Miki / Banshū (Hyōgo) · Curation

Two Hyōgo workshops to explore beyond the regions represented in your cabinet.

Producers to know

Shigeki Tanaka · Tanaka Kazuyuki Hamono

The fourth head of a Miki sickle-making family turned its hand-forging skills to kitchen knives. Look for Shigeki's full name; Sakai's Yoshikazu Tanaka is a different smith.

Okeya · Akihito Fujiwara

The Fujiwara family has made blades in Miki since 1927. Fourth-generation maker Akihito carries its small-tool tradition into compact kitchen patterns.

Knives and lines to seek

Shigeki Tanaka Blue #2 Damascus Gyuto 240 mm

A full-length gyuto with a Blue #2 core and patterned soft-iron cladding. Choose it if you want the whole blade face to develop a patina as you cook.

Okeya VG10 Hammered Bunka 165 mm

The short, pointed profile makes close work with the tip easy. A double bevel and stainless cladding make this an everyday counterpoint to Tanaka's reactive gyuto.