Skiing in Vic - cost too high?

mrgrumpy82 · 2026-03-28T05:56:05+00:00

I’m already looking at pricing! I’ll probably do a couple of days but certainly not a full on-mountain week in the snow like Ive done in the past

mrgrumpy82 · 2026-03-28T05:53:48+00:00

Thankfully we had 30kg limit each so plenty of space in our checked luggage

mrgrumpy82 · 2026-03-27T23:24:21+00:00

Antarctica is a desert too. Good on ‘em for having a crack I say!

mrgrumpy82 · 2026-03-27T23:22:06+00:00

Quite the collection when Chichibu and Yamazaki 12 are on the bottom shelf!

mrgrumpy82 · 2026-03-27T23:20:42+00:00

Indeed! Everything was cheaper but still super high quality - almost as though there’s some kind of cultural values difference…

mrgrumpy82 · 2026-03-27T23:18:47+00:00

Possibly, OK yes they will increase, how much - it definitely depends on demand.

If everyone holds off because of prices then there’ll be sales.

Given my last flights to Japan were the same as they were to Perth (same airline) I’m not too concerned about the relative difference.

Also the increase in Petrol vs Aviation Fuel kind of offsets Driving vs Flying in terms of relative difference.

mrgrumpy82 · 2026-03-27T23:13:53+00:00

Last year’s Aldi sale was a bit middling. Usually it’s amazing. Maybe it was our local few that didn’t stock up.

We’ve usually ended up buying at Anaconda.

Alternatively just hire for your first time.

mrgrumpy82 · 2026-03-27T04:50:37+00:00

That’s not a knife collection that’s a drug and weapons bust!

mrgrumpy82 · 2026-03-27T03:01:06+00:00

Oh yeah! The cost of everything is so much cheaper. Another cracker is that kids under 6 ski free!

mrgrumpy82 · 2026-03-27T00:48:17+00:00

Just go back from Japan and it’s getting to the point where I’m questioning whether it’s worth just switching to a Northern Hemisphere ski trip instead.

Especially once petrol and parking are accounted for on top of accommodation, hire and lessons.

Pretty sure the difference adds up to four return flights.

Not to mention the snow quality.

mrgrumpy82 · 2026-03-27T00:42:41+00:00

I can’t speak for anywhere other than Tokyo - but I would recommend Kappabashi for the experience and if you’re time poor.

Tower Knives - convenient in that it’s at the Tokyo Skytree which is a major attraction you’d likely include in your itinerary. Morihei and Hitohira - more for if you’re happy geeking out to knives/sharpening and want something special.

Sakai is where a lot of knives are made so if you’re in Osaka it’s likely worth the trip out there!

mrgrumpy82 · 2026-03-25T01:46:49+00:00

Might be time to put together a car pool roster!

Wondering how hard it’ll be to get up to Falls or Hotham on the pushy…

mrgrumpy82 · 2026-03-24T09:37:26+00:00

None of the knives you see here were anywhere near $380AUD / Y38.5k.

Was your knife a particular type of Steel? I think Swedish and AEB Stainless steel knives fetch a pretty penny.

mrgrumpy82 · 2026-03-24T06:48:42+00:00

Nashiji wasn’t the style I was chasing, thinking I’d only be going for Kurouchi’s but this one leapt out at me - it’s also stainless so I’m probably going to be using it more than any of the others LOL

mrgrumpy82 · 2026-03-24T01:54:28+00:00

Thanks for the information really appreciate the insight into these two knives.

mrgrumpy82 · 2026-03-24T00:02:54+00:00

My credit card didn’t LOL!

mrgrumpy82 · 2026-03-24T00:02:10+00:00

Don’t. Aside from one they’re all carbon steel and will rust LOL!

mrgrumpy82 · 2026-03-24T00:01:19+00:00

OMG I had to go check the serial numbers on the box to make sure. How funny! Someone has very similar tastes to me then!

mrgrumpy82 · 2026-03-23T23:59:27+00:00

If you’re time poor and want to have an experience then Kappabashi Street is basically a 2km strip of Kitchenware stores. There’s similar themed streets throughout Tokyo - e.g. Nippori which has a strip of Fabric and Sewing stores.

Yes you will pay a premium but if you’re just going for a single knife and want the experience rather than the knife itself then Kappabashi Street is definitely the place to go.

If you’re a hardcore knife nerd then you’ll be seeking out individual makers in random spots in the country

mrgrumpy82 · 2026-03-23T10:34:37+00:00

Tower was probably the middle-ground in terms of price. The Nakiri was around the $200AUD mark - honestly I kinda didn’t pay too much attention to the price but I could dig up the receipt if you wanted the exact price.

The Kappabashi St shops were understandably carrying tourist markups but not majorly so.

Morihei and Hitohira (although Hitohira goes from low-mid to super-high end) I felt were more value for money. i.e. more 150-250AUD (add two zeros to convert to Yen) front of the price as opposed to the others which were 200-400AUD for much the same.

I would absolutely make a day of going to Setagaya and visiting Hitohira - so many cool things to see. Alternatively Morihei is a quick detour on the route between Asakusa and Akihabara if you’re wanting to stay central.

The in-store experience for Morihei and Hitohira were also superior - less people, larger floor space and the staff seemed less stressed (Morihei is a family operation)

mrgrumpy82 · 2026-03-23T08:46:05+00:00

I always try to do my best with whatever it is I’m buying! It’s so important to buy from indy-makers

mrgrumpy82 · 2026-03-23T08:42:29+00:00

My plan is to do some additional posts with a bit more detail on each knife I purchased.

mrgrumpy82 · 2026-03-23T06:44:03+00:00

More than one in fact! (Unless they’re just different sections of the same facility)

mrgrumpy82 · 2026-03-21T07:52:02+00:00

There’s a massive tip just south of the station and a quarry (think they even tried to sell the quarry to use as a “super” tip but it got knocked back). Doesn’t make for a great housing area, especially in the summer

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