Nihonbashi (bridge)scissorskitchen knife(hair) tweezers
Since its establishment in 1783, UBUKEYA has had a history of 240 years dedicated to cutlery. Since the second generation, Ubukeya has maintained its store as a “craftsman merchant,” which means that it has its own store, has its own skilled craftsmen make blades, and sells only those blades that it is satisfied with. We interview Mr. Yutaka Yazaki, the 8th generation owner of Ubukeya, about the manufacturing process of kitchen knives, scissors, and hairpins, as well as useful information on how to care for the kitchen knives you use every day.
The dedication that goes into the sharpening of kitchen knives, scissors, and hair clippers
Today we have Mr. Yutaka Yazaki, the 8th generation owner of Ubukeya. First of all, please introduce your restaurant.
Ubukeya was founded in 1783 at Shinmachibashi Bridge in Osaka, present-day Minami-Senba 4-chome. It was not until the 1800s that Ubukeya moved to Edo (present-day Tokyo), setting up store in Hasegawa-cho, Edo (present-day Horidome-cho) as its Edo branch. Before the Meiji Restoration, we moved to Shinsen-cho and Ningyo-cho, where we have remained to this day.
Our products include kitchen knives, scissors, hair clippers, and general cutlery. We have been dealing in kitchen knives, scissors, and hair clippers as our three main products, as well as various tools, cutlery, and sheared knives.
Thanks to your support, I am the eighth generation of this family, and I have followed in the footsteps of my predecessors, working hard every day as a craftsman merchant.
Now, can you explain how you sharpen kitchen knives, scissors, and hairpins?
What you see today is a repair work called “resharpening”. At the back of the store is the grinding and sharpening area. Here, a large round whetstone with a diameter of 75 cm is rotated.
The first step is rough grinding. The rough whetstone is used to correct the thickness and shape of the knife.
At this time, the sharpening is done by taking turns holding the knife with the right hand and the left hand, called “sharpening hand”. This is to sharpen the double-edged blade by setting the angle from both sides. The knife is sharpened in such a way that it slides a little, in order to make the knife lay flat against the round whetstone.
When the sharpening is almost finished, the next step is the medium-finishing process. The sharpening process is the same as rough sharpening, but we are careful not to make the blade too thin. Our industry term for this is “Hamagurikku Pa,” which means “clam blade,” and it refers to a clam in the sea. When you look at a clam from the side, the tip is sharp and without any ridges, but the base is a little fuller. The blade is shaped like a clam, which is considered to be good. Now, the meat of the blade has been roughly removed, and the shape of the blade fits perfectly.
The final step is finishing. We use a medium grindstone to finish the knife, and at this time, we make a little effort to prevent the blade from becoming too thin. When the knife is pulled back to the hand, we let it float a little. By doing so, the blade itself will be in a slightly rolling shape. This prevents the blade from becoming too thin. However, if the general public imitates this sharpening method, it will result in a rounded blade, which will not bite well. For the average person, it is better to think of the blade as straight and straight as possible.
Finally, a natural finish is applied. This fine, hard stone will give the stone more bite.
We inspect a properly sharpened knife. A properly sharpened kitchen knife is ridden on the hair with the weight of the knife itself.
Now, please tell me how to sharpen scissors.
The scissors are unscrewed and sharpened in pieces. First, rust and dirt are removed from the entire surface. The next step is to sharpen the blade. The correct way to sharpen the blade is to have the spark come out from a certain point. This means that the blade is not sharpened here and there.
The next step is to sharpen the back of the knife by pressing it against the back of the knife. This process removes the steel, which is the sharp part of the knife, so knives that are not too damaged or rusty are finished by hand polishing.
The last step is the strain test. We call this “tonal adjustment.” We adjust the two blades so that they will fit together smoothly. The blade is raised and bent, and adjustments are made by tapping the blade.
When you think of scissors, you may have the impression that they cut with a flat fit, but this is not the case. By matching the blades at a point, the scissors are able to cut with a light touch. Therefore, the ideal shape is for the point to move smoothly from the base of the blade to the tip of the blade when the blade is spread out and aligned slowly. Adjustments are made to match this ideal.
I see.
The next step is to remove the hair. As I mentioned earlier, the part to be pinched is called the mouth, and the abrasive is placed in the mouth, and the hair is flattened by rubbing it together with the fingers.
The standard for the completion of the sharpening process is when you can feel a smooth sensation on your finger when you grind them together. To confirm this, close the hair puller and shine a light through the back of the hair puller. If no light leaks out, it is done. So no light leaks out from the back. The polishing is now finished.
Finally, the head, or the very tip, is rubbed together. This is to prevent the bristles from breaking off. After checking again and sharpening, the hair remover is completed. This will make the hair remover not to slip and not to break easily.
It’s wonderful. So many processes like this are used to make such a great product.
Yes, that’s right. This was originally the norm for cutlery shops, but nowadays there are very few stores that do this.
I guess that because they have been doing this for a long time as artisan merchants, they have inherited these techniques.
I can’t just quit because I have inherited the company from generation to generation.
The process of sharpening cutlery is a very detailed one. This is done in order to deliver the best products to our customers. Today, UBUKEYA continues to focus on the edge of the blade with a technique that has become rare in the industry.
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