Goh Umanosuke Yoshihiro—Sakai Hon-yaki Knives Carrying on the Legacy of a Renowned Swordsmith

In Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture—known as the “City of Blades”—Yamawaki Cutlery Works’ flagship brand, “Goh Umanosuke Yoshihiro,” has been crafting high-quality Japanese kitchen knives for nearly 100 years since its founding in 1927 (Showa 2). The brand name is derived from Gō Yoshihiro, a renowned swordsmith active during the Kamakura period who is counted among the “Three Great Swordsmiths of the Realm.” Following the lineage of Masakuni, the Edo-period swordsmith who carried on his name, it was registered as Yamawaki Cutlery Works’ flagship brand in 1950 (Shōwa 25). In the Sakai cutlery district, where division of labor is the norm, the company established an integrated production system—handling everything from forging to sharpening in-house—at an early stage. It has earned high acclaim from chefs around the world for its production of top-quality Japanese kitchen knives, including those featuring the “mizuyaki hon-yaki” heat-treatment method.

Three Reasons Why Chefs and Collectors Worldwide Seek out Gō Umanori Yoshihiro Knives

1. In-house, end-to-end process including “sharpening”—a commitment to sharpness at the time of shipment

In Sakai, it is traditional for “forging” and “sharpening” to be handled by separate craftsmen. Amid this tradition, Yamawaki Cutlery Works established its own in-house sharpening facility early on, building a system that handles the entire process, including sharpening, in-house. Our commitment to “sharpness right out of the box”—ensuring the knife is ready to use immediately upon unpacking—is a strength made possible precisely because we handle the sharpening in-house.

2. The Art of Hon-yaki, Carrying On the Legacy of the Renowned Swordsmith “Gō Yoshihiro”

The brand name originates from Gō Yoshihiro, a renowned swordsmith of the Kamakura period (one of the “Three Great Swordsmiths of the Realm,” alongside Masamune and Yoshimitsu). The production of hon-yaki knives began within the lineage of Masakuni, an Edo-period swordsmith who inherited that name, and the brand was registered as Yamawaki’s flagship brand in Showa 25. Specializing in “hon-yaki”—the most technically challenging method of forging from a single piece of steel where the edge and the base metal form a single unit—and particularly in the Sakai-style mizuyaki hon-yaki, these knives attract chefs and collectors alike with their razor-sharp cutting performance, long-lasting edge retention, and beautiful hamon.

3. The “Connoisseur” Who Refines Blades Forged by Master Craftsmen × High Acclaim Both Domestically and Abroad

Blades forged by renowned blacksmiths from across the country are refined by Yoshihiro’s sharpening artisans. Their keen eye and masterful finishing techniques underpin the brand’s quality. The brand has established a strong reputation not only in Japan but also overseas—even before the recent boom in Japanese kitchen knives—and has been certified as part of the Sakai Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s “Sakai Master Craftsmen” program.