Mizuno Tanrenjo

Founded in 1872 in Sakai City, Osaka, Mizuno Tanrenjo represents one of Japan's most prestigious knife-making workshops, with a heritage spanning over 150 years. This family-run forge has maintained the traditional techniques inherited from samurai sword-making, elevating kitchen cutlery to an art form that has earned recognition from Japan's imperial family through royal visits and the esteemed 'Tamamono Tairan' royal warrant equivalent engraving on their blades.

The workshop specializes in handcrafted Japanese kitchen knives, with particular expertise in honyaki construction—a demanding forging method that creates blades from a single piece of high-carbon steel. Mizuno Tanrenjo predominantly works with Ao-ko #2 (Blue Steel No.2) and Shirogami steel, materials prized for their exceptional edge retention and ability to achieve razor-sharp edges. Their signature offerings include kiritsuke, yanagiba, and gyuto knives with mirror finishes that showcase both functional excellence and aesthetic beauty.

Within the culinary knife community, Mizuno Tanrenjo has earned extraordinary acclaim. Enthusiasts consider the workshop "the crème de la crème of Japanese blacksmithing", recognizing the superior edge retention their blades deliver compared to factory-made alternatives. The traditional forging process results in knives that hold their sharpness remarkably well, though users should note that these blades typically require final sharpening to achieve optimal performance out of the box—a common characteristic of high-end Japanese cutlery.

Each Mizuno Tanrenjo knife represents a convergence of historical craftsmanship and modern culinary demands. The workshop's commitment to time-honored techniques, combined with meticulous attention to steel quality and heat treatment, produces knives that embody both tradition and exceptional cutting performance. For chefs and collectors seeking authentic Japanese craftsmanship with royal pedigree, Mizuno Tanrenjo stands as a benchmark of excellence in the knife-making world.