Our story
Kashiku was born from a knife that kept cutting after forty years of use. Founded in 2021 in Paris by Côme Bertillon, former chef and head sharpener, the house imports Japanese blades forged in Sakai — made to last a lifetime, and be passed down.
A Sakai trip, and two blades brought home.
Kashiku was born from a trip to Sakai in 2019. Côme Bertillon — former chef de partie at the Plaza Athénée, ten years handling Misono Gyuto in Parisian kitchens — had saved up to buy a knife directly from a master smith's workshop. He came back with two blades, the address of a repair atelier, and the idea that he would one day import these steels into France without intermediaries.
Two years later, in May 2021, Kashiku opened on rue Saint-Maur, in Paris XIe. Eighty square metres on the ground floor, seven Japanese stones on the bench, a clean crate of Aogami #2, Aogami Super, Shirogami #1 and #2, SG2, VG-10. Seven partner forges across Sakai, Echizen and Takefu. Every blade arrives forged, quenched and polished in Japan, then Côme re-sharpens on stone before shipping.
We keep no back-stock. The knives arrive in batches of six to twelve pieces, two or three times a year. When a reference sells out, it waits for the next consignment. Every piece that leaves the atelier is inspected, measured, re-sharpened — and its buyer enjoys complimentary sharpening the first year, then at cost for life.
Our commitments
Four principles that guide every Kashiku blade
Authentic Japanese steels
Aogami (blue paper) and Shirogami (white paper) at the core, SG2 and VG-10 stainless, Damascus thirty-three to sixty-seven layers. Direct imports from the forges, never OEM.
Hand-forged in Sakai
Seven partner forges across Sakai, Echizen and Takefu. Every blade is forged, quenched, polished and sharpened by an artisan trained over decades.
Sharpening for life
Sharpening service on the house the first year, then at cost. We work on seven Japanese stones from #320 to #8000. A knife that lasts three generations.
Atelier Saint-Maur
Selection, sharpening and aftercare: it all happens at the Paris atelier. Visits by appointment, knife-care consultation on request.
The Kashiku team
A sharpener, a forge liaison, a repair cutler and an in-house adviser — an atelier on rue Saint-Maur
Côme Bertillon
Head sharpener & founder
Former chef de partie at the Plaza Athénée, trained in sharpening with Junpei Yamamoto in Sakai. Imports and re-sharpens every blade before it ships.
Mai Ishii
Forge liaison & translator
Born in Kobe, living in Paris since 2017. Mai handles the relationship with the seven partner forges and joins us on the annual buying trips to Japan.
Sébastien Roy
Repair atelier & re-sharpening
Cutler by trade, twelve years in Auvergne before Kashiku. Looks after the knives that come back: re-sharpening, polishing, handle replacement.
Inès Tardif
Advice & cutting classes
Runs our Saturday-morning stone-sharpening workshops and advises on choosing a first Japanese knife. Graduate of the Atelier des Chefs.
Kashiku in numbers
Curious about our knives?
Browse the full catalogue, or start with our hand-forged Gyuto.