My last few weeks in Japan have been cold and rainy but despite the bad weather ruining my plans for enjoyable hikes and bike rides in my last days, I visited a local knife smith to see how Japanese knives are made and to pick up a few of these for gifts for family back home.
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| Tsutomu Kajihara in Kami City |
The knife smith is a local man named Tsutomu Kajihara in Kami City. He was extremely friendly and welcomed me into his one man workshop with enthusiasm of someone who loves what he does. The shop was warm and the machines make such a racket that I am surprised he could hear anything I said at all.
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| Tsutomu Kajihara in Kami City |
Even though typically his work day would include just one phase of
making the knives (from the little I understood of his Japanese
explanation I believe it is 8 steps), he showed me multiple stages in
the knives transformation from blocks of metal to sharpened beautiful knives.
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| Tsutomu Kajihara in Kami City |
I bought damasuc blades, known for the lovely pattern in the metal. Buying from a local smith is cheaper than buying from a store or market in the city and I also love the feeling of supporting the kind man that is working on them directly. Seeing them get made and gaining an understanding of the process is an added bonus!
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| Tsutomu Kajihara in Kami City |
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