This is a collaborative crowdfunding campaign between a young swordsmith, Yujiro Kawase, who wants to continue the Japanese sword making technique and Ryusen Hamono, a renowned chef’s knife maker that bases the manufacturing of its daily-used knives on traditional sword-forging.
The Story of the Echizen Kitchen Knife and its Sword-forging origin
The Echizen area has a long legacy of manufacturing kitchen knives over 700 years old. Even now, the region still manufactures these chef’s blades based on the hand forging and striking techniques passed down from the Muromachi era. Not only within Japan, the Japanese sword technique is known world-wide for its quality kitchen knives.
It is said that Echizen Uchihamono (forged blades) originated in 1337 (Muromachi era), when a Kyoto swordsmith named Chiyozuru Kuniyasu went to live in Fuchu City, Echizen City in Fukui today, in search of a good area for swords production. He then began to make sickles for farmers in the neighboring districts. EchizenUchihamonocraftsmen today continue to use the same original Hizukuri-forging and hand-finishing techniques that were used in ancient times. Specializing in the creation of high-quality traditional Japanese blades, EchizenUchihamonowas the first production center for forged blades to be nationally recognized a
Long recognised as a traditional technique, you can be assured of its high quality and value. This diligently preserved hand-crafted technique
Echizen hamono bases its on the sword crafting technique, in actuality, artisans (trained specifically in the discipline) that specializes in forging swords are long gone. However, the year before last, young Sadazane Kawase returned from his training and opened a sword-forging studio of his own.
We interviewed Kawase and asked him about the sword making process.
K: Making a Japanese sword takes more than one year, and depending on the situations, it can take up to two years. They’re made beginning with carefully selecting iron ores and forging from scratch, and steel is selected based on the expert knowledge.
particular about the entire process
Rather than practical use, the Japanese sword could be regarded more as a art piece that has immesurable value.
To support in these endeavers
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