Yukihiro Sakai

Yukihiro Sakai-san was apprenticed under Nishida-san in Kumamoto, who strictly forge-weld steels in house. Sakai-san has learnt everything from Nishida-san and continues to do like his sensei. Sakai-san recently started his own workshop in Kumamoto making his own knives. 

Now he forge-welds everything in house, from hard carbon steel clad with soft steel. The Shirogami #1 steel used in these knives is forge-welded in house by Sakai-san. This is a very traditional steel that can achieve incredible sharpness and has great edge retention, a favourite of more traditional blacksmiths.