Suisin
Born into a family of knife craftsmen, Junro Aoki was anxious to step out of his father’s shadow and establish his own family brand. After spending twenty years under the his father’s tutelage at Aoki Knife Craft, one of the oldest knife crafting companies in Sakai, Japan. He resolved to apply his skills to crafting a new kind of knife, and in 1990 Aoki’s determination paid off. He established the Knife System Company, where he merged traditional techniques and modern technology to create Suisin brand knives. Suisin knives are crafted from the heart. From the initial design to the finished product, knives are repeatedly put to test in professional kitchens before they are released to the public. These knives are the unique by-product of a collaboration between the craftsmen and chefs. Suisin craftsmen are constantly challenging themselves to find new ways to ensure long edge retention and easy maintenance. Their goal is to provide chefs worldwide with the quality and careful craftsmanship that will allow them the precision and control to effortlessly create beautiful food.
Master artisan in traditional blacksmithing arts, Keijiro Doi entered the world of Sakai City’s traditional knife forging at the age of 19 as an apprentice to his father, Kazuo Doi. Determined to master his chosen art, the younger Doi applied discipline and hard work to achieve the highest level of craftsmanship, perfecting his skill in the most challenging area of low temperature forging and producing the singularly sharp blades indispensable to professional chefs. In particular, Doi has received great praise from top caliber chefs throughout Japan for his masterful use of ao-niko or blue carbon steel #2, an especially high performance material that is extremely difficult to forge. Doi lives and works by his motto, “A good craftsman never stops learning about his art,” and has been improving his technique daily for 60 years. Master Doi has officially retired as 2013, and has passed on his line to his son, Itsuo Doi.
