Aug 6, 2014 - 1 min read

Takefu Knife Village, Fukui

Cutitng edge tools are a traditional craft here

By Shozo Fujii

Community writer

Kitchen knives indispensable for cooking have started to become known, along with the development of Japanese cuisine. The skill of a swordsmith gives life here

A blacksmith strikes the ferrite in this way and molds it. It is very labor intensive work

The main building of Takefu Knife Village with a museum, studios and a shop

A lot of visitors come to see this every day. There is a shop near the entrance. Customers can see and purchase many different knives

The process of manufacturing Japanese kitchen knives is displayed on the wall.

Nowadays, many knife manufacturers produce their knives with a method that reduces the price of the knives. On the other hand, craftsmen make traditional cutting edge tools in Takefu Knife Village. They strike and burn the ferrite into knives, which lead to the stronger blades  and finer cutting quality

The manufacturing of striking edge tools in Takefu began with making agricultural equipment. Originally those craftsmen were sword blacksmiths. But farmers in local villages didn't need weapons. On the other hand, equipment such as  sickles or hoes were welcome

The blacksmiths earned their living by making many better  implements  such as  sickles or hoes adapted to different farm work

This studio has many small companies in it, which are independent and have nice craftsmen who use unique techniques

Kitchen knives manufactured with the repeated quenching, if sharpened properly, will last a lifetime. However, punched knives won't

It takes a maturity of skill to make many knives at the same quality without the least bit of difference

Every craftsman of cutting edge knives at Takefu Knife Village has his own character; one who is good at making Kitchen knives, while others make other types of knives

Takefu Knife Village, located in Echizen, Fukui Prefecture, is a studio and museum featuring cutting edge knives. They are proud of their 700-year tradition.

Long ago, a swordsmith came to Takefu from Kyoto. He was looking for water suitable for blacksmithing. He made a sickle for a farmer living there. It made a great stir among the villagers. Since then, Takefu has been a hub for this traditional, cutting edge industry. Nowadays, many owners of traditional industries are worried about the lack of new blood, but here in Takefu, many young successors have been joining in Takefu Knife Village.

Furthermore, these craftsmen are eager to attend exhibitions held overseas. Thus, the name of Takefu Knives is becoming a well-known brand. These excellent kitchen knives manufactured by these very skilled craftsmen are definitely worth purchasing.

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Shozo Fujii

Community writer

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Olga 7 years ago

Knives are a little bit scary but the article is nice!!

Terrie Lloyd 7 years ago

Shozo-san: Very nice photos and interesting subject. I heard that there is a black smith at Takefu that allows you to make your own knife. Apparently you need to take about a day for training and actual smithing. Are you familiar with this? Do you have any contact information for it?

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