Most of us can also remember when lots of people proudly claimed "I would never carry a Japanese made knife!"
Let’s be honest; a lot of that had as much or more to do with lingering resentment from WWII than with the quality of the product at the time.
Jim
Nah. Prior to the 1980s, Japan really was putting out a lot of cheaply made, low-budget knives.
Once the demand from Frost, Parker, Valor and other 1980s budget brands spurred the Japanese knifemaking market, the quality began to improve. Al Mar, Sal Glesser, and Lynn Thompson sought and found some exceptional makers who truly inspired new standards of manufacturing precision within Japan's knifemaking community. The craftsmanship of those knives continued to improve until they became a benchmark that others emulated.
Eventually, as quality, demand, and prices rose in Japan, Pakistan and then China stepped in to fill the cheap knife market vacated by Japan, sometimes quite literally.
-Steve
Yes, I know that Japanese makers put out many cheaply-made knives back then. I had a few of them, which were awful. I also used to have a couple nice ones that weren’t as commonly found. Just like Chinese makers, they had the capability of producing both quality and junk, depending on what was wanted/asked of them. Although they really did up their game in the late ‘70s/early ‘80s. But I know for a fact that the reason I stated in my last post did happen in many instances, because I’ve personally heard people in the past say so (not about knives in particular, but Japanese products in general), even after the overall quality level of Japanese manufacturing had improved dramatically.
Jim
I wasn't discounting your original point. I also heard similar sentiments expressed when I was growing up. It makes sense that men who were witness to Pearl Harbor, the Bataan Death March, the Rape of Nanking, Comfort Girls, and Unit 731 would not be anxious to put money back into the coffers of a country that they had expended their own blood, sweat, and tears preventing from taking over the world.
I've read enough of your writings, Jim, to realize that you weren't unaware of those early Japanese knives. But I thought that your original post was incomplete and didn't paint an accurate picture. People who read it and were ignorant of history (both knife and world) might come away saying, "Yeah, typical Americans! What a bunch of Nipponophobes!"
Um, no, Japan supplied some crummy knives to the U.S. for decades. The Al Mar Shivas were a long time coming!
-Steve
Was it Pete Kershaw who was the first American to have a line of quality knives manufactured for his company in Japan?
As for Al Mar Knives, for some reason, I never did buy one until I bought a SERE 2000 folder, but it never really grew on me. I think I would have liked an Eagle or Hawk folder better.
Your memory is better than mine, Jim! You're right, and now that you mention it, so did Pete Gerber. I'm guessing that Kershaw and Gerber influenced Mar, who in turn influenced Glesser and Thompson.
For me, the prices of Al Mars kept me from buying them for years. By the time I could afford them, their quality construction was no longer unique and other companies were equaling (or surpassing) it for lower prices. These days, there are a few old models I'd love to own, but their scarcity has made them unaffordable again!
-Steve
I think it's cost more than anything else and trying to get anything made in a first world country compared to a second world country is ridiculous.Japan's day has passed as a cutlery maker.
This is true for a lot of traditional artisanal skills - traditional blue dye makers in Japan, hand made mochi, etc. There just isn't enough of a market. There is a small revival of knife smithing in Japan because there is a new international market for gyutos and other cooking knives. But before that a lot of shops just flat out closed instead of being passed down. Now because there is a market for knives, blacksmiths of other tools like gardening tools are switching to knives to survive.I read somewhere where someone (was it Sal Glesser or Lynn Thompson?) stated that in Seki, very few of the younger generation want to take over from the older generation and make a living in the knife industry, and that most want to get into other professions.
Jim
I read somewhere where someone (was it Sal Glesser or Lynn Thompson?) stated that in Seki, very few of the younger generation want to take over from the older generation and make a living in the knife industry, and that most want to get into other professions.
I can’t say how accurate that is or not, so don’t kill the messenger, but it is what I’ve read.
Jim
I read somewhere where someone (was it Sal Glesser or Lynn Thompson?) stated that in Seki, very few of the younger generation want to take over from the older generation and make a living in the knife industry, and that most want to get into other professions.
I can’t say how accurate that is or not, so don’t kill the messenger, but it is what I’ve read.
Jim
So... who went to shot show ? I’m not based in USA so no chance. Their dormant Instagram account came alive with 3 photos. https://instagram.com/almarknives?igshid=ucshnxtfbhu3