Craft · No. 154
No. 154金工品
Echigo Sanjo Forged Blades
越後三条打刃物
echigo sanjo forged blades · 新潟県
Echigo Sanjo Forged Blades are handcrafted metal cutting tools — including kitchen knives, chisels, and planes — produced in and around Sanjo City, Niigata Prefecture. Renowned for their exceptional sharpness and durability, they are shaped by skilled blacksmiths using centuries-old forging techniques.
- Origin
- 新潟県
- Category
- 金工品
- Materials
- Iron · 鋼
- Designation
- Nat'l Traditional Craft
No. IHistory
The origins of blade-making in Sanjo are generally traced to the early Edo period, when itinerant blacksmiths are said to have introduced the craft wh…
No. IIMaterials
The primary materials are high-carbon steel (hagane) for the cutting edge and soft iron (jigane) for the body. The two are combined using techniques k…
No. IIITechniques
The heart of the process is forge-welding (tansetsu), in which heated steel and soft iron are united in a furnace, then repeatedly hammered into shape…
No. IVClimate
Sanjo sits within the Shinano River basin, blessed with abundant water essential for quench-hardening and whetstone grinding. The region's heavy Sea o…
