TOJIRO

Yes. Tojiro renamed the range in 2025 and the knives are unchanged, so a Classic sits alongside a DP you already own. The steel, construction and handle are identical.

No. Tojiro's own care guidance is to wash by hand with a soft sponge and neutral detergent, rinse, and dry before storing. Leaving a knife sitting in water causes rust on the blade and corrosion on the handle.

Tojiro suggest once or twice a month for normal use. Serrated blades are the exception: bread slicers cannot be re-sharpened because of how the edge is cut.

Classic. It's the pattern Tojiro built the brand on, it comes in the widest spread of shapes and sizes, and nothing in the range is a compromise. Flash and Hammered change the blade finish and the handle rather than the performance.

The Western-handled ranges are squarer than a European chef knife and suit a pinch grip better than a full fist. If you hold a knife by the handle rather than the blade, the Japanese-handled ranges will suit you better.

VG10 is a hard steel and a hard steel will chip if it meets bone, frozen food, a stone bench or a glass board. Use a timber or composite board, keep it off bone, and it won't happen.

On a double bevel knife, yes, though a whetstone will always do a better job. Not on a single bevel knife or a serrated blade, and Tojiro state this explicitly on their own sharpener.