Once employed in warfare, the Japanese sword evolved into an object of artistic appreciation during the Meiji era with the issuance of sword presentation rituals. The Japanese sword comprises six main components and there are specialized craftsmen for each component. The craftsmen responsible for creating the hilt are known as Hilt makers.
For the end of the era of warfare and the advent of the Edo period,
samurais stopped unsheathing their swords. Instead, they focused on the external features of the sword, such as the scabbard and hilt,
striving to obtain the finest craftsmanship. As a result, craftsmanship saw a significant improvement, and the hilts from that era display flawless, perfectly aligned lozenges.
In the town of Yukuhashi, Fukuoka Prefecture with deep connections to swords, the best Hilt maker in Japan spend their days:
Hilt Maker, Kubo Kentaro. Born in 1992 as the eldest son of the Kubo family, Kentaro excelled in physical abilities from a young age, ranking third in Kyushu in track and field during high school.
After graduating, he decided to become an apprentice upon witnessing the work of his father, Master Jyuuichi. Feeling that it would be a waste to end the techniques my father had struggled to acquire, Master Junichi, his father, has 45 years of experience in this craft and boasts 27 award-winning achievements.
He successfully revived the hilt winding technique that predecessors had not passed down. One of his accomplishments is the whale winding technique (Kujira-maki). Skillfully manipulating the hard baleen like plastic, Kubo creates impressive pieces.
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