Myojin Riki

Myojin Riki Seisakusho — Tosa's Sharpening Prodigy

The Myojin Riki Manufacturing, established by a founder who mastered his skills in Osaka, the heartland of blade-making, has been operational for over 80 years. Specializing in knives made from steel and iron, they've recently focused on stainless steel knives, valued for their light weight, resistance to rust, and exceptional sharpness. These knives are popular among both professionals and general consumers, partly due to their application of the "stacked steel pattern" traditionally found in swords. The second generation continues to innovate, customizing products to meet users' needs, while also contributing to cultural preservation through their involvement with local traditional performances and blade repairs.

Naohito Myojin, the second generation craftsman of Myojin Riki, has dedicated himself to continuing the legacy of his predecessor's craftsmanship in knife making. Focused on innovation while preserving traditional techniques, Naohito has made a significant mark in the field by customizing knives that not only meet the practical needs of users but also contribute to the cultural heritage through his involvement in local traditions and blade restoration efforts. His work reflects a deep commitment to quality, functionality, and the preservation of the artistry involved in Japanese knife making.

“From Sakai-trained roots in Tosa — a father-son forge where the grind is everything.”

Est. 1950 | 昭和25年

Known for Exceptional grinding and sharpening, tanryusen (metal flow) finish

Instagram @tetsujin_labo

People

Founder: Tateo Myojin 明神健雄
Current Head: Naohito Myojin 明神直人

Craft

Known For: Exceptional grinding and sharpening, tanryusen (metal flow) finish
Steel: Blue #2, Ginsan, SG2, Cobalt Special

Location

Address: 302 Uranouchi, Susaki, Kochi 785-0162, Japan
Region: Tosa, Japan
Coordinates: 33.4318897, 133.3607646

Brand

Logo

Native Name

明神利器制作所

Why Myojin Riki Matters

Naohito Myojin is widely regarded as one of the finest knife sharpeners in Japan — he was trusted to sharpen the legendary Fujiyama series for Konosuke Sakai. Founded by his father Tateo, who trained in Sakai before returning to Tosa, Myojin Riki is one of the few workshops where forging and finishing are done under one roof. The Tetsujin brand, a collaboration with blacksmith Toru Tamura, has become a cult favourite for its cutting performance.

Knives by Myojin Riki

Tetsujin Ginsan Ukiba

The Tetsujin Ginsan shares the same quality of all the other Tetsujin lines: excellent cutting performance with a sturdy in hand feel yet glides through ingr... Read more

The Tetsujin Ginsan shares the same quality of all the other Tetsujin lines: excellent cutting performance with a sturdy in hand feel yet glides through ingridents effortlessly. In case you are not familar with the Tetsujin brand, it is a collaboration between two friends and colleagues: Toru Tamura and Naohito Myojin of Myojin Riki. Blacksmith: Toru Tamura (田村徹) Sharpener: Naohito Myojin (明神直人) Read less

Pros

Budget friendly
Excellent performance
Easy to look after

Cons

Non-premium steel

Sanmai - Stainless Clad Ukiba

Tetsujin Ginsan Kasumi

The Tetsujin Ginsan shares the same quality of all the other Tetsujin lines: excellent cutting performance with a sturdy in hand feel yet glides through ingr... Read more

Pros

Budget friendly
Great for professionals
Thin behind the edge

Cons

Non-premium steel

Sanmai - Stainless Clad Kasumi

Tetsujin Blue 2 Kasumi

Tetsujin Kasumi is the "budget" version of the well-known Tanryusen line. Utlizing the excellent Hitachi Blue 2 Steel, matched with a less exotic y... Read more

Tetsujin Kasumi is the "budget" version of the well-known Tanryusen line. Utlizing the excellent Hitachi Blue 2 Steel, matched with a less exotic yet equally elegant Kasumi finish. Same as Tanryusen, this Blue 2 Kasumi line is forged by Toru Tamura (田村徹) and sharpened by Naohito Myojin (明神直人). Read less

Pros

Excellent performance
Thin behind the edge
Excellent fit and finish

Cons

High budget
Need extra care

Sanmai - Soft Iron Clad Kasumi

Myojin Cobalt Special COSP

The Cobalt Special (COSP) knives from Myojin Riki feature blades crafted from Cobalt Special steel, a high-end Japanese stainless steel known for superior ed... Read more

The Cobalt Special (COSP) knives from Myojin Riki feature blades crafted from Cobalt Special steel, a high-end Japanese stainless steel known for superior edge retention, sharpness, and corrosion resistance. Enriched with carbon and chromium, it offers excellent durability. The addition of cobalt, molybdenum, and vanadium enhances its hardness and wear resistance, making it ideal for everyday use. Read less

Pros

Easy to look after
Excellent fit and finish
Thin behind the edge

Cons

More sharpening needed

Sanmai - Stainless Clad Ukiba

Tetsujin Blue 2 Tanryusen (Metal Flow)

Tanryusen features some highly visible forging cloud on the iron cladding achieved through meticulous hand-forging, very similar to the much loved and elusiv... Read more

Tanryusen features some highly visible forging cloud on the iron cladding achieved through meticulous hand-forging, very similar to the much loved and elusive Shigefusa cloud. The difference is that, often this type of forging lines are found on knives cladded with old wrought iron, which are usually rare and expensive; in contrast, the cladding cloud on Tanryusen is formed by great forging and sharpening techniques of the makers. Read less

Pros

Great artistic
Highly collectable
Great OOTB

Cons

High budget
Need extra care

Sanmai - Soft Iron Clad Etched

Myojin Riki Seisakusho SG2

Myojin Riki Seisakusho as a father-and-son workshop is operated by Myojin family, the son Naohito is the sharpener and polisher of the double bevel knives in... Read more

Myojin Riki Seisakusho as a father-and-son workshop is operated by Myojin family, the son Naohito is the sharpener and polisher of the double bevel knives in the workshop and the level of fit and finish achieved is top notch in the industry. Famous work that Naohito works on includes Konosuke Fujiyama FM series, the Tetsujin brand and some of the really rare blades forged by Hashimoto Shoichi. Aside from these collaborations, Naohito also keeps some personal lineups, which include a Ukiba Cobalt Special steel line and this Kasumi SG2 line.The sharpening approach for these SG2 knives are not nearly as aggressive as the Tetsujin knives, the bevel is a bit thicker, but is still in a very comfortable convex grind that would flow through most foods without much resistance. Although it would wedge more in very dense roots like carrot and sweet potatoes, but in a more succulent food like a fresh white potato, the stronger convex resulted from a thicker blade can encourage food separation, and I feel these SG2 is bit less sticky than the Tetsujin when dealing with these kind of food.The SG2 doesn’t need much introduction, it is still one of the best kitchen knife steels you can find without going to the steels that are impossible to sharpen. It scores pretty high in edge retention while being fully stainless, which makes a good material for professionals as it requires sharpening less frequently and doesn't need special care.The fit and finish is phenomenal, but also what you would expect from Naohito Myojin. The super consistent Kasumi finish covers the entire soft steel cladding, which just makes the polished core steel and spine pops out on the edge. Every sharp corner is cleanly chamfered and despite the crisp boundary between each surface, the choil and spine doesn’t feel sharp at all. This silky smooth Kasumi has just the right reaction when cutting food as it is not too rough to create friction and not too smooth to stick.As the Naohito Myojin is now recognised as the top sharpener of the industry, he is very caught up in all kinds of jobs, and being the only person working on these different projects, any of his knives would be highly sought after. This SG2 is one of those items and it has the best steel(edge retention wise), which makes it very hard to come by. Whether you are a collector, knife enthusiast or pro chef looking for a good tool, this line is something you would want to try out if the opportunities come by. Read less

Pros

Excellent performance
Thin behind the edge
Excellent fit and finish

Cons

A little bit brittle

Sanmai - Stainless Clad Kasumi

Hatsukokoro Shirasagi Blue 2 KU Single bevel

The Hatsukokoro by Myojin Shirasagi(白鷺)Blue 2 Kurouchi signle bevel is a line of "practical single bevel" knives produced by Myojin Riki Seisakusho... Read more

The Hatsukokoro by Myojin Shirasagi(白鷺)Blue 2 Kurouchi signle bevel is a line of "practical single bevel" knives produced by Myojin Riki Seisakusho and comisioned by Hatsukokoro. It has a twin sister line Shirasagi White 2 that offers a dofferent look made by same maker. If you are not familiar with Myojin is a father and son knife workshop based in Tosa prefecture, in the island of Shikoku. Father Tateo, is specialised in single bevel knife sharpening, whereas son Naohito Myojin specialises in double bevel knife sharpening, and Toru Tamura is their primary blacksmith. This line as a single bevel line, is sharpened by Tateo Myojin(明神健) and forged by Toru Tamura(田村徹). Rarely, you can find not only the traditional profiles like yanagiba in this line, but also modern shapes like gyuto, all made in single bevel fashion. The fit and finish is superb as expected from Myojin Riki Seisakusho, a very uniform finish can be seen across the entire blade, even on the Kissaki of the Sakimaru Yanagiba, some other knives at highter price can have some trouble achieving that. Hatsukokoro have given this well-finished line a well deserved name Kirasagi(Little Egret), the smooth polish working in conjunction with the Kurouchi finishi, match the elegant white feather and dark beak of egret perfectly.This line can be an opportunity for those who are interested in the experience of owning a single bevel knife, but found the Yanagiba, Deba and Usuba being too job-specific. Having a single bevel gyuto will give you an idea of how single bevel blade works, while not restrain you with what could be cut with it. In addition, the combination of Kurouchi and carbon steel will offer some level of rust protection while maintain that authentic carbon steel "cutting taste"That being said, the single bevel construction does make these knives quite thicker than typical knives of same size and shape. This not only makes the knives heavier, but also create more resistance when cutting into denser food like potatos. However, the traditional single bevel knives in this line still have great value, with great fit and finish that are found on any blade sharpend by Myojin Riki Seisakusho, the Kurouchi finish and light Tsuchime pattern can make this line an interesting alternative to the typical shiny silver Yanagiba/Deba with quite a lower price. If you want that traditional look, the twin sister line Shirasagi White 2 line will off you the same level of craftsmanship. Read less

Pros

Budget friendly
Excellent fit and finish

Cons

Prone to rust
Heavy

Nimai- Soft Iron Clad Kurouchi Tsuchime

Hatsukokoro Shirasagi White 2 Single Bevel

The Hatsukokoro by Myojin Shirasagi(白鷺)White 2 Kasumi signle bevel is a line of "practical single bevel" knives produced by Myojin Riki Seisakusho ... Read more

The Hatsukokoro by Myojin Shirasagi(白鷺)White 2 Kasumi signle bevel is a line of "practical single bevel" knives produced by Myojin Riki Seisakusho and comisioned by Hatsukokoro. It has a twin sister line Shirasagi Blue 2 Kurouchi that offers a dofferent look made by same maker. If you are not familiar with Myojin is a father and son knife workshop based in Tosa prefecture, in the island of Shikoku. Father Tateo, is specialised in single bevel knife sharpening, whereas son Naohito Myojin specialises in double bevel knife sharpening, and Toru Tamura is their primary blacksmith. This line as a single bevel line, is sharpened by Tateo Myojin(明神健) and forged by Toru Tamura(田村徹). Rarely, you can find not only the traditional profiles like yanagiba in this line, but also modern shapes like gyuto, all made in single bevel fashion. The fit and finish is superb as expected from Myojin Riki Seisakusho, a very uniform finish can be seen across the entire blade, even on the Kissaki of the Sakimaru Yanagiba, some other knives at highter price can have some trouble achieving that. Hatsukokoro have given this well-finished line a well deserved name Kirasagi(Little Egret), the smooth Migaki and Kasumi polish can be found found all across the blade, which build a beautiful imagery to the clean white feather of the egret.The line has few single bevel Gyuto options, which are quite unusual. They could be a way to try out the single bevel knife without limiting yourself to the very specific task like Yanagiba or Deba does, but the significantly thicker spine does increases the weight and resistance when cutting into food. The offset cutting direction of single bevel knife as well as the carbon steel-soft iron cladding combo limit the usage scenario of these blades.However, the traditional profiles like Yanagiba in this line are very good in terms of their value. The Yanagiba in this line have a maching if not a superior fit and finish compare to the Masamoto KS Kasumi line, but with the same steel and size, they comes at half of the price. If you have been keeping that Masamoto in cart for a long time but also been hesitating hitting that buy button due to the price tag, maybe look at this Shirasagi line as an alternative. Read less

Pros

Excellent fit and finish
Great for professionals
Budget friendly

Cons

Prone to rust

Nimai- Soft Iron Clad Kasumi

Hatsukokoro Shirasagi Ginsan Kasumi

The Shirasagi family from Hatsukokoro contains a series of single bevel knives sharpened at Myojin Riki Seisakusho - a workshop from Kochi prefecture that is... Read more

The Shirasagi family from Hatsukokoro contains a series of single bevel knives sharpened at Myojin Riki Seisakusho - a workshop from Kochi prefecture that is well know for its top notch sharpening and polishing. This Ginsan stainless steel line is a great complement to the existing Blue/White 2 Shirasagi, offering another low maintenance Ginsan steel Deba at a reasonable price.The Shirasagi Ginsan have demonstrated a consistent level of finish that we expect from Myojin Riki, the spine is well rounded, the smoothened coil and other corners fall into smoothly polished surfaces, the Migaki is done well on the Hira and the bevel have a contrasting Kasumi, with scratches oriented towards different directions to create a sharp Shinogi line. The blade is forged in a distinct Tosa manner, with curved and tapered Machi and a more round look compare to the typical Sakai counterparts.These knives are positioned a bit lower than the Sakai Takayuki Gintan line in price, and they are very similar in terms of their features and performance. It's always good to have another option, not to mention it's a more budget friendly one in rather niche category of Ginsan Deba. Read less

Pros

Great for professionals
Easy to look after
Excellent fit and finish

Cons

Need some work on the blade

Nimai - Stainless Clad Kasumi

Tosa Tanren SK Steel Single Bevels

The Tosa Tanren(土佐鍛錬, Tosa Forging) SK Steel is some of the best entry level option for single bevel knives. Despite not having the most premium steel and th... Read more

The Tosa Tanren(土佐鍛錬, Tosa Forging) SK Steel is some of the best entry level option for single bevel knives. Despite not having the most premium steel and the fancy look, it is a very competent tool for the job, and an even better tool for people to learn how to live with a traditional deba.The SK steel may not be a commonly seen grade. It is a JIS grade high carbon steel that is not a part of the Hitachi Yasugi steel family, but have a similar carbon content as White #3 at 0.8-0.9%. It may not seem to be a lot but in typical western smithy the 1084 and 1095(with 0.84% and 0,95% carbon respectively) would already be seen as pretty high carbon steel. So, although it might not be premium, the SK is not gonna be anywhere near a poor steel to make knife with. Instead, since it's priced to be very beginner friendly, a steel that is easier to sharpen will pair very well with an entry level stone and allows a beginner to learn how to sharpen single bevel knives much easier.The highlight is the sharpener, which is the renowned Myojin Riki Sesakusho. As far as we know, the sharpening and polishing of the single bevels are not done by Naohito Myojin, but the level of finish achieved on these blades are pretty high. You can rarely spot any defects of unevenness over the Migaki finished Urasuki and the flat hira, and the corner on the spine is lightly touched up to smoothen out the sharp edge. I really can’t ask much for an entry level knife lineup at this price.This is a line that aimed clearly towards the beginner market, and for a single bevel user, I would highly recommend getting a set of properly built knives so you could understand and familiarise yourself with how a traditional Japanese blade behaves, whether when using it or when sharpening it. The SK line is a humble beginning that is well suited for this purpose, and along with the great fit and finish, they’ve got great value too. Read less

Pros

Excellent fit and finish
Budget friendly
Great for professionals

Cons

Prone to rust
Non-premium steel

Nimai- Soft Iron Clad Kasumi

Frequently Asked Questions about Myojin Riki

Who is Myojin Riki?

Myojin Riki is a Japanese knife maker based in Tosa, Japan , established in 1950. They are known for Exceptional grinding and sharpening, tanryusen (metal flow) finish. Their signature steels include Blue #2, Ginsan, SG2, Cobalt Special. Available at Knives and Stones Australia.

What knives does Myojin Riki make?

Myojin Riki produces the following knife lines: Tetsujin Ginsan Ukiba, Tetsujin Ginsan Kasumi, Tetsujin Blue 2 Kasumi, Myojin Cobalt Special COSP, Tetsujin Blue 2 Tanryusen (Metal Flow), Myojin Riki Seisakusho SG2, Hatsukokoro Shirasagi Blue 2 KU Single bevel, Hatsukokoro Shirasagi White 2 Single Bevel, Hatsukokoro Shirasagi Ginsan Kasumi, Tosa Tanren SK Steel Single Bevels. We currently carry 68 products from Myojin Riki at Knives and Stones. They specialise in Exceptional grinding and sharpening, tanryusen (metal flow) finish.

Where is Myojin Riki located?

Myojin Riki is located in Tosa, Japan. Japanese knife-making regions each have distinct traditions. Tosa in Kochi Prefecture is known for rustic, robust knives forged with traditional free-forging techniques.

Where can I buy Myojin Riki knives in Australia?

Knives and Stones is an authorised Australian stockist of Myojin Riki. You can shop online at knivesandstones.com.au with free shipping on orders over $99, or visit our stores in St Peters (Sydney), Crows Nest (Sydney) and Braddon (Canberra) to handle the knives before buying.