Archive: Takefu Knife Village [02] Introduction of Forged Blades You are currently in front of the wall showcases on the first floor. Blades and knives made by certified traditional craftsmen are on display and for sale. The exhibits occasionally include bread knives and custom-made items for Western chefs in addition to traditional Japanese-style knives. Knives and blades produced here Echizen Forged Blades have a long history of high quality provided nationwide, stretching back some 700 years. In 1979, they were designated by the Japanese government as a National Traditional Craftwork; Takefu Knife Village is home to many certified traditional artisans who have inherited this 700-year heritage of craftsmanship. The items they produce are made by hand, one by one, with extreme care, and are commended for their high quality by cooks and other professionals. In addition to knives like those on display here, other various items, such as hedge clippers, sickles, hatchets, and wood-carving knives, are produced at Takefu Knife Village. All of these products are made by drawing on the distinctive techniques of Echizen Forged Blades in their production process, resulting in keen-edged blades with long-lasting quality. Many products with exciting new designs have developed through collaboration between traditional craftsmen and an industrial designer, and have met wide acclaim at international trade shows around the world. In the city of Echizen, many artisans who have inherited this tradition are working to create new forged blades, thus bringing a wide variety of products into the world. The items exhibited here were produced by certified traditional craftsmen, the inheritors of these traditional techniques. The following are the preeminent certified traditional craftsmen working at Takefu Knife Village. Katsuyasu Kamo Certified traditional craftsman, first chief director of Takefu Knife Village, and second-generation proprietor of Kamo Blade Works. 74 years old. Representative works: vegetable-harvesting knives and household double-bevel kitchen knives. Katsushige Anryu Certified traditional craftsman and fourth-generation proprietor of Anryu Blade Works. 75 years old. Representative works: All kinds of forged knives (stainless steel, nickel, etc.), such as specialized double-bevel kitchen knives for professional use (e.g. sushi or tatami mats), nakiri knives, gyuto chef's knives, and petty knives. Hideo Kitaoka Certified traditional craftsman and third-generation proprietor of Kitaoka Blade Works. 64 years old. Representative works: Deba knives, sashimi knives, funayuki knives, and ajikiri (small deba) knives. Hiroshi Kato Certified traditional craftsman and second-generation proprietor of Kanehiro Forged Blade Works. 73 years old. Representative works: Double-bevel ajikiri knives, kaisaki knives, kurouchi black-finish nakiri knives, nokogama serrated sickles, stainless steel forged knives, nickel bolstered knives. Haruji Totani Certified traditional craftsman and second-generation proprietor of Totani Blade-Grinding. 56 years old. Representative works: Grinding and sharpening edges for a variety of knives. Masanobu Okada Certified traditional craftsman, successor to masaoki-ho (traditional metal shaping techniques), successor to traditional smith-forging techniques, and third-generation proprietor of Okada Forged Blade Works. 66 years old. Representative works: Hedge clippers, sickles, yari-kanna spear-planes, urushi-kaki lacquer-gathering sickles, and others. Shirou kamo Certified traditional craftsman and second-generation proprietor of Kamoto Blades. 57 years old. Representative works: Soba noodle-cutting knives and double-bevel kitchen knives. Kazuo Nomura Fourth-generation proprietor of Saji Forged Blades. 47 years old. Representative works: Japanese-style knives and custom-made kitchen knives. Kazuyoshi Honda Certified traditional craftsman and second-generation proprietor of Honda Blades. 72 years old. Representative works: Sharpening kitchen knives, paper knives, and other blades, as well as finishing. Nao Yamamoto First-generation proprietor of Yamamoto Forged Blades. 35 years old. Representative works: Kitchen knives for home use and various forged stainless steel kitchen knives. Yu Kurosaki First-generation proprietor of Kurosaki Forged Blades. 35 years old. Representative works: Custom-made kitchen knives and other custom-made knives. Floor Map As of January, 2015