Craftsman
田中誠貴
ShigekiTanaka
The story
The workshop began with sickles. 田中源太郎, Gentaro Tanaka, started making them under the house name 源, Gen. In 1946 the business took the name 田中勉鎌製作所. In 2000 it took the one it still carries, 田中一之刃物製作所, Tanaka Ichinoji Hamono Seisakusho. Both of those are company names and neither of them is a person. An old company name has a way of being retold as a founder, so it is worth saying plainly.
Shigeki Tanaka (田中誠貴) was born on 24 March 1977, and he is the workshop's representative today. In 1996 he joined Shimizu Hamono in Takefu, Fukui, and he now heads the Miki bench at 875 Bessho-cho Ishino in Hyogo. His father's given name is 一之, Kazuyuki: the same two characters that stand in the middle of the company name. No source we have says the 2000 renaming was for him, so we will leave that where it sits, as something a reader can see and we cannot confirm.
His maker brand is 誠貴作, Shigeki-saku. The steels recorded under it: Blue #2, an eight-layer-per-side clad version of the same steel, powdered stainless, Ginsan #3, VG10, VG10 laminate, and a sixteen-layer stainless laminate. Seven distinct steels and constructions, rather than one house steel used for everything.
The finished knife is not his alone. Sharpening and finishing are done by several craftspeople and the individuals are not on record, so no single finishing hand gets named here — the honest answer is that we do not know which of them touched which blade. The handles come from Sadao Nishihara. A knife stamped 誠貴作 has passed through more hands than the stamp shows.
His stated life motto is 質実剛健: plain substance, sturdy build. Away from the anvil he is a committed anime fan, with a long run of anime-themed collaborations behind him, Naruto and Gundam among them. He likes cars too, and his daily driver is a small racing car with the wheels cambered off-axis in the Japanese street style. None of that changes how a blade cuts. It does mean there is a specific person at the other end of it, which is the part a stamped name can never tell you.
In photographs
The relationship map 職人系譜
Masters, family, and the brands between them. Every line is a verified fact from our research. Tap a node to light up its connections and read its story.
Stories
Japan trip 2014, Miki City, Tanaka / Nishihara workshop2014 Miki City trip: Nishihara's workshop (mentor of the region) and the Shigeki Tanaka workshop.Read the story
Ergonomics and Knife BalanceGuest explainer by engineering intern John on how balance axis + grip pivot point drive blade feel, comparing his own Kurosaki against a K&S Tanaka Ginsan…Read the story
Shinko - Tanaka Blue 2 Stainless Clad now availableProduct announcement for the K&S Tanaka Blue 2 with stainless cladding, thin Nashiji grind, and upgraded spine/choil fit & finish.Read the story
Frequently asked questions
Who is Shigeki Tanaka?
What is the history of Tanaka Ichinoji Hamono Seisakusho?
What steels does Shigeki Tanaka use?
What are Shigeki Tanaka's interests outside knifemaking?
Has Knives and Stones met Shigeki Tanaka?
We trust this information is correct at the time of writing, but it is not an official document and details may change without notice. If you spot an error, tell us and we'll fix it.
