When you picture a knife-maker, you might imagine someone hammering glowing metal. But after the metal has been shaped, how does it become a tool that can cut?
In Sakai knife-making, the people who form the blade, grind and sharpen it, and fit the handle pass their work from one stage to the next to complete a knife.
This arrangement is called a division of labour: different specialists take responsibility for different stages. Understanding it helps you look beyond steel names and makers’ names to see how a knife’s cutting performance and feel take shape.
Three main roles in making a knife
Here is a simple introduction to the work behind Sakai knives.
| Role | Main contribution |
|---|---|
| Blacksmith | Heats, hammers and heat-treats metal to form the foundation of the blade. |
| Grinder and sharpener | Grinds the blade to refine its shape and thickness and create a working cutting edge. |
| Handle fitter | Fits the handle, checking its alignment and how it sits on the blade. |
These are the main areas of work. The actual number of people involved and how tasks are divided vary by knife and workshop.
Why share the work instead of having one person do everything?
Forming a blade and grinding it thin require different tools and skills.
Heating and hammering metal, for example, involves judging changes in temperature and shape. Grinding involves gradually adjusting the blade’s thickness and angles.
One strength of this system is that specialists can deepen their skills by working repeatedly on a particular stage. The Sakai Traditional Crafts Museum also explains how this division of labour develops expertise and contributes to quality.
Making one finished tool also requires coordination between stages. Individual skills and the connections between them both support the knife-making process.
How each role contributes to cutting performance and feel
The blacksmith: forming the blade
The blacksmith heats and hammers metal towards the shape of a knife. This process is called forging.
Heat treatment also helps develop the blade’s properties. It includes hardening, in which heated steel is cooled to develop hardness. Steel is a type of metal used in knife blades and other tools.
This does not complete the knife. The blade formed by the blacksmith is passed on for grinding and sharpening.
The grinder and sharpener: creating a blade that cuts
The next specialist uses abrasive tools such as grinding wheels and whetstones to shape and finish the blade received from the blacksmith. These tools remove metal to refine the blade and its edge.
Grinding during manufacture covers more of the blade than resharpening the edge of a knife already in use. The craftsperson refines the overall shape, thickness and surface finish while creating the edge that cuts food.
Even with the same steel, changes in blade shape and thickness affect how it enters food. This work connects the material’s qualities with the experience of cutting.
The handle fitter: making a knife ready for your hand
The handle is the part you hold. Handle fitting means attaching it to the blade.
The fitter checks alignment and fit to help make the knife ready to use. A separate craftsperson may also be involved in making the handle itself.
Alongside sharpness, the feel of the handle and the balance of the knife’s weight affect comfort in use. Handle fitting is one of the stages that connects the makers’ work with the person who will cook with the knife.
How did Sakai knife-making develop?
Sakai has a long tradition of metalworking. Tobacco knives played a part in the development of its blade-making: these were knives for finely cutting tobacco leaves.
After tobacco reached Japan in the 16th century, knives for cutting its leaves came to be made in Sakai. Later, the Tokugawa shogunate recognised the Sakai Kiwame mark, helping Sakai’s knives become widely known.
Sakai City’s introduction to its forged blades (in Japanese) explains this history and the manufacturing stages. Today’s knives continue to be made through inherited skills and the work of specialists at each stage.
Shogo Yamatsuka’s role in this process
Shogo Yamatsuka is a blacksmith making knives in Sakai. He is also a certified Traditional Craftsman, a Japanese designation recognising skill in traditional techniques.
For the Yamatsuka knives we introduce, Shogo Yamatsuka’s blacksmithing forms the foundation of the blade. Subsequent stages, including grinding, sharpening and handle fitting, turn it into a knife ready for cooking.
These connections are part of the story behind the name “Shogo Yamatsuka’s knives”. Alongside the blacksmith, we hope you will also discover the craftspeople whose work completes each knife.
Learn more about Shogo Yamatsuka on our craftsman profile page.
Know the makers, then choose for your cooking
When you see a craftsperson’s name in a product description, look at whether it refers to the forging or the grinding and sharpening.
Then consider these points to picture how you will use the knife:
- The ingredients and dishes you want to prepare.
- Whether the blade length and weight suit the way you work.
- Whether you can maintain and resharpen it appropriately for its materials.
Understanding both the makers’ work and your own needs can help you choose a knife you will enjoy using over time.
If you would like help choosing, please contact us. Telling us what you usually cook and which knife you currently use will help us guide you.
