How the Best Western-Style Knives are Made in Japan
Japanese-style knives come out of the forge one by one. With great skill and precision, artisans make knives that last a lifetime. They take great care and time to prevent failures during processing. This also means handmade knives are rarer. Demand outscales supply and will for some time as we train future generations.
What about Western-style knives though? Are they mass-produced in factories? What makes them different from a knife I can get at the supermarket or dollar store?
While inexpensive knives are sometimes mass-produced, many are handmade too. Hand production is how we make ours!
Our SWORD-FV10 series is still in a manner of speaking mass-production, yet it is by hand instead. In effect, they are "mass hand-produced." They might look the same as machine-produced knives. But, from polishing to engraving, there are many ways to spot a mass hand-produced knife.
Mass hand-production makes a knife that is high-quality and easier to scale. Plus, this style has had many inspections and iterations to reach its current result.
It's much more labor-intensive than you might think. This article will show you what's involved.
From Steel Billet to Finished Knife
Enjoy our video showing how we make these knives step by step! This video is in English, and a Japanese version is available.
The video is more in-depth than this article, at least about the production cycle. If you are curious about the smaller details we recommend you watch it.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more videos like this! If you visit us in-store, we have a special card of this thumbnail you can take as a souvenir.
Carefully Crafted Manufacturing Processes
There are many steps behind making a high-quality, hand-processed knife. Before a knife reaches the cutting board, it goes through all these steps first - and more!
Quality checking is constant throughout the process. While this takes more time, it means quality is not sacrificed.
We call knives processed like these single-steel knives. You can read more about them in this article!
Step 1
Metal Pressing
Step 6
Tempering
Step 11
Handle Attaching
Step 2
Clasp Making
Step 7
Lead Dipping
Step 12
Handle Buffing
Step 3
Quench and Cool
Step 8
Fixing Distortions
Step 13
Edge Sharpening
Step 4
Fixing Distortions
Step 9
Engraving
Step 14
Cleaning/Packing
Step 5
Sub-Zero Treatment
Step 10
Clasp Attaching
Step 15
In-store Check
Step 1
Metal Pressing
Step 6
Steel Tempering
Step 11
Handle Attaching
Step 2
Clasp Making
Step 7
Lead Dipping
Step 12
Handle Buffing
Step 3
Quench and Cool
Step 8
Fixing Distortions
Step 13
Edge Sharpening
Step 4
Fixing Distortions
Step 9
Logo Engraving
Step 14
Cleaning & Packing
Step 5
Sub-Zero Treatment
Step 10
Clasp Attaching
Step 15
In-store Check
Step 1
Metal Pressing
Step 2
Clasp Making
Step 3
Quench and Cool
Step 4
Fixing Distortions
Step 5
Sub-Zero Treatment
Step 6
Steel Tempering
Step 7
Lead Dipping
Step 8
Fixing Distortions
Step 9
Logo Engraving
Step 10
Clasp Attaching
Step 11
Handle Attaching
Step 12
Handle Buffing
Step 13
Edge Sharpening
Step 14
Cleaning & Packing
Step 15
In-store Check
The Unique Features of SWORD-FV10 Western Knives
Made from VG10 Stainless Steel
VG10 stainless steel is famous in knifemaking; it's made from high purity raw materials, and is known for being both hard and durable.
It also has good machinability, making VG10 knives easier to resharpen.
We recommend this steel with confidence, as it meets all the requirements for a good knife. It's sharp, holds its edge, and is easier to sharpen.
Single-steel manufacturing
Knifemakers harden and sharpen VG10 Single-Steel knives from only one sheet of steel.
While they have harder cutting edges than clad or Damascus-finished VG10 knives, they are weak to impact damage if made by taking shortcuts.
Knifemaking mastery and time is needed to properly quench the knife and fix any distortions, as well as to create a longlasting and sharp cutting edge.
Easy-to-grip Handle
The hand-polished handle contains a nickel-silver ferrule. This gives the knife a luxurious feeling.
Extra polishing further rounds the handle and brings out the purple-black color of the wood. Plus, it makes the knife comfortable, even in smaller hands.
This type of handle allows for longer periods of use without getting tired. This is important for those who cook for longer periods, such as in a restaurant.
FV10 is hard, and holds its edge for a long time! It's perfect for home use and as a gift that will last a lifetime.