Watanabe Waichi

Watanabe Waichi is a legendary solo plane bladesmith whose work is defined by absolute refusal to compromise. Each blade is custom-made to order for a specific customer, including hand-grinding the ura hollow to a specific depth requested by the buyer. His Oroshigane blades — smelted from reclaimed materials in his own forge — are objects of almost mythic status among plane enthusiasts, as each piece has unique properties determined by the specific iron he chose to smelt.