Annaka Uchihamono is a forged type of farm tool and blade passed down in Annaka, Gunma Prefecture. Annaka was once a region where sericulture flourished, and from the Meiji era onward many blacksmiths were active there forging the farm tools essential to agricultural work; place names related to blacksmithing still remain within the old city of Annaka today. The uchihamono technique - shaping heated iron and steel by repeatedly hammering it - is connected to the craft of forging Japanese swords, and unlike blades mass-produced with a mold, each piece is finished by hand, one at a time, by a craftsman. Farm tools such as the kusakaki (weeding hoe) and tekuwa (hand hoe) combine durability with a supple feel in use, while blades such as kitchen knives and trimming hoes are prized for their sharp cutting edge. Today, blacksmith workshops such as Honke Matsunaga Seisakusho and Yamazaki Seisakusho continue to uphold this traditional handcraft, making tools that, through repeated repair, can be used for a long time.
Origin
Annaka was once a region where sericulture flourished, and from the Meiji era onward many blacksmiths were active there forging the farm tools essential to agricultural work. Place names related to blacksmithing still remain within the old city of Annaka, suggesting that each town and village once had its own blacksmith making tools. Blacksmiths who specialized in blades and farm implements were known as nokaji (village blacksmiths), and they continued to make tools suited to the local land while supporting the region's farming and daily life. Annaka Uchihamono is a craft that developed through this history of blacksmithing, which grew up alongside sericulture.
History
Annaka Uchihamono carries on the uchihamono (forged-blade) technique, a method connected to the craft of forging Japanese swords in which heated iron and steel are repeatedly hammered into shape. Unlike stamped blades formed with a mold, each piece is individually hand-forged by a craftsman. Although sericulture and farming have changed with the times, blacksmith workshops such as Honke Matsunaga Seisakusho and Yamazaki Seisakusho continue to preserve traditional methods while also making tools suited to modern life, carrying this well-honed craft forward today.
Features
The hallmark of Annaka Uchihamono is the blacksmith's skill in crafting both farm tools and blades. Farm implements such as the kusakaki (weeding hoe) and tekuwa (hand hoe) combine durability with a supple feel in use, while blades such as kitchen knives, sickles, and trimming hoes are prized for their sharp cutting edge. A major appeal of hand-forged blades is that they can be sharpened and repaired again and again until the blade grows thin, allowing them to be used almost indefinitely, with each piece fitted to feel natural in the user's hand. Because every tool is hand-forged without a mold, even identical items develop subtle differences in character from one piece to the next.
Materials Used
Production Process
- 1
Forging
Iron and steel are heated in a furnace and repeatedly hammered into the shape of a blade or farm tool. This mold-free traditional technique is connected to the craft of forging Japanese swords.
- 2
Shaping and sharpening
The forged metal is shaped to suit its intended use, then given an edge and sharpened. Each tool - whether a kusakaki, tekuwa, kitchen knife, or trimming hoe - receives a finish suited to its purpose.
- 3
Handle fitting and finishing
A handle is fitted to the blade, and the overall balance and usability are adjusted to complete the tool. Through repeated repair and resharpening, it becomes a tool that can be used for a long time.
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Artisans & Workshops
本家松永製作所
A blacksmith workshop in Haraichi, Annaka, founded in 1947 (Showa 22) by Matsunaga Seitaro. It hand-forges items such as weeding hoes, farm hoes, kitchen knives, nata (hatchets), and pruning shears, and continues to make durable tools through repeated repair.
Official site →山崎製作所
A blacksmith workshop in Kamigokan, Annaka, Gunma Prefecture. It specializes in forged farm tools handmade one by one by a certified traditional craftsman, and also makes mochi-pounding mortars hollowed from natural logs, as well as handling blade repairs and custom orders.
Official site →How to Buy
- 本家松永製作所
- A blacksmith workshop in Haraichi, Annaka. Farm tools such as weeding hoes and hoes, and blades such as kitchen knives, nata, and pruning shears, can be purchased through the online shop or at the workshop.Where to buy →PR