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 […]

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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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.
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.