dannynyc
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Apologies if this is miscategorized.
I was recently in touch with a reputable vendor inquiring into long wait times for a certain well-known Japanese blademaker. The vendor explained that long periods without stock are common, not only because of the exacting standards of the maker, but also because, as the vendor put it, there are a very small number of people working at each maker who are, for the most part, getting on in years, and that there are very few young blacksmiths these days in Japan and even fewer young people who want to become blacksmiths.
If true, does this mean we're in a golden age of Japanese knives, that we shouldn't expect to see as many high-quality knives coming out of Japan in, say, 10 years, and that we should be hoarding them while we can?
Of course, if this is all true, it's balanced by the fact that there are an increasing number of excellent knife producers in the West, but until now their prices are out of reach of many.
I was recently in touch with a reputable vendor inquiring into long wait times for a certain well-known Japanese blademaker. The vendor explained that long periods without stock are common, not only because of the exacting standards of the maker, but also because, as the vendor put it, there are a very small number of people working at each maker who are, for the most part, getting on in years, and that there are very few young blacksmiths these days in Japan and even fewer young people who want to become blacksmiths.
If true, does this mean we're in a golden age of Japanese knives, that we shouldn't expect to see as many high-quality knives coming out of Japan in, say, 10 years, and that we should be hoarding them while we can?
Of course, if this is all true, it's balanced by the fact that there are an increasing number of excellent knife producers in the West, but until now their prices are out of reach of many.
