Echizen forged knives facts for kids
Echizen forged knives are amazing traditional knives. They are made in Echizen City, which is in the Fukui prefecture of Japan. What makes these knives so special are two unique techniques. They are called Nimai hiroge (which means double layering) and Mawashi hagane tsuke (which means shaping the knife). These special methods helped Echizen forged knives become the very first traditional craft for forged knives in Japan back in 1979.
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A Long History of Knife Making
The story of Echizen forged knives began a very long time ago. It started in the early 1300s, during a period called the Nanboku-cho period. In 1337, a skilled sword maker named Kuniyasu Chiyotsuru moved to the area. This place was then known as Echizen no kuni, which is now Echizen City.
He started making sickles for the local farmers. Sickles are tools with curved blades used for cutting crops. While he was there, he figured out how to make these tools for many people. Soon, many others started making tools using his techniques. Because of this, Echizen City became a very important place for making farming tools.
Becoming Famous Across Japan
During the Edo period, from the 1600s to the 1800s, merchants from Echizen traveled all over Japan. They went to big cities like Osaka and Tokyo to sell these tools. People quickly realized how good these products were. They were light and very sharp! This high quality made the forged knives from Echizen City famous throughout Japan.
Today, Echizen forged knives are not just sickles and kitchen knives. They also make many other tools. For example, they make hatchets, which are used for cutting trees.
How Echizen Knives Are Made
Two main steps make Echizen forged knives special. These are Nimai hiroge and Mawashi hagane tsuke.
- Nimai hiroge (Double Layering)
This step makes the knife blade thin and strong. The metal is made of two layers. Workers use a fast machine hammer to beat both sides of these layers. This stretches the metal evenly and makes the blade thin.
- Mawashi hagane tsuke (Shaping the Knife)
In this step, the very tip of the knife blade is carefully sharpened. It is shaped to be very precise, almost like the sharp point of a diamond. This makes the knife extremely sharp and ready to use.
Knife Making Groups
There are a few important groups that help keep the tradition of Echizen forged knives alive:
- Echizen Forged Knives Cooperative Association
- Takefu Knife Village Cooperative Association
- Takefu Knives Wholesale Commerce Cooperative Association
Images for kids
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A map showing Echizen City in Japan.
