Yoshikazu Tanaka from Sakai Kikumori

Yoshikazu Tanaka is a blacksmith in Sakai, considered to be one of the best blacksmiths in the region. One thing that differentiates him from the other blacksmiths, is that he uses pine charcoal when he quenches knives, which heats the knives more slowly and gently. He also only forges 30 knives a day, which may sound like a lot but is actually half as many as a lot of blacksmiths. Additionally, he is one of only a few blacksmiths in Sakai who use a tempering kiln for tempering his knives.

This particular line is a collaboration between Knifewear and Sakai Kikumori, a knife distributor in Sakai who represents Tanaka-san. We have asked Yoshikazu Tanaka to forge the blades and Ajioka san to sharpen. The soft, misty finish was also specially chosen by us. The blade is forged with Shirogami #2, a traditional high-carbon steel beloved by knife makers and chefs alike for its extreme sharpness and excellent edge retention.

Get the full story on Sakai Kikumori and Tanaka-san here