Katsushige Anryu (安立 勝重) is a fourth-generation master blacksmith based in Takefu (Echizen), Fukui Prefecture, carrying on his family’s knife – making tradition since the 1870s. Born in 1940, he began apprenticing under his father, Katsutoshi Anryu, after high school in 1959, and has forged blades for over 50 years.

Anryu-san is a founder and chairman of the Takefu Knife Village collective, created to preserve and evolve Japanese blade craftsmanship. He prefers forging with traditional coke fire and carbon steels – notably Aogami Super – for their sharpness and edge retention, though he also uses VG10 stainless in select lines.

His hallmark tsuchime (hammered) and kurouchi finishes highlight both function and Japanese aesthetics. Many of his knives are san-mai cladded blades featuring resilient cores and beautiful rosewood or pakka octagonal handles. In recent years, he’s passed the torch to his nephew, Takumi Ikeda, ensuring Anryu Hamono continues its legacy.