Types of Japanese knives explained
There is an astonishingly wide range of Japanese knife types, each with its own distinct traits and applications. They generally fall into the following two main categories: modern Japanese knives and traditional Japanese knives. Modern Japanese knives Modern Japanese knives, also known as Western-style Japanese knives, are those that were introduced during the Meiji Period…
Mizuno Tanrenjo – the prestigious blacksmith workshop that put scent and soul into steel
When you open the box of a brand new Minamoto Akitada (源 昭忠) knife by Mizuno Tanrenjo (水野鍛錬所), the first thing to greet you is an unmistakable scent of pine charcoal — an instant 4th dimensional reminder of the prestigious status of this 150-year-old family-run Sakai workshop, which produces honyaki knives with the “Tamamono Tairan”…
Moritaka Hamono – the story of a 700 years old blade-making family
I have never met Akiko Moritaka in person, but we have exchanged many emails. Wife of 27th generation Moritaka craftsman Tsunehiro Moritaka, Akiko-san is responsible for the family business’ international outreach. Our conversations have never gone beyond the limit of her English, but that didn’t stop her passion for the family’s 700+ years-long knife-making history…
Nigara Hamono — the 350-year-old knife company with two secret weapons and a taste for Andy Warhol
There’s something that sets Nigara Hamono apart from other knife-making families in Japan. One might argue that it is the 350 years of history, starting from making swords for Tsugaru clan in the early Edo period. Passing down the know-how and skills for eight generations has no doubt given Nigara knives their culture DNA, but…
Sugimoto Hamono – the Tokyo Tsukiji knife brand for professional chefs
The history of Sugimoto (杉本) – a family-ran group of chef knife shops in Tokyo – is not well documented. While some say they started in the 1930s, there have been claims that Sugimoto was founded in 1908 instead. What we know for sure is that the current company was registered in 1948, by the…
Hinoura Hamono – The father and son team with over 100 years of bladesmithing family tradition
Hinoura Hamono is a knife-making workshop by Tsukasa Hinoura & Mutsumi Hinoura, the father and son team. Knifemaking by Hinoura can be traced back to the Meiji era when first-generation Hinoura, Shintaro Hinoura founded the knife forging business.
Yu Kurosaki – the young artisan who raised to the top of traditional knife making
A young artisan in his forties, Yu Kurosaki (黒崎 優) has become one of leading knife makers in Japan, winning top awards and attention for his hand-forged knives especially his Tsuchime and Suminagashi finish.
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