Finally, you are the happy owner of a knife that you have both sharpened and assembled. After practicing as a blacksmith for five years, today he is the cultural ambassador for Sakai and is in charge of the industrial promotion of the city. Sakai has been making knives predating the use of metal; stone blades have been discovered dating back more than 2000 years. We take pride in our effort to cater to your requests. All you have to do now is buy some fresh fish and practice cutting your own sashimi! The techniques for knife making here are so renowned that 90% of the chefs in Japan are now using knives made in Sakai. The feature of Sakai Takayuki is in the sharp-durable edge made by careful forging and polishing by Japanese timeless-traditional technology by skilled swordsmiths. En 2017 je quittais ma France natale pour poser mes valises à Tokyo sans savoir que j'y resterai si longtemps. But the workshop does not end there. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. document.write(addy_text1339); Press firmly, but not too hard, paying attention to the angle of the blade on the stone. A multitude of knives made for specific purposes are exhibited; for example, knives dedicated to cutting noodles soba or udon, and knives dedicated to certain types of fish or seafood. The steel is forged by master blacksmiths which is then shaped and honed with great care to its specialized form. For more information you can visit the Wada’s website. This practice has become a tradition, since buying a knife of this quality is akin to investing in a family heirloom. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Sharpening a blade (or reshaping a damaged blade) is actually quite simple. With walls stacked high with knives of every shape and size, the Kawamura shop has a no-frills down-to-basics atmosphere, which gives you a feel of how this business has been conducted for the last couple of generations. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. However, it’s the knife industry of Sakai that is truly the “king of the crop” largely evident by the huge knife mounted on the face of this small building. Every blade comprises two layers, one of iron and one of steel, which must be melded together. The blade is heated one last time, then immersed in the water while it is still burning. Order Chef Knives from Sakai City in Japan, Vegetable Knife, Japanese Kitchen Knives & Knife Sets Online. Please, do not hesitate to  The reputation of Japanese knives, from their sharpness to their quality of craftsmanship, is world renowned. The dull thud of the machine and hammer echo in the workshop. Please step into our web shop. He is often at the Sakai City Traditional Crafts Museum and is happy to share his passion for Japanese knives with visitors. At the far end, workers are busy sorting their product, and once you’ve selected the knife you’d like to take home, Toshio Kawamura, fourth-generation owner, will himself engrave your name on the blade. The process begins with a simple iron bar heated in a coal forge, and the blacksmith starts to hammer it into a rough form. The whole piece is again heated to white hot and the shaping of the blade can begin. The blacksmith alternates between the use of his machine with the use of a simple hammer, which allows him greater precision. I have read and accepted the Privacy Policy *. ! If you want to buy a traditional handmade knife, you will not only find a wide range of blades forged in Sakai, it is also a wonderful opportunity to support the local economy. But iron is a soft metal, so Mizuno will then meld it with steel, called hagane in Japanese. What was initially a bar of iron is gradually taking the form of a knife, longer and thinner. An artisan from Sakai offers a workshop for visitors who would like to learn how to take care of their Japanese knives. When the sword trade began to dry up, the blacksmiths turned their skills and experience toward a more peaceful tool: kitchen knives. //--> Finally the knife reaches its desired shape. It is hot and the sweat flows continuously down the face of the blacksmith. Back in Sakai (the traditional home of knifemaking in Japan, just south of Osaka), Hirakawa has been getting the furnace ready to show us how a pair of scissors is made. Welcome to Sakai Japanese Knives . Knowledge acquired over centuries is at risk of extinction and we are very proud and honored to contribute to survival of this great tradition. It not uncommon to hear the staccato of hammering from houses while walking the streets of Sakai. Sugihara Handle Ginsan silver-3 steel Suminagashi Kiritsuke Sashimi 300mm Sakai takayuki. South of bustling and busy Osaka sits the laid-back port city of Sakai, home of the legendary handcrafted Japanese steel knives, a 600-year-old craft passed down with meticulous precision from one generation to another. Après presque deux années à poursuivre mes activités de photographe et de vidéaste en parcourant l'archipel japonais, le Japon exerce toujours sur moi une mystérieuse fascination qui me pousse à vouloir en explorer chaque recoin. YuiSenri, based in Sakai City/Osaka, has been Japanese Knife On Line Shop since 2014, focusing on Hand-made by skillful artisans. document.write('span>'); Sakai Knives. We are the only supplier in the Nordic Region with direct contact with the manufacturer. The Sakai City Traditional Crafts Museum is the only place where these artisans can sell their knives directly to consumers without going through an intermediary. Old industrial town on the outskirts of Osaka, from where famous chefs of the world source their knives. There is information on the making of incense, or the bike parts industry that is part of the history of the city, as well as an entire floor dedicated to knives. These cookies do not store any personal information. Sakai City in Osaka Prefecture is the birthplace of Japanese knives. But more than a knife museum, it is also a special place to buy Japanese knives. Knife retailers such as Wada buy both blades and handles from the manufacturers, making it possible to customize a blade with a specific handle. Sakai City in Osaka Prefecture is the birthplace of Japanese knives.