Have you ever tried making a kitchen knife before? There are many steps involved, often going through multiple different artisans and craftspeople. But what if there was a simpler version?

Introducing our Paper-Cutting Knifemaking Workshop, which lets you turn a piece of metal into a functional paper-cutting knife in just two hours! This is a great workshop for individuals or families who want to learn about knifemaking. We offer it at ICHITOI, the second floor of Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide's main office.

Visit us and learn how a simple knife can be made with just a few tools!

Table of Contents

  1. Workshop Contents
  2. Why We're Doing It
  3. Dates and Prices
  4. How to Book

Workshop Contents

This workshop takes approximately two hours and involves five key steps.

 

Forging

Starting off with a piece of metal, you will tighten its structure by hammering it out.

Cutting and Shaping

You will trace one of three styles of knife shape into the metal, and cut the shape out with our help!

Filing

To create a smooth surface, you will file some sides and parts of the knife down. Easier than it sounds!

Deburring and Sharpening

You will remove any burrs on the knife from filing, then sharpen it with a whetstone to make its edge! We will set the knife and stones up, teach you how to sharpen a knife in a safe way, then give you feedback as you sharpen it yourself.

Handlemaking

Using a string, one of our small key charms, and some knotting techniques, you'll fashion a handle for your newly finished paper-cutting knife!

 

Each segment takes approximately 25 minutes, and you will get to take the paper-cutting knife home with you. We will wrap the knife up in a way that makes it safe for transportation.

This activity is suitable to do for one to two active participants at a time, but can be done by up to four. Families can also participate, if you want to share the workload or make one knife for many of you. With adult supervision, this activity is suitable for those aged five and up.

Why We're Doing It

The reason we host this workshop is to educate about Japanese knifemaking and show how much work goes into it, as well as the importance of maintaining your knives over replacing them.

Currently, some data suggests that over 50% of people do not use whetstones; they either use a simple pull sharpener (which can damage knives easily) or simply replace their knives with new ones. And when people do replace their knives, over 50% of them buy knives at 100-yen stores, discount stores, supermarkets, and home centers.

We want to encourage people to buy good knives, maintain them, and use them for many years. We feel demonstrating the process helps people connect to the artisanship behind knifemaking more.

While we could have opted for a more full course kitchen knifemaking experience, this method is significantly easier, more accessible, and cheaper for people to do.

This is a fun workshop designed to not take too much time out of your day, that rewards you at the end with a practical knife to use around the home that is one-of-one, as it is a knife that you made with your own hands and effort.

Dates and Prices

We hold this workshop once a month, however we do also take custom reservations in advance if you want to do it on a particular day.

You can see our upcoming workshop dates on our Japanese ICHITOI webpage.

The cost is ¥4,000 (tax included) per knife being made. Please note that this experience cannot be purchased tax-free.

How to Book

There are two ways you can book for this event.

If you live in Japan, you can book directly through our Japanese ICHITOI website.

If you will be travelling through Japan, you can book a session by messaging us through our contact page.

On event days, we can sometimes take on-the-day reservations or walk-ins, but this is not guaranteed.

For any custom reservations, please reach out to us via our contact page.