Blades of glory

One of the most valuable tools in a chef’s arsenal is a quality knife, just ask Paul Tayar, owner of one of Australia’s few specialty knife shops, ProTooling. Working with Japanese craftsmen – and Hiroko Kelly (pictured), who skilfully sharpens the knives by hand using whetstones – Tayar offers Australia’s largest range of knives and one of the largest collections globally, and supplies knives to chefs from Ester, Saint Peter, Sokyo and Firedoor.

For Tayar, a good knife is about quality, not quantity. “It seems to be in the Australian psyche that we need a huge knife block with five versions of each shaped knife, each a tiny bit smaller or larger,” says Tayar. “Focusing on one good chef’s knife – known as a gyuto or santoku in Japan – will get you much further.”

Recently, ProTooling moved into a new space in Camperdown, which has more room for sharpening, woodworking and gardening tools and a greater range of specialist Japanese food, books and hibachi. Whether you’re a chef or a keen cook looking to upgrade, ProTooling’s sharp selection is truly a cut above. protooling.com.au