“Tosa Hokubo” Tosa-forged Cutlery: Japan Brand Project  (No. 151 )

http://hokubo.jp/

The Tosa Hokubo brand will release a series of items made with top-notch techniques that reflect the quality of Tosa-forged cutlery.

Tosa has 400 years of history as a cutlery production center. It is the only place where each blade is made using Japan's traditional hammer-forging skill without die-casting. The furnace to heat iron is called hidoko (fire bed), Hokubo in Tosa's dialect. We named the brand after the Hokubo to preserve the fire bed carefully and nurture high-quality cutting tools born from it. We will promote our brand by focusing on people who are food-oriented and particularly demanding in their tastes.

■Real tool, Tosa Hokubo
Hokubo is a real tool nurtured in the harsh climate and heroic atmosphere of the southern land, Tosa.
Hokubo is a tool created by experienced craftsmen who hammer to forge the red-hot iron, giving a single piece of steel shape and functionality.
Hokubo is made by a traditional process, maximally bringing out the flexibility and intensity of steel.
Hokubo is a tool that dates back to when people pursued things that were genuine, cooperating with the masters of mountain, ocean, agriculture and food.
Hokubo is a tool that you acknowledge the growing pleasure the more you use it, as it transforms itself to suit you.
Hokubo is a tool that inherits Tosa-forged cutlery to enrich life and culture.

■Characteristics of Tosa Hokubo
・Hammer-forged kitchen knives taking full advantage of manual tools
・The handle (grip) of the knife has a Wajima lacquerer's polished finish, created by the popular lacquer artist, Taiichi Kirimoto

■History of Tosa-forged cutlery
The full-fledged prosperity of Tosa-forged cutlery was triggered by the Genna Reformation in 1621, to tide over the financial crunch the Tosa region suffered during those early Edo days. The Reformation pursued to secure forestry resources and conduct promotional policies to develop new fields. Owing to the efforts of Nonaka Kenzan, the then-head of samurai, who pursued to make agriculture and forestry profitable, demand for forged cutlery expanded for use in farming and logging, thereby dramatically improving both the production and quality of Tosa-forged cutlery. Furthermore, the friendly rivalry among the Tosa blacksmiths in those days resulted to produce the greatest cutlery of the country. Though some automation processes were introduced, the tradition and technique of the Edo period have been passed down to today. We seek to promote the goodness of each production area by collaborating with various traditional artifacts.

Our kitchen knives can be customized to match the taste and sense of the users. Please be demanding and own the tool that is specifically made for you.

Utilized local resource: Tosa-forged cutlery
Superb hammer-forging technique that can respond even to a single knife order.

(As of 2008)