Master Shiro Kamo is the third generation blacksmith of Kamotou Hamono, a small artisan knife workshop based in Takefu City, Fukui Prefecture, Japan. He started helping his father in the workshop when he was a small kid and started making knives at the age of 25. He was certified as a traditional craftsman at the age of 45. And for decades, Mr. Kamo perfected forging techniques that make knives easier to sharpen while maintaining superior edge retention capabilities. Now in his 60s, he works on preserving and passing down the traditional crafting methods to his disciples (the youngest being 19 years old) at Kamotou Hamono.