TAKEDA

Takeda Blade Factory, based in Niimi in the Chugoku Mountains, the birthplace of the ancient tatara ironmaking method, supplies government agencies with mountain work tools like sickles and axes. Using traditional hand-forging techniques, it also crafts Japanese-style knives and kitchen knives.

Its knives, finished exceptionally thin with unique edge profiles through overwhelmingly technical skill, are particularly renowned for their sharpness.

The "handheld whetstone," designed to allow even non-professional households to easily sharpen blades and maintain their superb cutting edge, became a hit product.

Today, the third-generation master craftsman, Takeda Shōsui, carries on the tradition, he produces high-quality blades that blend tradition with practicality, garnering a passionate following worldwide.