From Craftsman to Chef
Today, I had an in-depth discussion with a blacksmith about feedback and requests from customers. We often talk about hardness, toughness, thickness, balance, shape, and materials, but today, the conversation veered towards sharpening.
Interestingly, the opinions of the blacksmith and the sharpener, who is involved with our upcoming new product, completely aligned. What aligned was their shared focus on ‘consideration for the user’ during the manufacturing process. This means that beyond the usual blacksmithing tasks, the primary concern was, ‘How will this knife perform for the user?’
This consideration goes beyond the basic properties of steel like hardness and toughness. When the sharpener’s and blacksmith’s thoughts align, they work in tandem, resulting in better knives. Sakai is known for its division of labor, which tends to produce high-quality products. However, because each artisan hones their craft to perfection, they often don’t consider the next step in the process. But when everyone aims for the same goal, heading in the same direction, good things happen!
Creating something is truly wonderful. It’s the same with chefs creating their dishes. Reaching that point must have been challenging, and I find myself reflecting on the journey it takes to get there.
- 2010-04-12
