Why did HITOHIRA choose to engrave artisans' knives with its name and release them rather than forging knives directly?
When encountering the fact that a kitchen knife brand does not have its own forge, one might wonder what role it plays. We look into the background behind focusing on distribution and selection instead of a manufacturing workshop.
This is because HITOHIRA chose the path of a specialized trading company that selects outstanding knives from artisans and delivers them to the world, rather than operating a forge directly.
HITOHIRA is not a forge that heats iron. It is closer to a specialized trading company that gathers orders coming from overseas, engraves knives with its name, and exports them[1]. Instead of setting up its own workshop to forge directly, it rigorously selects knives embodying functional craftsmanship and outstanding steel, and commissions skilled artisans to make its original products[2].
The starting point touches upon culture rather than knives. The brand name was also created from the idea of wanting to share even a single piece of Japanese culture and sprout the seeds of culture in other countries[3]. In other words, they considered that becoming a mediator who unearths the unique skills of artisans from various regions and connects them with chefs around the world was better suited to spreading culture than directly imitating techniques.
The pathway has broadened. Today, it supplies more than 3,000 types of kitchen knives engraved with unique names to 17 specialty stores across 10 countries worldwide[4]. hmmm, even without directly hammering iron, bridging the hands that make and the hands that use with a strict eye is also a profound attitude that builds a brand.
We have not yet confirmed the specific evaluation criteria or contracting methods for selecting collaborating artisans.