The owner of Kanetsune Seki brand — Kitasho — has been making knives in pre-war Japan, in Seki City (関市) which has over 800 years of blade-making history. After the war, they established the Kitamura Shoten, which led to the current Kitasho company. The Kanetsune (兼常) brand is named after a famous sword-smith who lived in the Muromachi period around 14-15 century. Making different series of knives under brands including Kanemasa, Honsho Kanemasa, and Minamoto Kanemasa, Kitasho Company is on the mission of passing down Seki’s 8 centuries long knife-making techniques and traditions.