Nakaya Heiji Kiridashi Swedish Carbon Steel & Iron Burnt in Pawlonia Box

Knives made at Nakaya Heiji a six generation family blacksmithing shop established in 1848 are hand made with traditional techniques and select materials in Mito City, Ibaraki prefecture. Nakaya Heiji tools and knives represent the confluence of a number of important blacksmithing and blade making craft lineages from Mito and Sanjo, their output is small and we are honored to carry their work.

Nakaya Heiji is currently led by Osamu Takeishi who is the 6th generation at Heiji. Originally a saw making operation Heiji became famous for their saws but business declined as disposible saws enterred the Japanese market in the 1960s and 70s at which point 5th generaton Heiji blacksmith (and Osamu's father) Yoshifumi Takeishi went to work with Usui Kengo in Niigata to learn knife making and was also introduced to Shigeyoshi Iwasaki who helped him further master his smithing.

Osamu Takeishi-san began an apprenticeship at Yoshikane Hamono in Sanjo in 2003 and came back to join his father at Nakaya Heiji making carpentry tools, culinary knives and more.

Heiji knives vary slightly one to the next, from a random selection these are the dimensions:

53mm cutting edge, 220mm overall, 135 grams