Banshu Hamono

The blacksmith industry in the Banshu region in the Hyogo prefecture of Japan was said to have started long ago when a Katana factory was located there. What began as an industry producing straight razors in 1744 now manufactures a variety of traditional style shears, knives and razors. Each piece is painstakingly made by hand by skilled craftsmen using the same techniques that have been employed for generations.