Discover the ancient craft of knife making in the heart of Kyoto. Heat iron until it glows orange, hammer it into shape on the anvil, refine the edge on a belt grinder, and walk away with a blade you forged with your own hands under the eye of a master.

Your English-speaking guide collects you from your hotel and travels with you to the Kanetaka Hamono forge in central Kyoto, where the blacksmith introduces the house, the tools, and the steels you will be working with before the forging begins.

Kanetaka Hamono: The Legacy of Kyoto's Blades

Kanetaka Hamono (金高刃物) is a historic cutlery forge that traces its origins to the Edo period, founded in Keian 4 (1651) as a Japanese razor smith under the trade name Fujiwara Kanetaka, and relocating around 1770 to its current site in front of Rokkaku-do Temple, where it has remained a cornerstone of Kyoto's artisan culture ever since. Today, Kanetaka continues to coordinate the finest blades for the city's top artisans, matching each user's needs with the perfect tool: fine cooking knives for Nishiki Market chefs, precision grip scissors for Nishijin weavers, specialised flower-arranging tools for the Ikenobo School of Ikebana, and tools for hyogu (traditional scroll mounting). Having established its shop directly in front of the Ikenobo School's headquarters, Kanetaka enjoys profound trust within the Kado community and maintains an extensive selection of high-quality tools essential for this art.

The steps in this knife making experience

Two steels are used, depending on the workshop you choose: Aogami No. 2 for the single-edged and double-edged beginner courses, and Shiragami No. 2 for the advanced kitchen-knife course. In every case the steel is forged and welded onto an ultra-soft iron base.

① Start with a blank sheet of steel.

② Heat the metal until it glows a burning bright orange.

③ Hammer the iron into shape.

④ Use a belt grinder to further shape the metal.

⑤ Use fire chopsticks to twist the metal into the shape of a knife.

⑥ Polish and sharpen the knife until it is a finished product. Let the teacher know if you want to engrave your name on the knife, or if you want to attach a timber handle to the knife.

You can choose between three knife making workshops

❖① Handle-less Knife Forging Experience

1:00 h ~ (beginner level)

A workshop for making a single-edged knife, suitable for beginners. The steel is Aogami No. 2 on an ultra-soft iron base. You experience the forging, design the knife, shape it on the belt grinder, and the blacksmith engraves your name on request.

❖② Petty Knife Forging Experience

1:00 h ~ (beginner level)

A workshop for making a camping knife or other double-edged knife, again with Aogami No. 2 steel on an ultra-soft iron base. A wooden handle or a Damascus steel upgrade can be added at additional cost (please request this upfront). After the forging and design, the blade is shaped on the belt grinder.

A handle material must be selected for the finished knife. Prices range from ¥5,000 to ¥20,000 depending on the wood or material chosen. This fee is mandatory and paid directly to the workshop on the tour day.

❖③ Kitchen Knife Forging Experience

2:00 h ~ (beginner level)

An advanced-level workshop, where guests forge and weld their own Shiragami No. 2 steel onto an ultra-soft iron base to make a cutout or single-edged knife. After the forging and design, the blade is sharpened and shaped on the belt grinder.

A handle material must be selected for the finished knife. Prices range from ¥5,000 to ¥20,000 depending on the wood or material chosen. This fee is mandatory and paid directly to the workshop on the tour day.

In addition to the participating workshops, two observation options are also available for guests who prefer to attend without forging.

• Visitor (observing without participating). An observer rate for guests who join the forging session without participating in the work, while another guest in the same party takes part. Allowed alongside any participant booking.

• If all members are only observing. A rate for groups visiting the forge purely to observe, with no one in the party participating in the forging itself. The workshop is opened for the visit and the blacksmith walks the group through the process and history of the house. When every participant is booked as Visitor, the rate of ¥20,000 per person applies automatically.

Handle material selection

A handle is required for the finished knife and must be chosen on the tour day. Premium materials are available from our in-house stock at approximately ¥15,000 per handle, with a processing fee of about ¥3,500 added to the final price.

A selection of natural woods is also offered, including ebony pattern, cherry, zelkova, ziricote, and walnut. Prices range from ¥5,000 to ¥20,000 depending on the material, with an additional processing fee of about ¥3,500.

International shipping charges

Shipping fees are charged in addition to the workshop price and paid directly to the workshop on the tour day. The rates below are approximate minimum charges, calculated for 1 to 2 kitchen knives up to 2.0 kg, with taxes, packing and packaging fee included. Additional fees may apply for remote areas.

• Korea, China, Taiwan: ¥2,800~

• South-East Asia: ¥3,000~

• India, Australia: ¥3,200~

• European Union: ¥3,800~

• United States, Canada: ¥4,200~

• Other destinations: ¥6,400~

About Knife Maintenance

After using the knife, make sure to thoroughly wipe off any moisture. If you won't be using it for about 10 days, apply oil to the blade. For longer storage, wrap the knife in newspaper. The ink in the printed sections of the newspaper contains oils that help prevent the blade from deteriorating.

Important Shipping Information

Once your tentative reservation is made, please provide the following shipping information for delivery of the finished knife:

• Name

• Postal code

• Address (including street number)

• Phone number

• Email address

❖Notice for UK residents

Due to restrictions on sending bladed items to the United Kingdom, the knife-making experience cannot be offered to those who need to ship their completed knives to the UK. Workshop visits for observation are still possible.

Some countries may have restrictions on shipping knives, so delivery cannot be guaranteed in all locations. Examples include: United Kingdom, Spain, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, India, Turkey, Qatar, Jordan, Russia, Iran, Cuba, Syria, North Korea, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kerala (India). Even in other countries, customs or local rules may delay or prevent delivery. To be sure, we recommend checking with DHL (or your local delivery service) in your country before booking to confirm the knife can be delivered.

❖Important Notice

Please note that different countries may have regulations regarding the shipment of bladed items. Unfortunately, we are unable to verify specific restrictions for each destination. We kindly ask that you thoroughly check the regulations for your intended shipping destination in advance. In the event that a knife is held at customs and returned, we regret that we will be unable to offer any refunds, including shipping costs.