Collection: Naoki Mazaki

 Mazaki-san is a relatively young blacksmith from Sanjo, but he originally hails from the island of Hokkaido. Unsure of what to do with himself as a young man, he left to travel Japan on his motorcycle. He made a stop in Sanjo, and was fascinated by the knife making & blacksmithing industry in the area. He decided that he wanted to become a blacksmith, so he got an apprenticeship with Yoshikane. He spent about 5 years working at Yoshikane but decided he would like to pursue a more traditional, hands-on way of making knives. Now, he forge-welds all of his carbon steel knives in house, and finishes his bevel with a variety of different whetstones, all by hand. Every step of the way, he strives to be true to the trade. 

Mazaki san works prefers the more traditional Shirogami #2 and Aogami to craft his knives, and leaves a rustic finish on many of his blades. Shirogami is quite workable for the blacksmith, but is also capable of insane sharpness and edge-retention. His knives have a distinctly traditional look, while still standing out from the crowd as his own creations.