This product is registered as a traditional Kyoto craft by the Governor of Kyoto Prefecture.
Chef’s knife
Kyoto blacksmith Yoshisada was founded in Higashiyama, Kyoto in the mid-Edo period. Teiichiro Yamaguchi, the 10th generation, is now one of the few craftsmen in Kyoto who is an expert in Kyoto cutlery, and was awarded the Medal with Yellow Ribbon by His Majesty the Emperor in 2011 for his achievements. Yamaguchi began working at the age of 15, just as he graduated junior high school, and succeeded his father at the age of 27. Cutting with stainless materials becomes increasingly difficult as time goes by, but because Yoshisada’s knives are made with steel, the knives maintain their quality without rusting.
The history of Kyoto cutlery began when excellent blacksmiths and craftsmen moved to the city after the Heian period (794-1185), and it was nurtured in an environment that was blessed for making cutlery, with soil from the Fushimi Inari area, high-quality water, and other raw materials available from nearby areas.
Yoshisada is one of the few blacksmiths in Kyoto with a history of over 300 years, inheriting the name of Fujiwara no Yoshisada, a resident of Yamashiro for generations.
Yoshisada’s products are used by many professionals across a wide range of industries.
Yoshisada’s knives are made by heating the steel, beating it with a hammer to apply pressure, crushing the internal voids, and making the crystals finer to increase strength.
