The long history and tradition of Japanese knife making goes back to hundreds of years and is originated in the 14th century. It was a time of war and conflict for Japan when under a government order, all sword masters were asked to settle in Sakai near Osaka and produce weapons, specifically Samurai swords.

The combined knowledge and expertise of the best katana craftsmen of the country, gathered in one place and the competition to produce the best swords, brought the forging techniques and manufacturing to a whole different level.

In the late 1600’s during the Edo period in Japan, something changed. The swordmasters turned from sword forging to knife forging and seems there were two main reasons for that:

When the Shogunate (Shoguns were the military rulers of Japan appointed by the emperor) lost its power, the samurai class started losing its privileges and power and ultimately lost their right to carry weapons by Emperor’s order with the Sword Abolishment Edict. The demand for swords began to shrink, and many manufacturers turned their efforts to knife making instead.

The second reason was the introduction of tobacco from Portugal to Japan. The demand for tobacco cutting knives exploded and the first ones were manufactured again in Sakai city becoming famous for their unique sharpness.

The same -centuries old- techniques, forging knowledge and experience are still used today by the Japanese bladesmiths to produce absolutely the best knives.

This, combined with the availability of top quality steel from Japan’s leading manufacturers  along with the Japanese food culture that requires the ultimate sharpness in its food making process, make the Japanese handmade knives the best cutlery in the world.