KIYA Knives (木屋) are handforged in Takefu, Japan, using traditional techniques. The history of Takefu knife smithing began 700 years ago, when a sword craftsman from Kyoto was searching for water that annealed excellent swords. During his journey, this craftsman stayed in Takefu, Echizen, and while there, created swords and sickles. Thanks to this craftsman and his skills, Takefu became the largest producer of agricultural tools in Japan, and were sought after throughout the country. Today, Takefu is the equivalent for Japanese knives, what Solingen, Germany is to European knives.