Tanaka's blade making started in the late Meiji era in 1904, by making sickles during the Russo-Japanese War. In 1946, Tanaka workshop started focusing more on kitchen knives, and in year 2000 with the 3rd generation Kazuyuki Takana (田中 一之) on the throne, the family business changed its name to "Tanaka Kazuyuki Hamono" and has been using this name since. Kazuyuki's son - 4th generation blacksmith Shigeki Tanaka (田中 誠貴) - started making blades with his father in 1994. The father and son team, having learnt traditional blade making in Fukui, started making knives with "Shigeki saku" mark.