Takamura Hamono Knives

Takamura Hamono is a relatively small factory in Echizen Japan. In this factory, knives are made entirely by hand by Mr. Toshiaki Takamura and his three sons. The factory was founded in 1910 by their grandfather Isamu Takamura and has remained a family business ever since. Of all the knife brands we sell, Takamura knives are among one of our favorites. You can read why here.

The three pillars of a good knife

"If you leave out one component, you cannot make a quality knife," Mr. Toshiaki Takamura

Unlike many other Japanese knife makers, every part of manufacturing a knife is done by them. They believe that a good knife consists of three pillars namely; the right material, the right forging technique and the right sharpening method. If one of these three components is missing then the knife can never be of exceptional quality. Therefore, these three pillars form Takamura's logo.

Secret forging technique

To make sure they have the right material, the forging and hardening of the steel is done by themselves. They use the best steel (R2 powder steel and VG10) from the best factory.

Although these steels can also be bought by other manufacturers, their own forging technique ensures a quality that is difficult to be imitated by others. Because of the quality of his work, Mr. Toshiaki Takamura has been honored with the title of Modern/Contemporary Master Craftsman.

Harder, Sharper, More Precise

The combination of the high quality of jet steel and their forging technique ensure that the knives have a very high hardness, stay sharp longer and yet are less brittle than other brands. Despite the high hardness, the blades are still quite flexible. This allows you to cut even more precisely.

10,000 hammer blows a day

Grinding is also done differently at Takamura than we are used to. Hideo Takamura hits more than 10,000 times a day with a heavy (homemade) hammer to keep the sharpening stone in optimal shape. As a result, water flows effortlessly between the stone and the blade.

This prevents the steel from heating during sharpening and maintains its hardness. This is something we have never seen before. That so much attention is given to small details proves Takamura's passion.

A look inside the factory

What is really sharp?

A knife is easily called sharp but a really sharp knife gives a special feeling. A really sharp knife cuts completely through ingredients without bruising, breaking or crushing them. As a result, cells are not broken and you don't lose flavor and aroma as a result.

According to Toshiaki Takamura, testing a good knife will put a smile on your face as soon as you get to cut something. The ease with which you cut through ingredients automatically makes you want to be a better cook.

"WOW! that's extremely sharp..."

The great thing is that we figured this out ourselves before we even read this quote of his. Every time a customer tests a Takamura knife with us you hear WOW and see a wide smile.

Takamura knives are known as one of the sharpest knives available. The sharpness along with the extra thin blade provides a cutting experience that few other brands can offer. Even when the knives get a little blunter they still cut through all types of meat, fish, vegetables and fruits with ease.

Some user videos

Best tested
In the Swedish knife test by Smartson (Swedish research center), the Takamura came out on top. Thus, this brand won over famous brands such as Global, Sabatier, Wusthof and Porsche. View the review here
The Synergie series is Takamura's "entry-level" series in this regard. The R2 series stay sharp much longer so you get even more value for your money.

Notoriety
Despite the quality of their knives, Takamura is not a well-known brand. This is because it is a small company run by the family. Their knives carry the family name as their brand and should exude the highest quality. Therefore, they go for quality and not quantity.

You will never find their knives at wholesale. Nor do they work with stock. All knives are made to order.

Limited stock
We respect (as a family business) this choice and are raving about Takamura. However, this does mean that our stock is also limited. We do our best to always have the knives in stock but this cannot always be guaranteed. Delivery times sometimes vary from 6 months to a year.

Series we have as standard

Hana Damascus series
SG-2 Powder steel with Damask and Octagon handle
62:63 Rockwell

R2 series
SG-2 Powder steel with pakka wood handle
62:63 Rockwell

VG10 series
VG-10 with Hammersmith and pakka wood handle
61 Rockwell

Chromax series
Stainless steel with 2 layers of stainless steel
64:65 Rockwell

Interested
Should you be interested in a Takamura knife but can't afford it right now? Then let us know and we will do our best to reserve one for you.

See all the knives we have in stock here

Interviews with the Takamura brothers

Famous chefs who use Takamura knives