Forging Japanese knives

Kovanje japanskih noževa
be sharp
be sharp

TAKEFU - JAPANESE KNIFE VILLAGE

The story of Takefu Knife Village begins in the 1970s with the association of the best 10 blacksmiths of that time!
The period of prosperity in Japan after World War II put to the test the small family forges that until then produced only traditional knives. Mass-produced knives that were stamped in the millions appear and slowly shut down one by one of these forges.
In response to the need for survival that was imposed on them at the time, 10 of the best blacksmiths of the city of Echizen band together and meet every night after work is completed in the hope of finding a solution to their problems that threaten to shut down their generations-old forges forever.
Some of the problems were a sharp decline in sales, less and less heirs, a lot of noise that bothered the city neighbors and of course the slow but inevitable aging of the craftsmen.
They did their work during the day, and at night they would develop projects and prototypes. Their struggle lasted for years, but in 1992, with considerable borrowing, they managed to build a joint facility located in the village of Takefu, where they work and exchange knowledge to this day.
Their knives are by far the most valued in the world, and in order to get your hands on one you have to stand in a multi-year waiting line.
In addition to the enormous attention of consumers, the Takefu village of knives also attracted a large number of apprentices who forged their trade here and founded new companies that are achieving success in the world market of premium knives!
The blacksmiths who started it all are: Takeshi Saji, Shiro Kamo, Hiroshi Kato, Katsuyasu Kamo, Katsushige Anryu, Haruji Totani, Hideo Kitaoka, Masanobu Okada, Kazuyoshi Honda and the late Masami Azai.
We invite you to watch the documentary called "Springhammer" which elaborates on this topic, and some of the best blacksmiths of today took part in the production, which will explain all this to you even better.
https://youtu.be/iFedUlHx558

SPRINGHAMMER - SPRING HAMMER FOR FORGING KNIVES

Unlike the days when blacksmiths had apprentices who would spend hours hammering red-hot steel, today the "springhammer" does their job.
The spring hammer or "springhammer" is found in every forge that sticks to the craft and forges its own blades. A large steel spring allows the hammer to strike the workpiece with tremendous force and quickly return to its original position, ready for another strike. Using this hammer, the skilled hands of the blacksmith stretch small pieces of steel until the shape of the knife is obtained. The most skilled blacksmiths can do this work in just a few minutes, and some of them forge 2 knives at the same time.
This process is not only important to get the shape of the knife, but it systematically changes the structure of the steel. Namely, the steel particles are carefully compressed, creating a bond that results in an extremely hard structure. This allows for longer processing of the steel when grinding, which again results in a better quality blade.
All of these are reasons why blacksmithing remains valued, and hand-forged knives always perform better than those made from finished sheets of metal.

KAITEN TOISHI - GRINDING STONE

Kaiten Toishi is the name for a large-diameter Japanese whetstone that rotates with an electric motor and passes through water. This machine had a huge impact on the production of Japanese knives.
All well-known Japanese blacksmiths use Kaiten Toishi exclusively for profiling their blades. The task of the stone is to effectively remove the material from the knife without heating the steel and create a delicate geometry that gives them the reputation of the sharpest blades in the world.
Only with the help of this stone is it possible to make traditional Japanese knives - janagibe, debe and usube. Knife manufacturers in Japan say that this is the most important step in making, 90% of knife performance is determined by adequate processing on this machine.
Mastering the art of sanding takes years of practice, and the craft takes a lifetime to perfect. Only a few such machines can be found outside of Japan, because they are often made only to order, and higher-quality examples cost several thousand euros.
The invention of this machine created a turning point from the focus on blacksmithing and pushed grinding to the forefront. In this sense, before the invention of the electric motor, blacksmiths did much more work with a hammer in order to grind as little as possible by manual methods. Today, when the machine moves the stone, most of the work is focused on grinding, and this is what led to the need for such a machine.
Our western version is a belt sander that uses "endless" sanding belts. However, the difference is big because regardless of the cooling system used, the western machine heats up the steel to a greater or lesser extent.
The result of using the Kaiten Toishi stone is better knife geometry, easier penetration through food, a superior blade that not only cuts better, but also holds the blade much longer. These are just some of the reasons why professionals prefer Japanese kitchen knives.

Related posts

  • Oblici japanskih noževa

    Shapes of Japanese knives

  • Japanski nož kao savršen poklon

    A Japanese knife as a perfect gift

  • Drška noža

    Knife handle

  • Kako izabrati pravi nož za vas?

    How to choose the right knife for you?