「Kiyotada」

Chronology of the blacksmith Kiyotada

1889    The Kiyotada I, Chugoro Shimamura was born in Kohoku Ward, Yokohama.

1904    At the age of 15, he went to Nagoya to be an apprentice to a blacksmith who made common knives (agricultural tools).

Probably 1910   He came to Tokyo and continued to train for a while under the chisel blacksmith Chiyohiro.

1910~1926    After completing his training as a chisel blacksmith, he first opened a chisel blacksmith shop in Asakusa Bashiba, maybe a few years later moved to the current Nihonbashi Kayabacho 2-chome.

1927   His chisel blacksmith workshop moved to Tsukishima, Tokyo.

1924   Shimamura Kouzaburo was born. He is not Chugoro's biological son but an adopted son.

About 1940   Kiyotada Ⅱ started working as an apprentice under the Kiyotada I.

1945   Kiyotada Ⅱ was drafted into the army by the Japanese militarist government. After joining the army, he served near Hiroshima, Kyushu, Japan.

August 6, 1945.    Atomic bombings of Hiroshima. The Kiyotada Ⅱ was sent to work in Hiroshima City after the atomic bomb explosion.

August 15, 1945    After the end of World War II, Kiyotada II returned to Tokyo and continued making chisels.

Later half of 1945   Under the arrangement of Mr. Tsuchida Ichiro, the master Chiyotsuru Korehide and the Kiyotada Ⅱ met.

1958   The shop began using spring hammers and grinders.

May 2006   Kiyotada blacksmith shop closed

June 24~26, 2006   Kiyotada blacksmith shop and residence demolished.

October 2, 2011   The  Kiyotada Ⅱ,  Shimamura Kouzaburo passed away at the age of 87.

※ The second generation of Kiyotada did not become seriously ill due to the radiation after the atomic bomb explosion. It is said that his foot was injured by the shock wave after the explosion. As a result of the injury, he has been working less in the radiation zone.

 

Kiyotada's Master - Kiyohiro

The picture below is from a book by the second generation Hidari-Hisasaku. 

IKEGAMI TAKANOBU. (1992) . Edo Blacksmith's Order Book 江戸鍛冶の注文帳

This picture shows in detail the faction of Kiyohiro, who is known as the founder of Tokyo chisel.

Click here to download a pdf of the Japanese and English versions of the images in this chapter.

The image below is a translation of the image above and incorporates recent information.

According to the book, Kiyohiro blacksmith of unknown generation, had two apprentices. One was Kiyo-naga and the other was Kiyo-haru.  Kiyo-naga trained two excellent Tokyo chisel blacksmiths: Osahiro and Ichihiro. Two of Kiyo-haru's three apprentices fell into decline, and only Kiyotada became an excellent blacksmith in Tokyo.

The following picture is translated from the above picture.

 In the following chapter, the information from Mr. tsuchida's article shows that the Chinese characte for Kiyohiro is "清廣".  In this chapter, the Chinese characters for Kiyohiro in the article by the second generation Hidari Hisasaku are "清弘".  According to the information I have, "清弘" may be closer to the historical truth.

Origin of the brand name

The reason why blacksmith use "kiyotada 清忠" as his brand from Mr. tsuchida's article. Kiyo(清) comes from his sect "kiyohiro 清廣". "Kiyohiro" is the founder of Tokyo chisel. The well-known disciples of this sect include Hisahiro(久弘), Takahiro(孝弘), Hisasaku(久作), Osahiro(長弘), Ichihiro(市弘), etc.

”Tada 忠“ comes from his first name. The full name of the first generation Kiyotada is Chugoro Shimamura (嶋村 忠五郎). The Chinese character “忠” is pronounced as “chu” in his name, but “忠” has many different pronunciations in Japanese, the most common of which are “tadashi”, “tada”, etc.

In addition, although Kiyohiro is called the founder of Tokyo Chisel, it does not mean that he is the only person who contributed to the development of Tokyo Chisel. In my opinion, he is the key figure or more famous.

Interestingly, in ancient Chinese, the word “清忠” first appeared in the History of the Late Han Dynasty. The book was written between 432 and 445 AD. “清忠”was used to describe people who were honest, upright and loyal. As far as I know, the second generation kiyotada was exactly such a person.

Mr. Tsuchida's article：Noboru Tsuchida. (2008) . The Successors 受継ぎし者たち. Chiyozuru Korehide Photo Collection ② 千代鶴是秀写真集②. P120

Supplementary information about the story of Japan's best chisel and the attitude of the blacksmith himself

According to Mr. Tsuchida. At that time, a tool store in Shinjuku, Tokyo was hesitant about choosing its main chisel product. The solution was that the store commissioned several major chisel blacksmiths in Tokyo to make chisels and sent them to an expert in Niigata to test the hardness and steel structure. According to the test data, the first was the Kiyotada chisel.

After the shop owner got the results, he visited Kiyotada with a strong intention to cooperate and told the blacksmith about the test. Unexpectedly, Kiyotada blacksmith rejected him.

Kiyotada gave the reason that he felt he could not make such a chisel that needed to pass complex tests one by one.

The article records Kiyotada's comments on this matter. I translated it into English

“I don't understand things like hardness or structure at all. Other blacksmiths might prefer foreign steel over Japanese steel, Hitachi blue steel is superior to white, and blue or white No.1 steel should be sharper than No.2. But what really matters is if it's easy to forge and hardens well with quenching, and if it has good cutting performance. It's true Hitachi's blue steel is hard to forge, so it's not suitable for me, but personally, I don't care what kind of steel it is. As long as it's easy to forge, soft to file, and hardens nicely with quenching, whether it's made in Thailand or Vietnam or anywhere else, it doesn't matter.”

Mr. Tsuchida's article：Noboru Tsuchida. (2008) . The Successors 受継ぎし者たち. Chiyozuru Korehide Photo Collection ② 千代鶴是秀写真集②. P121

Young second-generation kiyotada blacksmiths face complaints from carpenters

The second generation Kiyotada started doing quenching work when he was in his 20s. He clearly remembers receiving a lot of complaints when he was 25 or 26 years old.

The reason was his deficiencies in the quenching process, which made the steel too hard and brittle.As a result, the number of orders for the second generation of kiyotada blacksmiths dropped sharply.

To solve this problem, the second-generation kiyotada blacksmiths began looking around for carpenters and professionals to get their advice. At first, his too-hard chisel actually received a lot of praise among tateguya carpenters in Sumida, Tokyo. This is because tateguya carpenters work mainly with softwoods. But the second-generation kiyotada blacksmiths were not lost in the rave reviews from the tateguya carpenters. He constantly listened to advice from carpenters and experts and conducted repeated experiments, which enabled him to improve and enhance his heat treatment technology.

For example, he added a tempering step to the heat treatment of chisels, not just quenching. In short, his efforts gave his chisels the perfect balance between hardness and toughness.

His chisel gets a lot of "nagakire 長切れ” reviews. （"長切れ" (ながきれ) in English can be translated as "long-lasting edge" or "excellent edge retention." It refers to the ability of a tool, such as a chisel, to maintain a sharp edge over a prolonged period of use.）I think this is the highest compliment a handcrafted carbon steel chisel can give in terms of performance.

In addition, the chisel's ability to "nagakire" is not only related to heat treatment. I will continue to explain this later.

 

The key stage of the chisel's ability to "nagakire" - Forge Welding

For an explanation of forging welding, please refer to：

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forge_welding

When I was still a layman in traditional Japanese hand-made tools, I thought that heat treatment was the most important stage affecting the performance of the blade. After I mastered basic Japanese, I asked Mr. Tsuchida about this question. His answer was no.

He told me that the forging stage is the key to the performance of the blade.

In Tsuchida's article, I learned more about the excellent forge welding capabilities of the second generation Kiyotada. The article also contains the comments of Ichihiro the Third on Kiyotada's forging skills. “Shimamura-san's forging skills are indeed amazing!”

The article used the word "素早く" to describe Kiyotada's forging technique.  The meaning of the word "素早く" (はやく) in Japanese is "quickly" or "swiftly" in English. It describes the action of doing something fast or promptly.

Besides speed, another key point is "low temperature".

At the beginning of forging, It is inevitable to heat to a higher temperature to complete the forge welding of iron and steel. But based on the steady basic skills of the second-generation Kiyotada and his excellent concentration, he stayed in the high temperature for a very short time while forging the tools. After quickly completing the forge welding of steel and iron, he quickly completed the forging shape before the workpiece cooled and hardened.

In addition, if he finds imperfections in the forging welding of the workpiece at forging shape stage.The second generation kiyotada would throw it away without hesitation without heating it again to fix the imperfection.

Mr. Tsuchida Ichiro commissioned Kiyotada to make a special kote nomi. To complete this order, Kiyotada threw away dozens of failed chisels during the forging stage. When Kiyotada finished the chisel, he said to Mr. Tsuchida Ichiro "This time I give you this chisel for free, but next time don't ask me to make this kind of tool.”

The second-generation Kiyotada gave his own explanation for why he did not hesitate to throw away imperfect workpieces.

”If the forge welding is not done well at the beginning, it is impossible to hope that the defective workpiece can be repaired by reheating. The performance of steel will be damaged. It's better to make a new one than to waste time on such a defective product.”

According to my rough understanding, if the temperature of carbon steel is too high or stays in a high temperature state for a longer time. Its steel microstructure will become rough and non-uniform. Even if the blacksmith has good heat treatment technology, it is difficult to change the microstructure of steel. It can only adjust the hardness and toughness of steel.

The excellent forging technology of the second generation kiyotada makes the steel structure of his tools more uniform. Plus the improvements he made during the heat treatment stage. Making his chisels the dream of professional Japanese carpenters.

Mr. Tsuchida's article：Noboru Tsuchida. (2008) . The Successors 受継ぎし者たち. Chiyozuru Korehide Photo Collection ② 千代鶴是秀写真集②. P120

The Open Source Philosophy of Second Generation Kiyotada Blacksmith

In the traditional culture of East Asian craftsmen, their skills are never easily revealed to others,especially those in the same industry.There are also some other rules, such as skills "can be passed down to men but not women" and "cannot be taught to gaijin（Not a relative, not an apprentice）.”

The second generation kiyotada are not conservatives. Shortly after the Tokyo Chisel Smith Guild was established, the second generation Kiyotada invited all members to his blacksmith shop and publicly demonstrated the process of forging kote-nomi （Trowel Chisel）.

Photos of kotenomi made by the second generation of Kiyotada can be viewed on my Instagram：

https://www.instagram.com/p/CsgG9gersG_/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

If a member still cannot successfully complete the forging, he will personally go to the member's blacksmith shop to demonstrate again and teach him step by step. If some members are not capable enough to complete the forging, the second-generation kiyotada will even give the forged semi-finished chisels to the blacksmith. This way the blacksmith only has to complete the grinding and shaping steps.

In the second generation kiyotada’s view, the user comes first. All of his own technologies are for users. What makes him happiest is that more and more users can use the tools he made or the tools made by other blacksmiths that incorporate the techniques he shared.

I’m sure the second generation kiyotada isn’t the only one willing to share. The open-source ethos of these unconventional craftsmen has made Tokyo Chisel a popular tool for users around the world.

The attitude of the chisel blacksmith Kiyotada towards his customers

When Mr. Ichiro Tsuchida first visited Kiyotada Blacksmith’s shop located in Tsukishima, Tokyo, he was filled with anxiety, fearing that Kiyotada Blacksmith might not accept his order. At that time, Kiyotada Blacksmith had already established a deep collaboration with Suiheiya Store. A large number of orders came from Suiheiya Store, making the shop very busy.

Mr. Ichiro Tsuchida walked into the blacksmith shop and asked the first-generation Kiyotada Blacksmith, “Could you please make some chisels for me?”  The first-generation Kiyotada Blacksmith, who was smoking at the time, immediately asked, “What kind of chisels do you want?” Mr. Tsuchida said: “a set of oire chisels.”

Before Mr. Tsuchida finished speaking, the first generation of Kiyotada blacksmiths had already rekindled the forge, preparing to start forging the oire chisels.

A set of oire chisels cannot be completed in one day. But this incident shows the Kiyotada blacksmith’s attitude towards customers and work: Treating customers without discrimination and doing their utmost to quickly fulfill orders after understanding the requirements.”

Mr. Tsuchida's article：Noboru Tsuchida. (2008) . The Successors 受継ぎし者たち. Chiyozuru Korehide Photo Collection ② 千代鶴是秀写真集②. P120

Kiyotada Ⅱ  - the Japanese blacksmith with the most product variety I have ever seen 

The products of the Kiyotada Ⅱ include almost all cutting tools used by woodworkers/ carpenter, as well as carving knives and chisels used by carvers. 

I have a collection of very rare chisels, knives, marking blade and scrapers made by Kiyotada Ⅱ. What is hard for me to believe is that these rare tools made by the Kiyotada Ⅱ make me feel like he has been making these tools for decades. The style, finish, and cutting performance are no different from the common chisels he makes.

I found the answer to this confusion in Mr. Tsuchida's article. When the Kiyotada Ⅱ  receives a special tool order, he would first look at the sketch/sample while "forging" it in his mind, avoiding stopping in the middle of forging to look at the sketch. If there is a problem with the previous conception during the actual forging, he will immediately throw away the failed workpiece, and then perfect the previous conception in his mind again, and repeat this process until the tool is forged in one go.

Mr. Tsuchida's article records the blacksmith's pet phrase：

「もたもた火造っていたのでは、いい事なんか一つもない。鋼は傷むし、お金にもならない。」“If the forging is slow, there won’t be any good outcomes. The steel will get damaged, and it won’t earn any money.”

To be clear, Kiyotada Ⅱ did not make these special tools by quickly forging a very rough, fat blank and then grinding it into shape using an electric grinder and files. Mr. Tsuchida once showed me a chisel (blank) forged by Kiyotada Ⅱ. The blank was very close to the final shape of the chisel and only needed to be completed by simple grinding.

The method used by Kiyotada Ⅱ to make new/special tools reminded me of the famous words of Mr. Wang Yangming, a Chinese Ming Dynasty philosopher, on learning calligraphy:

「吾始学书，对模古帖，止得字形。后举笔不轻落纸，凝思静虑，拟形于心，久之始通其法。」“When I first learned calligraphy, I copied ancient calligraphy, but I could only get the shape of the characters. Later I changed this learning method. I don't start writing rashly when I pick up the brush; I think quietly, write and imagine the shape in my mind, and then start writing. After a long time of practice, I finally mastered the calligraphy skills.”

 

Kiyotada - He has no ambition to become a master

In the post-World War II recovery and peace of the Tokyo area, the demand for carpentry tools increased due to a large amount of post-war recovery and reconstruction work. Blacksmiths who were active in the Tokyo area before World War II to produce high-quality chisels, such as Hisahiro I&II, Ishido Hidekazu, Korehide, and Hirosada, have already exited the stage of history. Although Ichihiro II and Masayoshi I filled the gap left by these masters, but the chisels they made were too expensive for most carpenter at the time.

Creating the chisel that may not be as aesthetically perfect as Ichihiro or Masayoshi, but still delivers excellent cutting performance without compromising on key functionality, in order to reduce the overall cost of the tool and make it affordable for most carpenters. This is the business philosophy upheld by blacksmith Kiyotada I&II.

Kiyotada I&II does not lack the ability to create high-precision tools akin to 'works of art.' Instead, he adheres to his own philosophy and has no ambition to become a master like Korehide.

There are two stories recorded in Mr. Tsuchida's article that impressed me and can help us better understand Kiyotada's philosophy.

①: Suiheiya, the tool store that placed the most orders with Kiyotada, offered a chisel made by Ichihiro and asked Kiyotada to make a replica. From the store's perspective, if Kiyotada could make a chisel similar to Ichihiro's but much cheaper than Ichihiro's, it would definitely sell better.  Kiyotada accepted the request because of his long-term cooperation with Suiheiya store. However, during the production process, Kiyotada did not change his process and speed. The chisel was quickly completed. Then, he said to the owner of the Suiheiya shop, who didn't seem satisfied, “This chisel is sufficient as it is; its functionality is already adequate. If you want me make the chisel like Ichihiro's, you might as well place your order with Ichihiro directly."

②: Mr. Tsuchida Noboru once mentioned to Kiyotada that when Korehide made a Shinogi Oo-tsuki nomi (dovetail slick chisel), it took him two months to polish the shape. Kiyotada II did not seem surprised when he heard this. Then the Kiyotada II  said, “Korehide must have used an old file. If he use a new file to polish a chisel for two months, the chisel will turn into a pile of iron powder.” The facts was exactly as the Kiyotada II said, Korehide is used to using old files instead of new, finer files in the later stages of polishing.

The dovetail slick chisel（made in 1924） can be seen here：https://x.com/tsuchidahamono/status/1604268148844175360

Apparently, Tsuchida's purpose in mentioning this was to encourage Kiyotada to make a chisel as good as Korehide's "artistic" tool, thereby promoting Kiyotada's “progress”.  But Kiyotada’s reply was: “I am neither Korehide nor Ishido.”

The Kiyotada II complaint to Tsuchida Ichiro

Tsuchida shop in Sangenjaya, Tokyo is not the largest seller of Kiyotada tools. But it is arguably the store that offers the most ideal Kiyotada tools. This is due to Tsuchida Ichiro's in-depth research on tools and strict quality control. On the other hand, Kiyotada blacksmith complained about the demands made by the "troublesome" Tsuchida Ichiro.

Mr. Tsuchida Noboru's article records a complaint from Kiyotada blacksmith：

「The chisel order from Suiheiya Store required me to make the chisel's shoulder shrug like Ichihiro Ⅲ , and to make the blade thinner. On the contrary you (Tsuchida) asked me to make the chisel shoulder more naturally drooping and the blade thicker. Compared to Suiheiya, I need to do a lot of work to serve you. Nowadays, woodworkers use power tools for rough work and then use hand chisels. The fact is that thinner Oire or Tataki chisels are more convenient to use. Are the carpenters who come into your shop(Tsuchida) different? They don't use power tools, so they need thicker chisels? To make this thicker chisel you need, the Jigane I use needs to be twice as thick. Also, the thicker Jigane heats up more slowly, and the forging requires more fuel. All in all, I have to do twice as much work.」

Although Kiyotada Ⅱ complained about Tsuchida Ichiro, the Kiyotada Ⅱ still made chisels according to Tcuchida's request. Even for some special chisels that were more difficult to make, the Kiyotada Ⅱ offered a very reasonable price. Mr. Tsuchida Ichiro asked the Kiyotada Ⅱ to charge more.

The blacksmith replied without hesitation：

「If I make the supply price so high, plus the profit you must make, no carpenter will buy the chisels I make. I am neither a Korehide master nor an Ishido master. If I set the price of my tools so high, everyone will laugh at me. In addition, the chisels I supplied to suiheiya are selling very well. I guess it's just that you personally don't like the thinner chisels with the shrugged shoulders. It's not that carpenters today want a thicker chisel with a drooping shoulder. It's just that Tsuchida ichiro san thinks the thicker chisel with a drooping shoulder is the ideal chisel.」

Mr. Tsuchida's article：Noboru Tsuchida. (2008) . The Successors 受継ぎし者たち. Chiyozuru Korehide Photo Collection ② 千代鶴是秀写真集②. P124