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Una visita única, tras bambalinas, a los artesanos maravillosos que forjan los mejores y más costosos cuchillos de cocina del mundo, en la ciudad de Sakai, en Japón.

Los cuchillos de cocina japoneses cuestan más que una buena cámara, no los puedes lavar en una lavadora de trastes, se oxidan y ¡Caray! Son tan filosos que si te descuidas perderás uno o dos dedos antes de poder decir banzai.  No hay la menor duda de que estos son los mejores cuchillos del mundo.  Nada se les acerca en cuanto a su filo.  Con uno de estos cuchillos, puedes rebanar pescado tan delgado que puedes leer un capítulo entero de La Physiologie du Goût a través de las rebanadas.  El mes pasado tuve la oportunidad de ver como se hacen estos cuchillos en Japón, de idéntica manera a como se han venido haciendo los últimos 200 años, siguiendo los pasos del Sr. Bjorn Heiberg de Chroma, una empresa que vende estos legendarios cuchillos.

Tras un corto viaje en tren desde Osaka, llegamos a Sakai, el pueblo donde la mayoría de los cuchillos japoneses se fabrican.  Los artesanos de antaño hacían katanas para los samurai, pero ante la actual escacés de samurai, y con una baja drástica en ese mercado, ahora la mayor parte de la producción se vende a chefs profesionales.  El mayor atractivo turístico de la ciudad es la tumba más grande del mundo, una enorme isla tumultuosa en forma de ojo de chapa donde yace el Emperor Nintoku.

Sigo al Sr. Heiberg a través del laberinto de callecitas hasta que se detiene frente a una pequeña casa de dos pisos.  Creo que es aquí, me dice, antes de tocar y hablando en japonés fluido con un hombre en overol azul.

I. La Forja

Nos hace pasar por un corredor estrecho y nos encontramos en el taller del Sr. EBUCHI KOUHEI, en la parte posterior de su casa.  El Sr. Ebuchi es un fabricante de cuchillos de tercera generación y trabaja con una forja minúscula junto con su hermano menor.

El Sr. Ebuchi trabaja en un horno de carbón coal-fired a una temperatura alrededor de los 2000 C° donde mete barras de acero ...

Dos piezas de acero se forjarán unidas para hacer un cuchillo.  Una pieza de acero duro le dará el filo de navaja de rasurar por el que los cuchillos de Sakai son famosos, y una pieza de ferrita blanda, con un alto contenido de carbón, evitará que la hoja se rompa.  Una combinación no diferente a la del concreto armado, en la que el concreto dá la resistencia a la compresión mientras que las varillas evitan que el material se rompa al jalarlo.  Ese es el secreto de un matrimonio exitoso - ambas partes tienen algo que aportar.

La barra de dos aceros ahora se inserta en un martillo mecánico y bang, bang, bang, la barra cuadrada gradualmente se aplana flattens para formar una hoja.

Utilizando uno de los muchos patrones en el muro, el Maestro Ebuchi procederá a cortar ... 

... y dar forma al acero, calentado a más o menos 800°C para lograr un cuchillo de la forma y dimensiones correctas.

Otra vez al martillo, ahora verticalmente vertically

 

Hoy en día, la mayoría de los cuchillos se estampan de una gran placa metálica.  Nunca tendrán el filo de lo hechos en Sakai.  El Maestro Ebuchi ha estado forjando cuchillos los últimos 40 años, y aún así rompe uno de cada tres que intenta hacer.  Es éste un trabajo sumamente delicado.

Salimos y volvemos a caminar por la laberínticas calles de Sakai.  El barrio se ve como cualquier pueblo japonés, con sus casitas de dos pisos a ras de la banqueta y un bosque de cables eléctricos.  Si no fuese un invitado de los japoneses, me atrevería a decir que uno se pregunta como es que una nación con tan buen gusto no se las ha arreglado para enterrar sus malditos cables.

II. Sacando filo

Les presento al Sr. FUJII KEIICHI, Maestro afilador y la mejor sonrisa en la industria.  Para entrar a su taller workshop, tienes que atravesar su sala y su cocina, ya que la gente que hace cuchillos en Sakai vive y trabaja en su casa, tal y como lo hacían  los artesanos y comerciantes europeos apenas hace dos generaciones.  Hay mucha poesía en ver a este hombre continuar el oficio de sus padres y abuelos en su propia casa.  Aquí no hay enajenación.  La promesa que nuestra sociedad hace a los jóvenes de como pueden definir quienes son mediante su trabajo es para la mayor parte, palabrería vacía.  ¿Cuántos de nosotros nos convertimos en quienes realmente somos a través de nuestro trabajo? Unos cuantos provilegiados.  La mayoría sólo venden su tiempo a su patrón y comienzan a vivir a las 5 de la tarde.  Pero estos artesanos que en verdad nunca escogieron su oficio, a mi me parecen en serio libres; sin el estorbo de esas promesas falsas, pudieron convertirse en quienes son a través de tu trabajo.  Por supuesto, la idea de vivir frente a un taller polvoriento workshop no sería atractiva para todos, pero para mí estos son hombres libres que están mucho mejor que muchos que trabajan en oficinas en empleos que les parten el alma.

Mr Keiichi trabaja con su asistente usando grandes ruedas esmeriladoras, donde día a día, de inicio a fin, afilan algunas de las hojas más filosas del mundo a partir de las hojas planas que reciben de los herreros.

Afilar, afilar y de nuevo afilar la hoja ...

... luego en el canto ...

... una lijada rápida en las caras de la hoja para que las rebanadas de comida del grueso de un papel no se peguen al cuchillo ...

... después a refinar la hoja una vez más.  ¿Notaste las lineas finas en la partre superior de la hoja?  Estas ranuras microscópicas, llamadas metoshi, ayudan a prevenir la oxidación.  ¡Caray! Estos no son cuchillos de acero inoxidable de Ikea, sino una versión corta de una katana samurai, que se siguen teniendo que tratar con una gota de aceite de cameila de vez en cuando para evitar que se oxiden.

... y el hombre ha terminado su trabajo ...

... y aquí están los cuchillos envueltos en papel y en atados de 10.

A 400 Euros el cuchillo, ¿A cuánto ascendería el botín de un ladrón, si una caja de éstas cayese del camión?

Mr Keiichi me muestra como encontrar su cuchillo dentro de un mango, pero explica que ése no es su trabajo.   Tengo suficiente con afilar, dice.  Y mi guía concluye con un Mochi-wa, mochi-ya (●餅は餅屋), o Si quieres pastelillos de arroz, vé con quien hace pastelillos de arroz. Ambos ríen y nos vamos para encontrarnos con el fabricante de mangos.

III. Los Mangos

Con las hojas ya terminadas, ahora necesitamos un buen agarre.  Caminamos un poco más por Sakai y entramos al taller de TATSUMI MASARU, Maestro fabricante de mangos.

 

El Sr. Masaru hace mangos de cuchillo de Magnolia Hypoleuca (Magnolia de corteza blanca), una madera fina y costosa llamada honoki en japonés.  Su proveedor de madera corta los troncos centenarios en pequeños tronquitos listos para formar mangos de cuchillo.  Véamos como lo hace.

Entrar al taller del Sr. Masaru es como sumergirte en un grabado japonés o en una película de samurai.  De no ser por la electricidad, pensarías que estás en los tiempos de Edo.  Todos los artesanos están absortos en su trabajo; no se escucha una sola palabra.  Se mueven con ese sentido de propósito que encuentras sólo en movimientos que se han repetido todos los días durante los últimos doscientos años.

Un hombre alimenta una máquina más vieja que su padre con las pequeñas piezas de magnolia, y la máquina esparce un geyser de aserrín en un enorme montículo, contrastando con el atemporal órden de la escena.

Los mangos, ya más o menos cilíndricos, ahora se lijan para perfeccionar la forma cilíndrica ...

... y se le pasan a un hombre que trabaja descalzo, arrodillado al estilo japonés, quien les hace un pequeño taladro.

Salimos al exterior donde el Sr. Masaru me muestra como se hace el cabezal, el anillo que va entre el mango y la hoja, utilizando un cuerno de búfalo.  Sólo usamos como una pulgada del cuerno para nuestros mangos, dice Masaru, el resto se utiliza para hacer peines.

UN anillo de cuerno se cuece en agua caliente ...

... luego el cuchillo se inserta en el anillo de cuerno hasta lograr un ajuste perfecto.

Finalmente otro hombre lija el mango completo para asegurar una superficie contínua entre la madera y el cabezal.  Cuando recorres con los dedos estos cuchillos, no puedes siquiera sentir la ranura entre el cabezal y el mango.

Los mangos completos esperan ...

... hasta que el Sr. Masaru calienta el tacón de la hoja al rojo vivo, y lo inserta en uno de sus mangos.  Un tubo sopla aire fresco para que él pueda continuar con su trabajo sin que el humo lo saque de su propio taller.  Luego golpea en el mango con un maso de madera, escuchando con cuidado el sonido para saber que tan profundo ha entrado el tacón.  Si entra demasiado, el mango se abre.

¿Porque dividir la fabricación de cuchillos en cuatro talleres distintos?  ¿Es la tradición lo que une a estos hombres o simple sentido común económico?  Todo lo que tienes que hacer es leer las observaciones de mi buen amigo Adam sobre la fábrica inglesa de alfileres:

Entonces, para tomar un ejemplo, *19 de una fabricación muy sencilla; pero una en que la división del trabajo se ha distinguido, el oficio del fabricante de alfileres; un trabajador no educado en este negocio (que la división del trabajo ha convertido en un oficio distintivo), *20 ni familiarizado con el uso de la maquinaria que se emplea en el mismo (la invención de la cual probablemente ha ocasionado), podría tal vez, con su mayor dedicación, hacer un alfiler al día, y ciertamente no podría hacer veinte.  Pero de la manera como este negocio se maneja, no solamente todo el trabajo es un oficio distintivo, sino que está dividido en una serie de ramificaciones, de las cuales la mayoría son asimismo oficios distintos.  Un hombre jala el alambre, otro lo endereza, un tercero lo corta, un cuarto le saca punta, un quinto lija la punta para recibir la cabeza; hacer la cabeza requiere dos o tres operaciones distintas.  colocar la cabeza es un oficio aparte blanquear los alfileres uno más; incluso es un oficio en si mismo el colocar los alfileres en el papel; y el importante oficio de hacer alfileres es de este mododividido en unas dieciocho operaciones distintasa, las que en algunas fábricas son realizadas apor manos distintas cada unam, aunque en otrasa el mismo hombre realiza dos o tres de ellas. ^21 He visto una pequeña fábrica de este tipo donde sólo había diez empleados y donde, en consecuencia, slgunos de ellos realizaban dos o tres de las distintas operaciones.  Pero aunque eran muy pobres, y por lo tanto no bien familiarizados con las distintas máquinas, aún así podían, cuando se esforzaban, hacer entre ellos unas doce libras de alfileres en un día.  En una libra hay más de cuatro mil alfileres de tamañao mediano.  Esas diez personas podían por lo tanto, hacer más de 48,000 alfileres en un día.  Cada uno, por lo tanto, haciendo una décima parte de los cuarenta y ocho mil alfileres, se podría considerar que hacía cuatro mil ochocientos alfileres en un día.  Pero si hubieran trabajado separada e independdientemente, y sin haberse dedicado, ninguno de ellos, a este oficio peculiar, ciertamente no podrían haber hecho veinte, incluso tal vez no podrían hacer un alfiler al día; es decir, ciertamente no podrían hacer la doscientos cuarentava parte, ni la cuatro mil ochocientosava parte de lo son capaces de hacer, a raíz de una división adecuada del trabajo y la combinación de sus operaciones distintas. 

Adam Smith, Una investigación sobre la Naturaleza y las Causas de la Riqueza de las Naciones (1776)

Respuesta: al separar el trabajo de tal manera que cada artesano utilice sólo un juego de herramientas y siempre realice los mismos movimientos, hacen mucho más cuchillos.

 

IV. Grabado

La última parada en la fabricación de estos finos cuchillos es el taller de HARADA TAKAYUKI, el maestro grabador.  Él no estaba en la ciudad, pero pudimos ver su taller, un cuarto luminoso en el centro de Sakai.

Los cuchillos se colocan, no por uno,  en un pequeño soporte y el artesano les graba el logo  de Haiku - un halcón - o el nombre del chef.

Pueden grabarles una buena cantidad de texto, todo a mano, como en este cuchillo con un capítulo completo de un libro de filosofía.  

Cuchillería Chroma 
http://www.chroma-cutlery.com
Esots cuchillos se venden como Cuchillos Tradicionales Japoneses Haiku  poy Chroma Cutlery Inc.
Me encantan los cuchillos Porsche de Chroma  que puedes ver frecuentemente en mis artículos, aunque no son hecho en Japón.

No venden directamente a individuos pero puedes comprar estos cuchillos en varios portales y tiendas en línea como www.kochmesser.de en Alemania.  A 400 Euros la pieza, estos no son cuchillos desechables sino herramientas profesionales serias.  Chroma sólo vende unos 250 al año.  Yo tengo dos de ellos y me hacen muy feliz.  ¡Te mostraré como funcionan en otro artículo!


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98 comentarios

  • #1
  • Comment by Hazri
Hi Francois,
Thank you very much for this informative writing. Keep up the good work. :)
  • FX's answer→ Thank you Hazri!

  • #3
  • Comment by Judy
A very interesting article.  I am so envious as we cope with rather ordinary knives that require constant sharpening.  I wondered: when the bladesmith breaks a long blade, can he not then turn it into a paring knife?
  • FX's answer→ Judy, I am not sure what happens with the broken pieces of steel. If it's any consolation, those knives also require constant sharpening, and they are more fragile than regular Western plastic-handled professional kitchen knives.

  • #5
  • Comment by ND
Hey FX, awesome article! The following question may seem like sacrilege after an article like this, but what's your take on these Japanese ceramic Kyocera knives? Also, the way you sharpened your knife in the Fois Gras movie was a bit novel to me (I've only ever seen people running a knife slowly along a knife steel, in a single direction); would you care to elaborate please?
  • FX's answer→ Nathan, I have a couple ceramic knives, they are very sharp but very brittle, much like a Japanese knife might be if it used only hard steel. I gave one to my father and he broke it within a week!

    There are two different "sharpening" for kitchen knives. One is what you saw in my foie gras video, you just bring the edge's sharpness back to life by rubbing it with the cylindrical tool you saw. The other is to regrind the cutting edge, and this is done with a stone. As far as I know, but there are people out there who live by the (kitchen) knife and who know more about it than I ever will!

  • #7
  • Comment by Chris
Great post Francois. Now I have another item to add to my wish list. What a great glimpse into the artisan knives of Japan. Keep up the great work.
  • FX's answer→ Thanks Chris, glad you enjoyed the visit!

  • #9
  • Comment by thuan
I've seen a few different travel shows exhibit the artisan knife making there.  I was waiting on you to do an article.  it is most fascinating.  When I visit japan im not coming back without one :)
  • FX's answer→ Thank you, but please pack the knife in the luggage and not in the carry-on bag, this happens all the time in Osaka!

  • #11
  • Comment by thuan
And a P.S., it is most unfortunate that young folks do not want to pick up this craft and it may very well "die" off in the near future
  • FX's answer→ ... but they will pick it up!

Fascinating article (with excellent photographs) as always!
Last year I attended a japanese knife sharpening demonstration where I was told that Itumae-san will often buy a knife without the final edge (sharpening) put on -  their responsibility is to sharpen the edge (typically on one side only) to their preferred angle/specification.
The thought of sharpening a blade such as the ones you show in this article would intimidate me. What do you do as far as honing/maintaining such fine knives?

FP


  • FX's answer→ Poolish, there are couple videos of German gentlemen sharpening their Japanese knives out there, it is not difficult provided you understand what you are doing, you know the angle and you use water as a lubricant.

  • #15
  • Comment by Kai
Do these knives require resharpening? How often? And how do you go about it?
  • FX's answer→ Kai, every knife needs resharpening now and then, how often depends how often you use it. Professional chefs hone their knives every day. These need sharpening with a stone, there is only one edge and it has to be held as flat as possible on the stone with water.

  • #17
  • Comment by James Wang
A superb article!

Please follow up with a shootout between these, other Japanese knives (Shun, Global) and the German masters!

I would love to know just how they perform, and what point do their differences become miniscule.

Great work once again.
  • FX's answer→ James, I think the German knife makers would make a great article, but I don't know much about them. Which would you recommend?

  • #19
  • Comment by Donna Young
So interesting to see—such skill! Let's hope that there will be a new generation of craftsmen to take over their expertise! Thanks, FX!
  • FX's answer→ Donna, in fact these old guys go visit local vocational schools to have smithing classes, and it seems some people are there to take over - some day!

Extremely interesting! It must have been great to witness such an old tradition. Thanks for sharing these moments with us!

Cheers,

Rosa
  • FX's answer→ Thank you Rosa, glad you enjoyed it!

  • #23
  • Comment by Wandering Taoist
Awesome post, the knife lover in me always rejoices when reading and seeing such things.
I have two Japanese blades at home, of cheaper type though, and they are the best kitchen knives I have ever used (and I already tried a fair amount of them). Razor-sharp, unbendable and so easy to cut anything into almost any form with.
  • FX's answer→ Taoist, your Japanese knives must be prized possessions! I find sometimes they are unwieldy when used with our Western knife techniques, but the other day I used one to cut a large piece of meat, it went through it like if it was a warm mound of butter!

  • #25
  • Comment by Maria J
François, I was glad to see that big animal horn being used later in your post-- I was afraid you were using it to persuade the craftsman to reveal his secrets! Quite interesting (and a bit nerve-wracking) to see all of that dangerous work being done with practically no protective gear-- goggles in particular. Also, the bare hands using that handle sander-- eek! All quite fascinating. And now, back to savoring our new President here in the USA...
  • FX's answer→ Maria, aye, I remember the lady dealing with the public relations at Wenger, the Swiss knife factory, nearly had a nervous breakdown when she saw a picture - now removed - of a worker grinding a knife with his bare hands. "It's a secret technique" she said. No such fuss from the Japanese!

  • #27
  • Comment by John McCann
If you ever get to Frankfurt there is a great food market called the "Kleinmarkthalle".  In this market there is a Japanese kitchen utensil purveyor who specializes in knives.  He mainly specializes in one manufacturer "Aritsugu".

The Aritsugu knives are the best I've ever used (the blue-steel Santoku is always in use in my kitchen ;-)) and it appears that the culture of Aritsugu is very similar to that of the gentlemen you are showcasing here.

As always, thanks for the education and keep up the good work ;-)
  • FX's answer→ John, I have visited Aritsugu's shop in Kyoto a few times and included pictures in an earlier article. You are very right, they use the very same methods to make their knives. I'll definitely visit the Kleinmarkthalle next time I'm in town!

  • #29
  • Comment by Ricardo
Hello Francois.

Francois, I loved he article.  A few years ago, I bought a sushi knive from one such master in Tokyo. But a bit different process: once I chose the blade, he told me to come back two hours later after he had sharpened it, then he artfully signed it in front of me with his chisel, kneeling barfefoot japanese style in a hollowed rock with water at the center of his shop. Only then he chose the perfect handle for it and adjusted it. Very seriously he handed me the knife like hatori san.  600 dollars worth of knive and show, Beautiful.   Ricardo
  • FX's answer→ Ricardo, what a memorable buy you made! I always regretted that Mr Tarantino did not shoot any steel-forging scenes and only some cheap sushi bar set when Uma Thurmann buys her sword from Hattori Hanzo. That would have made for a much better scene in Kill Bill!

  • #31
  • Comment by Rudi
g'day to you from the land down under...

A mate and myself have been enjoying your site for a while now, its definetly one of our top bookmarks. As a 'loyal loader' of your page, i thought i'd drop in my two bits on knives.

I've been using global knives for the last 5 years now, every day in every way, and they've never touched a grindstone.  I give them a quick flick on the sharpening steel every 2-3 weeks (takes 10secs) and they're brand spanking new.  I also never wash them in the dishwasher, and leave food stuck to them...especially tomatoes! My friend has a set of Shun's and he swears by their value.  The knives weren't cheap, but I think this highlights a big point.  Save heaps and spend lots on the perfect knife for yourself and it will last a lifetime.  I also don't bother with knife sets as you end up with knives that are never used and they just take up space.

thanks for the article.
  • FX's answer→ Rudi, thanks for coming out of the digital cloud to say hello! I am glad you guys like my website and found the article interesting. Indeed, who is rich enough to be able to afford cheap knives which need constant replacing? Much better to have a few quality knives you can use for a lifetime! Do your knives rust or are they stainless? I have a really good Japanese stainless steel knife, it is easier to maintain than those discussed in this article although not really as sharp, but both are really cool knives I use a lot.

Amazing how they make them! I have one of these hand-made knifes(different, less expensive maker) but I find the rusting and thickness of the blade a little annoying. (Some department stores have knife-sharpener guys where you can bring your knife to when it's a little blunt.) Well, I know it's sacrilegious but I prefer a good standard cooking knife!
  • FX's answer→ Macha, yes the rusting is an issue. I always clean my Japanese knives right after using, then coat them with a little oil. I think if we knew how to use them the shape would no longer be a  problem, but like you I find myself trying to use them Western-style and it doesn't always work fine. For the rust stains you can remove them using a gritty rubber eraser (architects used to use these).

  • #35
  • Comment by chef4cook
Francois, Thank you for always being informative and interesting. Good luck to you in this new year.
  • FX's answer→ And you!

Here I was, thinking that this was just a post about supersharp knives, Francois, but you've hit the nail on the issue about young people seeking the definition of themselves in dead-end jobs.

And... Thank you for showing how these knives are forged; I've always wondered what purpose the soft metal/hard metal combination in Samurai swords must serve. Now I know. Another lesson learned from FXcuisine, the "educational" food blog.
  • FX's answer→ Thanks Feyoh! Yes the softer iron is needed otherwise they would be as brittle as a ceramic knife which you break all the time. But these knives are not meant to cut through bones nor even frozen food. where they really excel is through soft organic tissue - fish fillet, meat or vegetables.

  • #39
  • Comment by MICHAEL
I'm not the "Handelman" you mentioned ("el & not "le"!)
Do they also make knives for Rabbies? - I hope not, ouch!!!
As usual an interesting and well photographed article!
  • FX's answer→ I'm sure they have a knife for absolutely everything down there. Have you seen the huge array of knife shapes the forger has?

  • #41
  • Comment by michael
I'm reminded of the story about the Japanese Guy, the Swiss Guy, and the Jew ...
They are boasting about their skills with a knife - "Watch this" says the Japanese Guy, and he slices a fly that happened to be flying around, into two pieces - right down the middle!
"That's nothing" says the Swiss Guy, and on seeing another fly buzzing around, he takes out his knife  - two quick strokes, and he cuts the fly into four pieces - right there during flight!
To which the Jew takes out his knife and takes a quick swipe on another fly, which flys off on a very swervy route!
"So what's that?" asks the Japanese & Swiss Guys.
"Circumcision!" replys the Jew.
  • FX's answer→ That's a good joke - too bad the Swiss doesn't win the fly-quartering contest!

  • #43
  • Comment by parshu.narayanan
I always leave an fx photo-essay feeling enriched and this beautiful one on knife makers left me wistful. When I was a little boy, in the 70s (!) the mall & supermarket revolution had still to take place in india and our house had a constant stream of door-to-door tradesmen and artisans. kashmiri shawl-sellers, bengali muslin-saree sellers, a man with a lute shaped instrumment who would refluff the cotton in the house quilts before winter( which he would twang to advertise), a man who would beat out silver-warq from a small lump of family silver before festivals, a man who would de-carbonize the family kadhais(woks)and the knife sharpener - who would drive the grindstone with his bicycle. We cant go back to the artisan's age, but what we have lost to mass-production is part of our heritage.
  • FX's answer→ Yes, I very much like India in this respect too, strolling through the streets of Indian towns feels like being able to enjoy that age when the tools and foods we bought were made right on our doorsteps and you would buy it directly from the man who made it! I saw a billboard in India praising the advantages of processed food, hard to understand for people who have never experienced the opposite. It has its advantages too - reliability, constant quality but so boring!

Great article. I've been hankering after one of these knives for a while.

I read an article a few years ago about Japanese National Living Treasure swordsmiths. Apparently they still make a number of swords per year (which at the time retailed for somewhere around about 50000USD) but are limited by legislation to only creating a certain limited number per year. To maintain a decent living they make chefs knives instead. That's something I want to check out when I visit Japan, and your article is the perfect intro.
  • FX's answer→ Tim, sorry for the late reply! Yes they also do swords but knives are sharp and expensive enough for me. Hope you get to visit this place!

Wonderful piece, as always

  • FX's answer→ Thanks!

Wonderful article, great subject and story. Great image of the engraved blade (the others too, but the engraved blade is my favorite).

I was wondering in this production system are there one smith, one grinder, one handle maker and one assembler? (Doesn't it take longer to forge a blade then to sharpen one?)

Anyways, keep up the great work, I love your diverse articles and different subject matter and exotic locals.

  • FX's answer→ Geoff, I'm glad you liked the engraved blade picture, it took me many trials to get it and I wasn't so happy in the end. Not sure about what it says exactly on the blade though! Yes I think it takes perhaps half a day of combined efforts from all 3 professions to make one knife.

Fantastic photo journal as always!
  • FX's answer→ Thank you Jaden, I hope your kitchen keeps steamy in 2009 and wish you all the best!

  • #53
  • Comment by barbara
Engrossing article, the whole process very well photographed and described, it's almost as if I was there, too.
I remember when I was small (in England), a knife-sharpener used to come round the streets once in a while, and all the housewives would gather up their knives and scissors to get them honed.
  • FX's answer→ Now when I use my Japanese knife, I see the face of the men who made it. Very pleasing sentiment in the times we are living!

  • #55
  • Comment by barbara
oh I said knife-sharpener, I meant knife-grinder - he also did tools such as axes to give them a sharp edge.
  • FX's answer→ Yes indeed!

  • #57
  • Comment by Ben
Hi FX

Great article and interesting, although I should point out that the Japanese keep the wires above ground rather than buried because that way its easier to replace/reconnect in the aftermath of an earthquake which they are prone to!

  • FX's answer→ Ben, I was sure the Japanese had some good reason to keep the wires above their heads, and it could not be aesthetics!

  • #59
  • Comment by Rasmus
Another fine article from your hand. Always a pleasure to see what you will cover next.
Thank you.
R
  • FX's answer→ Thanks Rasmus, more articles are on the way!

  • #61
  • Comment by Mami
This is a very interesting article for me as a Japanese.  I've been a secret fan of FX cuisine for quite sometime but today's is the first time I posted some comments.  

I first found that Japanese knives are popular among chefs when  Kitchen Confidential first came out.  It was almost like a proud moment in my life :)  

I love cooking and eating and I can't live without my razor sharp knives.  A set of Japaness knives has become my standard wedding gift to my UK friends - and they all seem to love them :)
  • FX's answer→ Mami, I really started using my Japanese knives a lot more, they are sooooo sharp, and works of art!

  • #63
  • Comment by Liudas
i'm one off those hoo will pick up on bladesmith masterys starting tula finishing japan adn finding my one way to make a perfect as posible knife ore sword ore axe and sites like this helps me to aunderstand hou all this worcks
sory for gramar english is only secoud language.
  • FX's answer→ Well Liudas good luck on this long road!

Wonderful sequence of pictures. One comment. You are calling the horn ring a "Bolster" In the west we would call it a Ferrule. The Bolster in Western tool terminology is a flange that is part of the tool itself which is seated against the handle. A ferrule is a ring on the handle that keeps the handle from splitting. I am wondering if there terms are different in Japanese or in Knifemaking.
  • #66
  • Comment by Constance Condit
Great article! So I was interested in pricing the knives. But, your article in English on Japanese knives referred me to a German company. Their website is only in German, no English section. Any way to purchase knives when you can't read German?
Dude, i love your Articles. Very nice. I was also in Japan for some month, how can you met so many nice people, very nice indeed!
Greets from Cologne
  • #68
  • Comment by chris
Lovely pictures -- you got a wonderful opportunity to really see what's going on in Sakai.

A few small corrections to some things, mostly from the comments section:

1. A knife certainly can be made from entirely hard steel, but it is difficult, expensive, and liable to breakage in the forging. Such knives are called "honyaki" knives, as opposed to the "kasumi" knife you saw made. They cost a fortune: you think that kasumi knife is expensive, you have no idea!

2. The knife you purchased, pictured in the other article, is a vegetable knife, an usuba made in the Tokyo style. It is not well designed to cut flesh, nor intended for that purpose.

3. Some of these knives are designed to cut bone, especially fish bones. The most common, the deba, shears through fish bones and heads like nobody's business. But the knife you have purchased -- the usuba in the picture at least -- will chip badly if you try it: it's not designed that way at all.

4. Oil is not necessary unless you are storing your knife for some weeks. Lay it flat and scour the face with a very mildly abrasive nylon pad, such as a ScotchBrite pad, with a little plain dish soap. Turn the knife over and tilt it so the bevel of the blade is flat, then scour the other side. Scour the handle if it seems like it might need it. Rinse very well in hot water. Dry (carefully!) with a clean, dry terrycloth towel. Now place the knife in a clean, dry place, out of the way of people, for about half an hour -- perhaps longer in a very humid climate. This allows the blade to dry completely. At this point you can store your knife -- edge upwards if at all possible -- in a block or other safe storage device. Rust should not happen if you treat your knives this way.

5. Last, a perhaps minor point. The back of the knife is not flat: it is ground slightly concave on that giant wheel. If you look at the back of your knife, you will see a shiny outline all the way around, and the main middle of the blade will reflect light differently. This is the concave section. When you sharpen the knife, after grinding the main bevel to bring the edge up, you turn the knife and place it flat on its back and grind very briefly to remove the used metal. If the back were truly flat, it would scratch the whole thing every time. Beyond this, the slight concavity acts like the dimples or grantons on some slicing knives in the West: things don't stick because the knife is concave.

Thanks again for a lovely article and fine pictures!
  • FX's answer→ Chris, thanks a lot for these most learned and useful comments! How come you know so much about Japanese knives?

I'm sending this link to my friend who's loves quality knives...and samurai sword too! Thank you for sharing such interesting adventures of Japan. I wished I was there :-D I'm looking forward to travel to Japan soon.
  • #71
  • Comment by Patrick Pappano
Gangbusters. The article on Japanese knife making is ineffable.
  • #72
  • Comment by Pam
GREAT article. Thank you very much.
  • #73
  • Comment by wdf
I lived in tokyo and osaka for 5 yrs. The reason i got for all the wires not being buried, is because of all the earthquakes...
  • FX's answer→ Yes I suspected that, but it does not do much for the landscape...

  • #75
  • Comment by About the metallurgy of steel...
This is a very interesting article. I enjoyed it a lot.
I think that there is a small imprecision regarding the amount of carbon of the steel used to conform the edge and the core of the blade.
The ferrite in the center of the knife should probably contain LESS carbon than the edge. In a quenched steel you get martensite, and the amount of carbon is directly related to the obtained hardness. If the steel is not quenched but cooled slowly, you will get ferrite (which is softer). Basically there are two ways of obtaining different hardness levels:
-modifying the composition of the steel (i.e. the amount of carbon or chromium, in a stainless steel, which is not the case here)
-modifying the velocity of cooling.
In a blade, the edge should be hard. Unfortunately, if a piece of steel is very hard, it will probably be brittle, hence the necessity of a tenacious and relatively soft core.
So, having less carbon in the core makes more sense, considering the metallurgy of steel, than the other way around. Having less carbon will make for a softer (but more tenacious) core given the same cooling rate.

  • #76
  • Comment by Steel metallurgy
Things are even more complex, because by means of differential heat treatment techniques artisans can obtain different degrees of hardness, in the same piece of steel, without modifying the amount of carbon.
  • FX's answer→ Thanks! If I ever do a video piece on this I'll contact you for more information.

  • #78
  • Comment by Malissa
Hi FX, Is this  called a Haiku Damascus, the damascus Japanese knife series from Chroma? I found a site that caries chroma haiku knife but wasn't sure if it is "Haiku Damascus"? Would you know?
Thanks so much,
Malissa
  • FX's answer→ No, these are other knives. If in doubt just look at the price, they cost about 500$ a blade.

  • #80
  • Comment by Liberto
Ayer conocí casualmente esta página. Como cocinillas que soy, estoy absolutamente encantado. Un saludo desde Berna.
Hi FX,
I just saw the article and like it very much.
I would like to get some handles from TATSUMI MASARU.
How can I contact him?

Richard
  • FX's answer→ Sorry, I don't have his details and was walked to his shop.

  • #83
  • Comment by Anita

can you provide me the address of Master Kouhei in Sakai?
  • FX's answer→ I don't know his address, even the gentleman who took me to him had a hard time finding the house and he lives in town!

  • #85
  • Comment by jack malin
is it correct that when you buy an aritsugu wrought iron knife as a gift you must know  if your friend is left handed or right handed,,is this correct??? i enjoyed your article and the photos are great... thank you jack malin
  • FX's answer→ Yes it is very correct, blades are assymetrical. But let's face it, who will use these knives correctly?

  • #87
  • Comment by Joel
your article was fascinating and educational  indeed..i'm  an avid traveler, hardly a cook,  but having visited Japan a few times in my life for vacation, i wished to have observed these master artisans at work.. thanks for enlightening us all... J
  • FX's answer→ Tanks Joel, indeed it is not possible to visit these artisans (you have seen the tiny premises they work from!) so I'm really glad to have been able to give you a good, hard glimpse at their life and work!

Dear FX,
as a new fan of your blog, who also travels a lot and brings
home new cooking ideas then and again, I have to applaud
the way you manage to transcribe your experiences into this
projetc with it's stunning pictorials and videos. Well done!

To add something to this particular article, I would like to recommend www.japanesechefsknife.com and www.mehr-als-werkzeug.de. The first is a mail order in Seki, Japan, with a tremendous choice of knives from amateur level to $3000.00 blades. They are specialized in foreign customers. The value for money is very good, including a shipping flatrate of $ 7.00. The latter is a German mail-order for fine tools and knives, who also carry a lot of materials, in case you want to make your own knife. Blades, antlers etc. (click on the little union jack, if your German is a little rusty...)
I'm not employed or related to those firms, in case you wonder... I deal with a lot of artisans professionally, but more in the shoe and clothing world, than in the kitchen.
Goodbye,  I have to sample my 300 min eggs now…
Chris
  • #90
  • Comment by Paul Tweeddale
great article mate,

Am heading over to Osaka in a week or so and wondered if there were any places in Sakai where one can pick up a knife that's been made on-site or if all knives are reserved for large shipments?

Also have been reading about Japanese knifes and others claim that Seki is the knife-making capital of Japan. If I'm looking for a truly authentic Japanese which city should I opt for?

cheers
  • FX's answer→ In Kyoto you can go to Aritsugu in Nishiki Market, they are authentic enough!

  • #92
  • Comment by Amelia Gordon Byers
I was in Sakai City, at the Edged Tool Museum - Homono, on 7 Jan 2011.  They sell knives there.  Sakai is an easy journey from central Osaka.  BUT - for the last 12 years while I've been lucky enough to travel to Japan for work on a regular basis, I've been haunting the flea markets for used knives.  Have made some great purchases of knives that "already know how to slice."  I love the sense of history that comes from things passed down by others - especially skilled grandmothers.  Although I have rarely met the previous owners of my "new" knives, I know that they have had their day in the kitchen.  Under the careful ministrations of my husband who sharpens and tends them, they have brought me to a new level of joy in chopping (yes, I already liked to cook.)  And they make spectacular gifts for friends who have spent time in our kitchen.  And perfect souvenirs.  Something I use everyday that reminds me of my travels and the good fortune I have enjoyed.  And I love knowing that my knives may have been rescued from the landfill.  What a travesty for a Sakai knife to end up unused in the bottom of a drawer, or in a box of discarded stuff on the way to the dump.  Well cared for, a good Japanese knife will last for many generations.  Thanks for a great article!!
  • #93
  • Comment by Sebastian Egger
Wonderful Article, thanks a lot!
Heading to Japan in June and looking forward to stroll around in Sakai :)

One question: Is there a reason why you do not write anymore articles? It's really a pity as they are super informative and also the pictures are wonderful to watch :)
  • #94
  • Comment by ken youngmann
A weel written and fascinating article.  As a woodworking hobbbiest, most articles about making knives and chisels fascinates me.  Thanks for publishing it.
I've often wondered why the high-end Japanese knives cost so much. Now I know...It's a long, arduous process making such a fine blade. Seeing how they're crafted has given me the desire to purchase another one. Thanks for the great article.
  • FX's answer→ Thanks Mike, this is praise from Caesar.

  • #97
  • Comment by Daniel Rico
Alucinante mismo mi estimado Francois. En otro e-mail me presentaré y te contaré mi gusto y pasión gourmand. En este e-mail simplemente decirte que soy pasional de la cuchillería pero me sentí maravillado mismo de tu artículo, lo cuidado del relato, todo en si.
Muchas gracias por compartir esto con nosotros.
Soy de Montevideo Uruguay, ya te contaré como te dije antes de mi gusto y pasión por la cocina.
Gracias
  • FX's answer→ Gracias Daniel!

Text-only version printed from http://FXcuisine.com/default.asp?Display=241 - visit the online version to see many gorgeous pictures of this recipe!
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