Tadafusa Knife Workshop

Tadafusa's history began when first-generation Torasaburo Sone set up a small knife workshop in postwar Sanjo. In a land known as a blacksmith town, it has held to a style of handling each knife from forging through finishing, producing a wide range of blades — home and professional knives, soba-cutters, and fishing and harvesting blades. After incorporation, a name change and generational succession, the company is now led by third-generation Tadayuki Sone.

In the 2010s, the company took a fresh look at what knives a kitchen truly needs, and the concept "Tadafusa Knife Workshop: Basic Three, Next One" was born. The series, anchored by a gyuto, petty and bread knife, applies detailed ingenuity — a structure combining blade steel and stainless, and a proprietary handle shape — to balance sharp cutting performance with everyday maintainability. Through design awards at home and abroad and handling by many select shops, its presence has spread worldwide.

Tadafusa's "workshop creed" lists phrases such as: continuing to pass on Sanjo's blacksmith skills to future generations; protecting the region's scale and employment; not fearing to change what should change while preserving what should be kept; and "making this a craft that the children of Sanjo can aspire to." Activities such as factory tours, work experiences for children and participation in local events are also places to put these ideas into practice.

With the launch of an official online shop and the development of an authorized-dealer network, Tadafusa knives have in recent years reached users across Japan and overseas. While preparing content that lets users learn to sharpen at home and a system to request re-sharpening from the workshop, it seeks to carry its stance — "putting heart into that cutting edge" — on to the next generation.

Handcrafted knife-making carried on in the blacksmith town of Sanjo

Tadafusa is a maker that has continued knife-making across three generations, beginning with first-generation Torasaburo Sone, who became independent in Sanjo soon after the war. Handling forging, blade-setting, sharpening and finishing in-house, it crafts blade shapes and balance suited to each use — from home and professional knives to soba-cutting and harvesting blades. A distinctive point is that it values preserving the whole region's technical inheritance and employment as part of its own role.

Kitchen staples rethought through the "Basic Three, Next One" concept

The signature "Tadafusa Knife Workshop" series consists of the "Basic Three" — centered on a gyuto, petty and bread knife — and the "Next One" you may want to add afterward. Free from the Japanese-versus-Western divide, it reorganizes the tasks needed in modern home cooking, proposing a knife set-up you can choose without hesitation. Through collaboration with product designers and typographers, it also aims for a beautiful presence even when left out on the counter.

Antibacterial carbonized-wood handles & cutting boards: hygiene and a gentle feel

The "antibacterial carbonized wood" used for handles and cutting boards is a proprietary material made by carbonizing domestic chestnut at high temperature, so it dries readily even inside and resists warping and cracking. It drains well and tends to suppress bacterial growth, while still offering the soft feel unique to wood. Matching the knife handle and cutting board in the same material and tone also helps keep the whole kitchen looking tidy.

An "ongoing relationship" through factory shop, tours and re-sharpening

The "Tadafusa Knife Workshop Factory Shop" is attached to the workshop grounds in Sanjo, offering a place to choose while handling products in person. Factory tours, work experiences for children, and re-sharpening and repair services run year-round — opening a window not for "buy and done" but for the learning and maintenance needed to keep using a knife for a long time. It also shares the appeal of the Tsubame-Sanjo production region through local events and media.