Ueda Cutlery
“Each swing of my hammer brings forth our ancestral traditions and techniques from centuries past. These knives were forged and crafted with my hands and heart. I hope you will use and cherish them for years and years to come.”
Master Ueda and Family are from the southern island of Kyushu in the prefecture of Kumamoto. Yoshifusa Ueda is the 4th generation and works alongside his prodigy and 5th generation, Yoshitaka Ueda. Please read the below messages from Master Ueda.
Our origins date back over 800 years. It all started in 1193 when a lord named Sagara was ordered to relocate from the Enshu region to govern the region of Hitoyoshi where our special forging started in the island of Kyushu. This was the time when the basic forging techniques of our area were established, combining the old styles of Hitoyoshi and Enshu.
During this time Hitoyoshi was sandwiched between two powerful lords, Hosokawa of the north and Shimazu of the south. Due to its relatively smaller territory and its geographical disadvantages, the Hitoyoshi samurais had to farm their own food, and when necessary, fight against the neighboring lords. This was when a variety of multi-functional tools were created; tools for both farming, cooking and fighting. To satisfy the needs of the Hitoyoshi samurai for superior multi-functional tools, blacksmiths developed skills and knowledge to forge extremely sharp and durable cutlery. Even today, this same cutlery is forged for day to day use in this area, and is truly a form of functional art. Please enjoy your knife that has been forged with the inherited skills and traditions of Hitoyoshi.
~Ueda