Shigeki Tanaka is a highly skilled fourth-generation Japanese knife maker from Miki, a historic blade-making city northwest of downtown Kobe. Growing up surrounded by generations of craftsmanship, Tanaka has inherited a deep understanding of traditional Japanese forging while bringing his own passion for modern design, innovation, and exceptional performance to every knife he creates.

Tanaka trained in Takefu Knife Village, a renowned centre of Japanese knife making with over 700 years of blade forging history. Building on the skills passed down from his father, originally focused on producing traditional sickle blades, he developed the family business into Tanaka Kazuyuki Blade Manufacturing Co., creating premium kitchen knives that combine heritage techniques with contemporary craftsmanship.

Tanaka is known for working with some of Japan’s finest steels, including Blue #2 Steel, White #2 Steel, and stainless options such as Ginsan Steel. His blades often feature traditional Japanese construction methods, including san-mai cladding, where a hard cutting core is protected by softer outer layers. These steels allow his knives to achieve excellent sharpness, edge retention, durability, and the refined cutting performance expected from high-level Japanese craftsmanship.