During the Meiji Emperor’s modernization of Japan, samurai were no longer allowed to carry daisho, the long and short swords that defined their class. As the market for battle-swords dried up, blacksmiths had to find other ways to monetize their craft. Fortuately for us, Yoshikazu Ikeda carries on the swordmaking tradition as a fourth generation blacksmith creating fantastically sharp knives – only now they’re wielded by a new generation of knife masters – those in the kitchen. Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto gets knives custom made to perfectly fit the size and shape of his hands here in Osaka at Inotada Knife Productions. If you can’t make it all the way out to Osaka, try Union Commerce at

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