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The technology of 600 years is transmitted gratefully to me.

Sakai Uchihamono : Miwa Ikeda

However, I make things indifferently and normally …

-Biography-

1967:
Started making kitchen knives under the guidance of his father, who was a blacksmith.
1983:
Independent as Ikeda Forging Plant
Since then, he has been engaged in kitchen knife manufacturing as a technology successor to Sakai Uchihamono,
We manufacture Japanese kitchen knives mainly for professionals, such as “Mizumoto ware” and “Sumi nagashi”.
1988:
He has been certified as a traditional craftsman and is currently active as chairman of the Sakai Uchihamono Traditional Craftsmen’s Association.

(Q) Mr. Ikeda was born into a traditional blacksmith’s house that has continued since the Meiji era, and his brother Tatsuo is also a famous Sakai Uchihamono traditional craftsman, but since childhood, did you think about going on this road without any doubt?

(A) No, it’s not surprisingly so.
In fact, I got a job right after graduating from technical high school and worked for a general company (laughs) After working for about two years, the salaried worker thought it was not suitable for me, so I finally chose a blacksmith. We were four male brothers, but after all, after graduating from technical high school, we got a technical job.

(Q) You are still brothers of “job type in hand”. By the way, speaking of Miwa Ikeda’s kitchen knife, the slightly funny “Fishy Series”, which is also a hot topic in Aoyama Square, is popular, but how did this line come about? It is a little different from the image of the sharp blade of “Mizumoto ware” and “Ink sink” of the professional purveyer, but it is somewhat relieved.

(A) That’s right (laughs)
That series was born from the experience of making kitchen knives a dozen years ago.
During my experience in making a kitchen knife, I prepared a large material to be the base, and then molded the material into a shape that the customer liked to make a kitchen knife.
At that time, I thought that it was interesting to have a kitchen knife of various shapes with the idea of ten colors.
That’s why I started making a variety of fishy series, including Black-Uchimbo, Mutsugoro, Kawahagi, and Pufferfish.
Even if you are afraid of sharp knives, if you have a cute and easy-to-pick rainup, I think that even ordinary users who are not professionals will feel sakai uchihamono more familiarly, so I continue to produce.

(Q) That was right. I couldn’t imagine anything like the “Fish Series” from Mr. Ikeda, who is always reticent, and I thought I would definitely ask him someday. Now, as for the last question, please tell me if you have been a blacksmith for many years and have a “policy” or “attitude” for work.

(A) I don’t have a particularly good attitude.
It is not such a thing as denting a soul or pursuing artistry,
– Just make things indifferently and normally –

I think this is all.
My customers are mostly professional cooks.
It means that craftsmen make craftsmen’s tools.
So if I can’t use it, the evaluation is very severe, and then the craftsman won’t use my tools.
Because practicality is honestly evaluated rather than artistry, it is until it concentrates on making it indifferently.

Mr. Ikeda talks with a self-proclaimed shy person.
I was embarrassed and laughing that if I was a good salesman, I wouldn’t be a craftsman.

~ From Ikeda Forging Plant WEBSITE ~
http://sakai-hokushin.jp/sakaiuchihamono.html
What I’m making is so-called “hitting”.
In general, it is called Sakai Uchihamono.

Traditional firemaking, forged cutting and bullion,
It is made into a knife by quenching into a molded one by spreading it with a hammer.

Mr. Itaba uses Sakai’s kitchen knife because of its sharpness,
I also make a kitchen knife sticking to the sharpness and the long slices that last for a long time.

I can’t tell you about 600 years of history,
The technology of 600 years is transmitted gratefully to me.

What do you think?

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    Written by 工芸プレス

    工芸プレスは、日本の伝統工芸・ものづくりに関する情報を集めた日本最大の情報発信メディアです。世界中の方に情報を日本の情報を届けることで、日本の職人、地方創生に貢献いたします。

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