharpen knives but only straighten the 'burr' (the very peak of the cutting edge). A whetstone is the best way to sharpen both Japanese and European knives.

Club Rewards Program

How can I get my first order 10% off?

You can sign up for our newsletter and get the 10% off coupon in your email immediately after signing up. Use the coupon when you check out for the first order.

How do I join?
Please join by creating an account for free here.

How can I access my account? How can I see how many points I have?

You can click on the "account mark" on the header, or simply click here.

How many points do I get per order?

You get 1 point per $1 spent. There are many other ways to get points. Click here to see how you can earn more points.

How do I spend points?

You can spend your points by clicking on the points tab while logged into your customer account. Then, under the Reward section, you can click Redeem next to the reward you want to claim!