Okeya

Knife maker Okeya crafts his blades in the town of Miki. Okeya-san's grandfather began making what's known in Japanese as "kogatana" — small, versatile knives designed for everyday tasks.

These days, Okeya-san produces chef's knives as well. Now in his mid-40s, he's recently been joined by his son at the workshop. Their ambition is to keep growing the business, which is why they're planning to add more kitchen knives to the lineup, including gyutos, santokus, and nakiris.

The blades are roll-forged and then lightly hammered before heat treatment, giving them their characteristic appearance. The Fujiwara family specializes in so-called ko-gatana knives (small single-bevel blades), so they tend to forge smaller pieces like ko deba and kaisaki knives. The father still focuses on those traditional styles, while Akihito Fujiwara (his son) has set up his own workshop next door, where he grinds and sharpens double-bevel knives.