Why Japan?
When I started this company, I had a lot of options around the world of where to get my blades produced. It was a long and frustrating process of dead ends, unanswered emails and calls not getting returned.
Firstly I considered British made knives. The UK has a strong history of knife making and craftsmanship in general, with a plethora of fantastic blacksmiths.
Cheaper production in countries like China and Vietnam were also a credible source of blades, although a very accessible and easy method, this is never something I ever truly considered.
Second Life Kitchen is built around the idea of strong, long lasting and sustainable products. If I put this message of sustainability out into the world, yet used blades that had a short lifespan, profit margins would be fantastic, but I would just feel like a hypocrite.
Which leads me to the our ultimate destination: Japan.
Breaking into the Japanese knife industry to locate a supplier was a truly difficult task, many blacksmiths have no contact information, social platforms or websites. But persistence and patience got me to the final result that I’m so unbelievably happy with.
The Japanese knife industry is such an important craft to support, and I’ll break down these reasons into different sectors:
History
Quality
Preservation
History
The Japanese knife industry is an art form steeped in ancient history, stemming from ancient production of the Katana sword.
The carrying of katana swords is illegal in Japan, but this was not always the case. Sword production was a huge industry in Japan, and many blacksmiths relied on this industry to feed their families.
So when new legislation came into force in 1876, banning the public carrying of katanas’, many blacksmiths were out of work. So instead, they turned their attention to culinary blades. And from this the infamous Japanese knife trade was born.
Centuries of methods and techniques, once bound to military style weaponry, made its way into the kitchens of Japan. These secrets have been passed down through generations to create a final product that makes Japanese blacksmiths some of the finest craftsmen in the world.
I wanted to build a quality product that people will love, enjoy and use their entire lives, so utilising the expertise of a trade built over a millennia was the only way to go.
Quality
Japanese knives have become increasingly popular in western countries, as hobbyist cooking has become more enjoyable from social media recipe channels, getting more people into cooking.
Because of this, many imitators looking to make a quick buck have come out of the woodwork.
Online wholesale markets such as AliBaba have become flooded with imitation Japanese knives, designed to look like handmade blades.
These companies use very clever marketing language to communicate through “double-speak”, the concept of lying without lying.
They will use language like “Japanese Steel” or “Japanese Style” to suggest the country of origin without explicitly saying it. But using Japanese steel doesn’t equal Japanese craftsmanship.
For example, if you take raw steel produced in Switzerland, ship it to China where it is made into a watch, do you have a Chinese or a Swiss made watch?
Second Life Kitchen is dedicated to producing the best product possible, so I’ll never be sourcing blades from cheap factories to boost profit margins.
Preservation
Lastly, the preservation of the trade. After speaking with many different blacksmiths in Japan, there seems to be a looming issue in the industry: no young blacksmiths.
Due to cheap Chinese knives, the career path of blacksmith is becoming less appealing to young people in Japan. With the average age of blacksmiths being 70 in some areas, many forgeries are at risk of dying with their owners.
By supporting blacksmiths in Japan, I hope to do my part in keeping this ancient industry alive.
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