3 craftsmen
One day, we had a small party at Uedaya. The guests of honor on the day were Traditional Craftsman: Blacksmith Mr. Keijiro Doi
and Traditional Craftsman: Sharpener Mr. Shinpei Ino. Mr. Doi has been working as a blacksmith since he was 19 years old. In 2011, after working as a blacksmith for 65 years, he decided to retire. The retirement of a master craftsman who changed the perception of kitchen knives for many chefs. We held a celebration to congratulate Mr. Doi on his new beginning.
Uedaya always holds seminars, so today is also a seminar! …is not （lol）
We had a tour of the cooking scenery!
In fact, there are not many opportunities for knife craftsmen to exchange information with chefs in the kitchen. Originally, it is the retail store that comes in contact with Mr. Itamae, and the feedback from Mr. Itamae is It flows from retail stores → wholesalers → knife craftsmen (blacksmiths, sharpeners).
Therefore, there are very few opportunities for kitchen knife craftsmen to hear opinions and questions directly from on-site chefs.
It is extremely rare to be seriously seen how the kitchen knife you made is used.
Ueda Shihan usually uses SUISIN INOX Honyaki frequently, but he also owns SUISIN Hayate and SUSIN Densho. On this day, he worked at Mr. Doi’s HAYATE!
Ueda Shihan
“My usage and thoughts are not everything, but many chefs use it with such thoughts!” From here, the two cutlery craftsmen asked Ueda Shihan a flurry of questions! ! ! !
Mr. Keijiro
・What kind of balance is good?
(I have continued blacksmith work based on the shape inherited from my predecessor, but what is the opinion of the chef??)
・How is the ease of sharpening?
(It is assumed that knives should be sharpened each time they are used.
“Sharpening” is just as important as “cutting”.)
・Does the sharpness of the blade last?
(The sharper and the sharpness of the blade last is, the better it is as a tool.)
The focus of the questioning was on the scope of work that can be done by a blacksmith, and the person was reconfirming the meaning of the work they are currently doing.（The questioning was full of enthusiasm, to the extent that it made one wonder if they really intend to finish the job within the year.）
Mr. Shinpei
・Knife’s shape
(There are requests for various shapes, but how is it actually? Is it easy to use? Can the chef maintain it by himself?)
・State of the cutting edge
(How much blade thickness is left in the cutting edge?)
・Whetstone types and usage
(What kind of whetstone do you use? Do you sharpen from the medium whetstone? Just for finishing? What does the back look like?)
Ueda Shihan answered the questions from the two of them politely and in an easy-to-understand manner. He shared information that reflected the opinions of himself and many other chefs, sometimes providing hands-on demonstrations to back up his explanations. Hearing this, Mr. Keijiro and Mr. Shinpei began exchanging opinions as blacksmiths and sharpeners! In terms of content, it’s a super high level (lol) Ueda Shihan also joined the story, and it became an excellent situation. In the area where the starting point of the story is high! !
The conversation was lively and everyone seemed to still want to talk more, but since it was almost time to eat, it was decided to cut it short. “It was quite a challenge to end the conversation…” You can easily imagine the situation (lol).
Uedaya is a puffer fish specialty restaurant! Of course, the banquet meal is the pufferfish course.
At Tecchiri (hotpot), Uedaya has its own way of eating. I, Tatyuya, am a regular at Uedaya, so Ueda Shihan taught me how to eat it beforehand. I was in charge of how to heat the hotpot and when to eat.
Looking at the strength of the fire at that time, Mr. Doi said “Is the temperature of that fire correct?” Mr. Doi is a skilled blacksmith who handles fire on a daily basis and pays close attention to temperature control. He seemed to have a good eye for things related to fire. That question was powerful and made me feel years of experience. Mr. Doi always impresses me.
On the way, when Ueda shihan was free, he took over the management of the hot pot, and while talking about the parts of the pufferfish, he talked about his care as a chef and his own preferences. The four of us had a great time that day.
While listening to Ueda Shihan’s story, I couldn’t forget what Mr. Doi said to us.
Mr. Keijiro
“We also need to work harder and harder!”
hibishugyo 2011-12-07
SUISIN HAYATE[酔心疾風]
The text below is the comment I received when I wrote this article. Please understand that there are many expressions that are peculiar to Japanese, so there are some parts that cannot be translated well.
Professor Doi, thank you for your hard work.
What can I say………..I feel the relentless flow of time. With the help of Mr keijiro’s kitchen knife, how busy I have overcome the busyness of the Itaba…
Thank you very much.
2011-12-07(21:35) :
Re:Professor Doi, thank you for your hard work.
Thank you for your comment. Keijiro has been making knives for 65 years, so I think he has helped many chefs. I will pass on your comments to Mr. Doi.
