Intense Attention from Abroad — and the Doubt It Stirs in My Mind

In recent years, Japanese kitchen knives have gone from a “quiet boom” overseas to something more like outright *mania*. I am grateful that inquiries reach my workshop almost every day. Yet nearly half of them read, “I want to hang the knife on the wall,” or “Give it a wild color or pattern so it pops on social media.” Such requests stray far from what a kitchen tool is meant to be, and to be frank — I am tired of them.

My Knives Exist for the *Hands That Cook*

My family has forged single-bevel blades ever since the era of Lord Date Masamune in the Edo period. For three centuries we have worked only to support the *everyday table* of the person standing at the stove. These knives were never meant to sit under glass, flaunting elaborate ornamentation.

Scrolling through Instagram today, I see knives shifting from “tools” to “props for collections.” As one blacksmith among many, I cannot help but feel alarmed.

What I Will Not Make — No Matter the Price

* Double-bevel knives

* Design knives overloaded with decoration

Even if I am offered a fortune, I refuse to make these. The reason is simple: the craft and pride handed down from my ancestors lie in *practical single-bevel knives*. I am an “old-style” craftsman: I was taught a certain work, I can do only that work, and I intend to do no other.

Preserving Tradition Does Not Mean Standing Still

Of course, other smiths create highly decorative knives because customers want them, and I do not criticize that choice. My workshop, however, is committed to knives that are *used, sharpened, and serve a family meal every day*. To keep making a tool that becomes an “extension of someone’s hand” in the kitchen — that is my mission.

In Closing — A Request for Understanding and Respect

I know requests for “display knives” will keep coming. Still, the only knives I can offer are single-bevel blades for people who cook. I ask that you understand our 300-year tradition and philosophy, and take no offense. Sharpness over showiness, comfort in use over appearance — that is everything my knives stand for.