In our totally biased opinion, Shosui Takeda-san’s knives kick ass! Thin blades are capable of extreme sharpness, and these are so thin they are in the heroin-chic supermodel territory. Each blade is a unique work of art and has a certain presence.
Founded in 1920, Takeda Hamono was moved to Niimi, Okayama Prefecture in 1951. Over time, they have produced a wide variety of blades and tools such as kitchen knives, hunting knives, hatchets, axes, hoes, sickles, and scythes.
A third-generation master blacksmith, Shosui Takeda was born and raised in Niimi. After he graduated from university, he returned to his hometown to succeed his father as master blacksmith for Takeda Hamono. Since 1985, Shosui Takeda-san has strived to produce the very best hand-forged blades and tools.
Takeda-san hammers blades from Aogami Super Steel. With an HRC hardness of 63–64 the edge retention of Takeda-san’s knives is unbelievable. His NAS series knives are clad in stainless steel instead of carbon steel (like the older AS series), which makes them way easier to take care of! Less oxidation = less hassle = more fun! These are truly artistic blades of the highest quality.
People treasure their Takeda knives as some of the finest performing blades on the market today. Each one holds its edge extraordinarily well and re-sharpens easily. While these are very high performance blades, but no-one would call them rugged. There is always a trade off. Treat them like a Ferrari (with respect in other words), and they will repay you with many, many years of crazy performance.
