My name is Masaya Shimizu. I work in the sharpening department of Yamawaki Cutlery. I am from Wakayama Prefecture, which is a little south of Osaka. I worked as a nurse for a while, but then I felt that I really wanted to make things. That's why I am at this company.

About my mistake, when I just started this job. One day, I had a very thin blade. My instructor told me that they were dangerous. When I put chisels in to remove distortion, the blade was so thin that 11 out of 20 chisels penetrated the blade. That was my biggest mistake.

As my skills gradually increase, I am entrusted with expensive knives and other items. The greatest sense of accomplishment comes when I complete those knives.

The most important thing for a sharpening craftsman is the way he looks at a knife. A good knife has no bends and no unevenness on the surface. When removing the distortion or looking at the unevenness, we hold the knife up to a fluorescent light and look at the movement of the light. It is very difficult to acquire this skill. Once you understand the movement of the light, you are full-grown somewhat.

Our company's policy is not to create that unevenness. Or rather, it is something we take care of. It may not be a tip, but I think that's what's important.

I think the main use of Japanese kitchen knives and single-edged knives overseas is when eating raw fish. Therefore, I think they are often used for the first time. Some people may use a new knife when they start eating raw food. I believe our company's quality is top-level in Sakai. Quality is about the bends and irregularities I mentioned earlier. The reason why it is good without curves and unevenness is that knives are easy to maintain without them. When sharpening, unevenness and bends change the shape of the blade.

The more you sharpen knives, the more they soon become damaged. But a beautiful knife becomes smaller and smaller as it is used, and can be used for a long time. Of course, we are proud of the sharpness of our knives. I hope you will use our knives.