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ASHI HAMONOASHI CUTLERY WORKS · SAKAI · SINCE 1948
日本語 Online Shop

SAKAI FORGED KNIVES ─ 堺打刃物

From the first step
to the last.

Heat treatment that brings out the best in each steel. Blades and handles finished by hand. Designs worked out to the millimetre. Founded in 1948, Ashi Cutlery Works makes knives of consistent quality through integrated production, from design to final inspection and shipping.

See the knives Online shop

Sold in the United States, the United Kingdom and Singapore. Also available at our workshop in Sakai.

銀香 GINKA SERIES
NEWS
NoticeClosure and shipping suspension over the public-holiday weekend (Japanese) NoticeSummer holiday closure and shipping suspension (Japanese) ImportantChange to workshop visiting hours: please book before you visit (Japanese)
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Know the steel, and bring out the best in the steel.
Know the fire, and bring out the best in the fire.
Know the water, and bring out the best in the water.
Know people, and bring out the best in people.
That is the company we want to be.

Mr. Ashi, President, Ashi Cutlery Works芦 博志

PRODUCTS

Our knives

A tool you use every day deserves uncompromising craftsmanship. Find the one you will keep for a lifetime. Every product below is available from our online shop.

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ORIGINAL BRAND ─ SINCE 1988

GINKA Series銀香

Our original brand, launched in 1988 as the first knives in Sakai made through integrated production. At a time when the common wisdom was that stainless steel does not rust but does not cut either, we kept researching steels, heat treatment and grinding until we had the edge of carbon steel with the easy care of stainless. GINKA knives are easy to sharpen and easy to look after.

GINKA series in the shop

OUTDOOR

LOG Knife

¥9,400leather sheath included

Named after the log house. The handle is a piece of natural wood, so no two knives share the same grain. The blade is sharp stainless cutlery steel.

Overall approx. 195 mm / blade approx. 85 mm / 2.0 mm thick · engraving available

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FOR FAMILY

With Motherおかあさんといっしょ

from ¥9,700S, L or a pair

The concept is a gentle shape. Made so that parents and children can enjoy cooking together, with a rounded design. S and L share the same edge; S also suits adults as a small knife.

S: 130 mm blade / L: 170 mm blade · Swedish stainless steel, white ash handle

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TENKOKU

Seal-carving Knives篆刻刀

from ¥10,500twisted-cord grip

Knives for carving stone seals. They bite the stone cleanly and are easy to control. Besides the cord-wrapped grip, four special designs are available: Ryumon, Rokkaku, Mantetsu and Dentetsu.

Special designs ¥20,000 each

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CRAFT

Fukurou福来

¥4,000

A small forged piece made with our blacksmithing skills. Use it as a paperweight or an ornament. A popular gift.

Engraving and gift wrapping available

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Custom orders

We also make specialty blades. Tell us how you will use it and the size of your hand, and we will make the knife to match, starting from the choice of steel and handle.

About custom orders

Options at purchase

Choose to suit the way you cook. Let us know your preferences when you order.

  • Steelstainless or carbon
  • HandleWestern or Japanese style
  • Engravinga name or initials
  • Gift wrappingour original box and paper

PROCESS

How a knife is made

The work falls into three stages: forging, grinding and handling. Every step, from design to final inspection and shipping, happens in our own workshop.

鍛冶Kaji ─ Forging

  1. ForgingThe steel is heated and hammered, worked into the rough shape of a knife. It is then reheated and cooled slowly to relieve the stress of forging (annealing).
  2. ShapingPresses, cutters and grinders bring the blank to the shape of the knife.
  3. Hardening and temperingHeated to the right temperature for the steel and quenched in water or oil, the steel becomes hard and takes an edge. Reheating to 150–220°C adds toughness. Any warp is corrected with a chisel.

研ぎTogi ─ Grinding

  1. Rough grindingA single-side grinder removes excess material and sets the thickness.
  2. Main grindingMounted on a jig called a togibo, the blade is ground to a cutting edge, with any distortion removed as it appears.
  3. Buffing and finish grindingA buff of layered cloth wheels, dressed with abrasive, polishes the surface of the blade.

柄つけEtsuke ─ Handling

  1. Western handlesThe scales are riveted on, shaped with sandpaper and polished with wax.
  2. Japanese handlesThe tang is heated with a burner and burned into the wooden handle. To keep it from loosening or corroding, the handle is removed once and then fixed with adhesive.
Inspection and boxingEvery knife is checked one by one for chips and flaws before it ships.

CRAFTSMANSHIP

The secret of the edge:
the hamaguri grind.ハマグリ刃

Heat treatment that brings out the best in each steel, and blades finished by hand by skilled craftsmen. In the sharpening stage in particular, the blade is ground into a subtly convex profile known as a hamaguri (clamshell) edge, a shape only handwork can achieve. It gives the knife a keen edge that is also resistant to chipping. Each blade is ground as thin as it can go, judged one by one by eye and hand. It is work that demands great skill.

Gentle convex curve = hamaguri edge Sharp, yet strong
CROSS-SECTION OF THE EDGE (SCHEMATIC)

SHARPENING / REHANDLING

Sharpening and handle repair

We sharpen and re-handle knives whether or not they were made by us. The knife you use every day, or the one at the back of the drawer, can be brought back to life. This service is offered within Japan.

Sharpening fees (guide)

Petty knife
from ¥800
Santoku
from ¥1,100
Other knives and scissors
on request
Handle repair or replacement
on request

Fees depend on the condition and size of the knife. We confirm the price after inspecting the knife. Some knives cannot be repaired.

How it works

  1. Order in the shopPurchase "Sharpening" in our online shop.
  2. Send the knifeWrap the blade in cardboard and pack it safely for the post to our workshop in Sakai.
  3. Confirm the feeOnce it arrives, we quote the sharpening fee plus return postage, and you pay.
  4. Sharpened and returnedShipped within a week of payment, as a rule.

Postage both ways is paid by the customer, including return postage if a knife proves unrepairable. If you are unsure about the condition of your knife, send us a photo first.

Order sharpening Ask with a photo

MAINTENANCE

Caring for your knife

Keep it clean every day and maintain it regularly, and a knife will hold its edge and serve you for years. Treated with care, it becomes a piece for life.

Everyday care

  • After use, wash in water or hot water and wipe thoroughly dry with a cloth before putting it away.
  • For long storage, apply a thin coat of oil and wrap the knife in newspaper.
  • If rust appears, rub it with a piece of wood or the end of a daikon radish dipped in scouring powder.
  • For heavy rust, use our sharpening service.

How to sharpen

  • A medium stone (#1000) is enough for everyday sharpening; use a coarse stone (#400) to repair chips. Soak the stone for about 15 minutes, until bubbles stop.
  • Hold the knife at 45° to the stone, lifted about 8–9° off the surface, roughly the thickness of two coins.
  • Work slowly from tip to heel using the whole stone. On the front, press on the push stroke; on the back, press on the pull stroke.
  • When a burr forms along the whole edge, sharpen the other side the same number of strokes, then strip the burr on newspaper.

The slurry that forms on the stone is part of sharpening; do not rinse it away. Follow the instructions for your own stone.

From Sakai to kitchens around the world.

Sakai, in Osaka, has been making blades for some 600 years. The city's craftsmen have long worked in a division of labour, with forging, sharpening and selling done by separate hands. Ashi Cutlery Works is one of the few makers in Sakai to carry a knife through every step itself, from design to sale.

The skill of Japanese knife-making is now recognised around the world, and our knives are sold overseas through trusted knife shops.

United States United Kingdom Singapore

COMPANY

Company profile

CompanyAshi Cutlery Works Co., Ltd.有限会社 芦刃物製作所
PresidentMr. Ashi芦 博志
FoundedApril 1948, as a sole proprietorship in Shichido-higashi, Sakai
Address14 Namimatsu-cho, Sakai-ku, Sakai, Osaka 590-0912, Japan
ContactTel +81-72-229-4920 / Fax +81-72-228-1689
ginga@ashihamono.com
Hours9:30–16:00 JST, Monday to Friday (closed on Japanese public holidays)
Please book before visiting the workshop.
BusinessManufacture and sale of knives and cutlery
Employees8 / Capital ¥9,000,000
Tax registrationQualified invoice issuer no. T8120102000250

History

1948
Founded as a sole proprietorship in Shichido-higashi, Sakai
1980
Incorporated as Ashi Cutlery Works Co., Ltd.
1986
LOG Knife released
1987
"Amasu" series of Western-style knives released
1988
"GINKA" series of Western-style knives released
1994
"With Mother" released
1998
Commended as an excellent company by Osaka Prefecture

Orders & inquiries

+81-72-229-4920

9:30–16:00 JST · MON–FRI

Customers outside Japan: please contact us by email at
ginga@ashihamono.com

Inquiry form Online shop
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Access

  • Nankai Main Line, Shichido Station7 min walk
  • Nankai Koya Line, Asakayama Station12 min walk
  • Hankai Tramway, Takasu-jinja Station3 min walk