Naoto Kitaoka carries on the blacksmithing tradition passed down since his great-grandfather’s generation. Originally, his family worked as sickle smiths, but it was during Mr. Kitaoka’s generation that they began focusing seriously on knife making. Building on the skills honed through sickle making, he is exploring new expressions of Tosa-style forged blades.

The hallmark of Mr. Kitaoka’s knives lies in the “beauty of the black finish.” He makes the most of the texture of the black finish, but doesn’t stop at a rough surface; instead, he refines it into a polished appearance. In particular, he pursues a “beautiful black finish” even among Tosa-style forged blades, forging each knife one by one with the aim of achieving a quality that rivals that of other regions. He also places great importance on the longevity of the blade’s sharpness. He explains that you can tell the moment you sharpen a knife that has been finished with minimal decarburization, leaving the steel in a truly “vibrant” state. It is only when we go beyond forging to include the sharpening process that we truly find the answer—we continue our craft while cherishing that sense of completion.

“Today is better than yesterday, and tomorrow will be better than today,” says Mr. Kitaoka. Amid a culture of subcontracting that remains deeply rooted in Kochi, he continues to expand the possibilities of Tosa-style forged cutlery with the desire to “be chosen not just for the region’s name, but as a craftsman in my own right,” while also conducting ongoing research into new expressions and patterns.