Separate place from maker
堺 means Sakai and 越前 means Echizen. They locate a tradition or production area; neither is a maker by itself.
Blade mark investigation · Case 001
Who forged
this blade?
Upload a clear photograph of the engraving on your Japanese kitchen knife. Mei compares the visible characters, place names, and construction clues against a researched maker archive.
⌁ Processed in your browser
◎ Sources on every match
57 identities in the casefile
151 inscription forms
01
Start here
Photograph the maker’s mark
Best result · Fill the frame with the inscription and avoid glare.
Photo stays on this device02 / READ THE MARK
Transcription workspace
Confirm what the camera sees.
Japanese knife inscriptions may be chiseled, stamped, laser-marked, vertical, or worn. Our in-browser OCR is a starting point; correct any character before matching.
No photo analyzed yetUpload above, or enter the mark manually.
Ranked comparison
Most likely identities
Compared with the full maker-mark casefile.
Important: a mark can identify a brand, wholesaler, workshop, or smith. Mei does not authenticate age, steel, or resale value from a photograph.
Source-backed reference
Maker mark atlas
A practical index of frequently encountered Japanese kitchen-knife inscriptions. Every record separates the visible mark from the entity it actually names and grades the underlying evidence.
No reference records match that search.
Read with context
The mark is a clue,
not a certificate.
Knife identification is strongest when the inscription, region, construction, packaging, and purchase history agree. A convincing kanji match alone cannot prove who forged or sharpened a blade.
Remove boilerplate
登録 means registered, 作 means made by, and 御料理庖丁 simply means cooking knife. The distinctive name usually sits between them.
Respect divided labor
Sakai’s traditional system divides forging, sharpening, and handle fitting among specialist workshops. A branded knife can therefore have several makers behind it.
Field guide
Photograph both faces.
One side may carry the brand; the reverse may name a smith, steel, production region, or line. Include the whole blade in one photo, then add a close, square-on detail of each inscription.
- LightUse soft side light. Turn off direct flash.
- AngleKeep the blade face parallel to the camera.
- ScaleInclude the heel, spine, and handle junction.
Evidence desk
Every clue gets a grade.
The archive prioritizes official maker pages and public craft records. Kitchen Knife Forums adds valuable field identifications; those entries are labeled “Community lexicon” or “Forum identification” and never silently upgraded to primary evidence.