Knife Blog

Generally, the manufacturing process of Japanese Knives in Sakai City includes forge welding iron and steel, but we have “Rikizai” to make knives in Japan. “Rikizai” is a knife material a material maker makes by forge welding iron and steel with a machine. A blacksmith does not have to forge welding iron and steel when he uses “Rikizai” to make knives.
 
When Sakai blacksmiths made double-edged knives, they used to forge welding iron and steel, which is called “Sanmaiuchi.” However, it did not value for work and time, so the number of blacksmiths who can make “Sanmaiuchi” has become smaller and most double-edged knives made in Sakai are made from “Rikizai” now.
 
If you compare “Sanmaiuchi” knives with knives made from “Rikizai”, “Sanmaiuchi” knives are much sharper because the number of hammering material to make “Sanmaiuchi” is much larger.
 
In terms of single-edged knives, most stainless knives are made from “Rikizai.” If the edge pattern of a Japanese Knife is very straight, you can regard it as a knife made from “Rikizai.” The reason why most stainless knives are made from “Rikizai” is that it is quite difficult for blacksmiths to forge welding stainless knives. Even if they forge welding stainless knives, some of them cannot be forge welded well. Therefore, it does not value for work and time.
 
You may think that “Rikizai” knives are not so good if you read what I have written above, but it is not true. Material makers have made better “Rikizai” through a trial error process. The fact that “Rikizai” is made is rational in some ways from the perspective of cost-effectiveness and this fact goes with the times.
 
On the other hand, since Sakai is a historical knife production area, I think we have to cherish, keep and improve our skills of forge welding and sell better Japanese knives to the world.