Echizen Uchihamono

When a swordsmith from Kyoto came to this area in search of raw materials at the beginning of the Muromachi period (1392-1573), it seems they made some sickles of the local farmers and this marked the beginning of forging in the area. During the Edo period (1600-1868) with patronage from the Fukui clan, blades made in Echizen were sold all over the country. In 1980, Echizen Uchihamono was the first production center for forged blades to be awarded the nationally recognized Traditional Craft Product accolade. Knives, scissors, hatchets and sickles are the main products being fashioned using time honored Japanese forging skills before being finished by hand.

Fukui