Blacksmith Satoshi Nakagawa

Who I am

I'm Satoshi Nakagawa, a Japanese blacksmith who's been practicing my craft with passion since I was very young.

I come from the town of Sakai, considered to be the cradle of Japanese cutlery. Centuries ago, the forges of Sakai were mainly dedicated to the creation of katanas: the famous swords of the samurai, the warriors who served the Japanese lords. However, with the modernization of Japan in the 1870s, the role of the samurai gradually disappeared, leading to an evolution in blade manufacture.

Japanese craftsmanship then diversified into the creation of blades for various tools adapted to different professions. For example, sickles and machetes for agriculture, but also Japanese kitchen knives.

To preserve the heritage of katana forging, the ancestral Honyaki blade technique (used for forging swords) has been transposed to handcrafted knives, offering performance worthy of the famous Japanese swords. In this way, the know-how of the blacksmiths of yesteryear has been preserved down through the generations to the present day.

When I was young, I worked in a restaurant while finishing my studies, and it was there that I met the man who taught me everything: master blacksmith Kenichi Shiraki. So, at the age of 18, I joined his company to learn the art of Japanese knife forging.

I worked there for 16 years, and when my mentor retired, I set up my own workshop in 2021. I now forge handcrafted Japanese knives under my own name or for brands such as Kagekiyo.

My work

I seek to preserve Japanese tradition by using ancestral forging methods to create top-of-the-range handcrafted knives.

My area of expertise is Honyaki knives, a technique inspired by the manufacture of katanas. It requires the creation of a blade from a single piece of high-quality steel, with a very precise multi-stage tempering process, only achievable by experienced blacksmiths.

I specialize in the use of Japanese Aogami steel, an expensive material used by experienced craftsmen to avoid losses.

I also master all kinds of traditional forging techniques to make knives in carbon, stainless steel such as VG10, or to produce quality damascened blades.

Our favorite knife

Our team's favorite knife is the Kagekiyo Suri Urushi 18cm handmade Japanese santoku knife!

This handcrafted Japanese knife features a blade with a typically Japanese San Mai structure: a rigid core surrounded by a softer layer. The blade's core is made of Japanese Yasuki White Steel 2, an extremely fine alloy with a hardness of 61HRC Rockwell. It's a blade with an efficient, long-lasting cutting edge!

The blade's finish gives it an elegant look, and it's also adorned with hand-engraved kanji to add a touch of authenticity.

The handle is made of magnolia wood, a robust species carved into an octagonal shape for optimum grip. The handle has also been black lacquered by an expert in Nagano Prefecture, giving this handcrafted Japanese knife its distinctive character!

Discover many damask knives on KnifeLeader.eu!