Kumagai Kajiya

Kumagai Kajiya is a tenth generation blacksmith workshop in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, in the Sanriku fishing region of northeastern Japan. Kajiya means blacksmith, and for generations the Kumagai family has forged tools for the fishermen, divers and farmers of the region, people who need gear that holds up to hard daily work. That same practical durability shows in their stainless steel oyster knives, built for shucking cleanly without damaging the shell, and in their compact garden tools. Look for the kanji for bear stamped on the handles, the first character of the Kumagai name.