Why choosing Japanese blades?
For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by martial arts, ninjas and samurais. I know, it's clearly a cultural vulgarization of oriental countries, but as a child, I didn't know the difference. There were katanas, ninja stars, shuriken, grappling hooks, and all sorts of intriguing weapons and paraphernalia.
This cinematic influence clearly piqued my curiosity about Japanese culture: their attention to detail, a dedication to the perfection of their art, and their legendary patience. Three qualities that, let's just say, I would have liked to see a little more developed in my natural character.
At the age of 17, I had a vision (probably after seeing Kill Bill and admiring the role of Hatori Enzo, the mythical katana smith created to serve Uma Thurman and her revenge), that I would one day forge a Japanese katana. It has even become an item on my bucket list. Check!
My interest in knives and sharp objects was undoubtedly influenced by the movies of the 90's and 2000's, but I also believe that I carry within me (from a past life surely), the baggage of a blacksmith from the medieval era. Whether one believes in past lives or not, the call for me to make knives was clear.
As I began my knife making adventure, I quickly realized that my interest, once again, was in Japanese influences. And after many explorations between the various influences of kitchen knife styles, here is why I chose to specialize in making Japanese inspired blades.
Performance: Japanese blades have a very fine geometry. Especially for vegetable knives (90% of my production). This allows for a cut that requires very little effort, and therefore an exceptional experience for the user.
Beware, a hard and thin steel can "chip" if used in a twisting motion!
Steels are often forged in a multi-layer configuration. San mai (3 layers, literally), go mai (5 layers), or damascus. This process gives special properties to the resulting blade:
resistance to oxidation if the additional layers are made of stainless steel
better mechanical resilience if the layers are made of mild steel
Possibility to forge thinner blades, because they resist the severity of thermal hardening
The ease of maintenance for the user is increased. Blades are (if designed with this intention in mind) easier to sharpen and keep sharp over the long term.
Of course, this is without mentioning the simplicity of the design, the mysterious and sacred nature of Japanese techniques, the elegance and grace of the gesture practiced for years. But all this is subjective and remains a matter of personal preference.
So expect to see more Japanese inspirations in my work, both in the processes and in the results. And I will do my best to continue sharing with you the processes, wins and fails, tips and insides of my passion.
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