From Yangjiang to Your Kitchen: The Forge To Table Difference
- Noah Rosen
- 7 hours ago
- 6 min read
Back to the Forge: October 2024 in Yangjiang
In October of 2024, the Forge To Table team of Noah Rosen, Sam Burgess, and Maya Alderman headed back to the forge for a month of development, dining, and fun. We’re excited to share the stories of our trip and to share the story of Yangjiang and its incredible history of knife making.
Our Team in Yangjiang
Alex, our incredible blacksmith and artist, and his entire team are based in Yangjiang City in Guangdong China. Imagine a place where bustling cityscapes meet serene mountains, where ancient temples stand alongside towering skyscrapers, and where the aroma of dim sum fills the air. That's Guangdong, China's southern state.
Guangdong: Culture, Trade, and Global Reach
Located closer to Vietnam than other major cities of China, Guangdong has a southern tropics vibe with amazing seafood and a ton of international culture. It’s the most populated province in China and historically, a hub of international trade. Guangdong’s major city is Guangzhou, one of our teams favorites to spend time in and home to amazing tea shops, incredible art museums, and an unreasonable amount of Asia's best bars and restaurants. Also located in Guangdong is Shenzhen, the city where the majority of the world's tech is made. From iPhones to TVs to air conditioners.
Guangdong leads China in economic output, fueled by its diverse industries and global trade connections. This long tradition of international trade is stronger than ever in the present day thanks to the Canton Fair, the largest global trade fair and product show spanning over 1.5 MILLION square meters of space. We attended the Canton Fair to explore the newest designs in home and commercial kitchen tools plus to see the featured Red Dot design awards for new products. Through this significant global trade, Guangzhou has also become one of the most diverse cities in China. But Cantonese culture still reigns supreme, with its unique language, delectable cuisine (dim sum!), and vibrant festivals. Guangdong has been a gateway to China for centuries, playing a crucial role in the Maritime Silk Road and international trade. They even built the Maritime Silk Road Museum on Hailing Island, where our team explored 2,000 years of Chinese export history and viewed more than 40,000 pieces of fine china and porcelain recovered from a sunken shop. Guangdong also has some of the largest nature preserves of a metro area giving it some of the best air quality of a city its size.
Guangzhou's Long-Standing History
For centuries, Guangzhou’s strategic location on the Pearl River Delta has made it a vital gateway to China. As far back as the Han Dynasty, Guangzhou was welcoming ships from Southeast Asia and beyond, establishing itself as a key player on the Maritime Silk Road. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, it flourished as a cosmopolitan port, attracting merchants from Arabia, Persia, and Europe, who sought Chinese silks, porcelain, and tea. Even today, Guangzhou remains a crucial center for commerce, with its bustling port and trade fairs connecting China to the world. This rich history of international exchange has shaped Guangzhou's identity, making it a dynamic and culturally diverse metropolis. Today it has the third largest international population of any city in China, behind only those of the substantially larger Beijing and Shanghai.
Why is Yangjiang called the ‘knife city’ of China?
Just as the United States is divided into states with their own identities, China is divided into provinces, each recognized for its distinct specialties and cultural characteristics. And in the same way that Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa are identified as the breadbasket states and Silicon Valley is known for innovation, Yangjiang is regarded as the kitchen tool capital of China... and the world.
Nearly 128 million people live in Guangdong, China and nearly 3 million specifically in and around Yangjiang City. In Yangjiang City, the name of the game is the 'Knife Business': steel producers, blacksmiths, and sales teams alike. More than half of all persons and businesses that work in the culinary-tool-field in China are based in Yangjiang. You’ll find everything from small forges like ours, with teams of less than 30 to those with thousands of employees that more resemble factories that produce knives for the likes of Zwilling and Boker. Brands like Buck, Cuisinart, Hexclad, Spyderco, Gerber, Henckels, Victornox, Kershaw and more produce their blades in the mega factories of Yangjiang city. It’s hard to find much transparency from these big brands on where their knives are made, but why hide this fact when Chinese blacksmiths have a rich history of blademaking dating back longer than the Japanese.
What Makes Forge To Table Different
Unlike these brands that hide behind statements of their history, and blankets like ‘globally made’, our team is the face of our knives. One would think that the scale of knife production, the history of craftmanship, and the endorsement placed by these mega brands moving production here would be a testament to the quality. But more often than not you’ll have a hard time finding any pride from these massive brands for their contracted factory manufacturers. We do things differently. We’re beyond proud of our team and honor the storied traditions of knife making and Chinese craftsmanship in every blade we make. "Made in China" carries a legacy of centuries of craftsmanship and decades of innovation, making quality knives accessible and affordable for all.
The Legacy of Craftsmanship in Yangjiang
The story of knife making in Yangjiang is a fascinating blend of ancient tradition, skilled craftsmanship, and modern innovation. It begins over 1,400 years ago during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), a period when China's influence and artistry were at their peak. This era saw the rise of the Tang Dao, a sword renowned for its strength, balance, and beauty. Crafted with advanced techniques like "Hundred Steelmaking" and "clay tempering," the Tang Dao represented the pinnacle of Chinese swordsmithing. Its influence even reached Japan, where it inspired the development of the iconic katana. (Yeah you read that right, China and Japan share a culture of knife making.)
While the intricate forging techniques of the Tang Dao eventually faded in China, the legacy of craftsmanship lived on in Yangjiang, passed down through generations of skilled artisans. Over the centuries, Yangjiang's knife makers honed their skills, mastering the art of forging, grinding, and polishing blades. They adapted to new materials and techniques, transitioning from bronze to iron and eventually to high-quality steel. The evolution of Chinese blades continued through the Song, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, each era contributing to the refinement and diversification of knife designs. Evolving with the times, Chinese blades like the double-edged Jian, the single-edged Dao, and the sturdy Ming Dao reflected the practical needs of war and everyday life.
Yangjiang Today
Today, Yangjiang stands as the "City of Knives," a testament to its enduring legacy of craftsmanship. Home to over 1,000 knife manufacturers, the city seamlessly blends traditional techniques with modern technology. Yangjiang's knives are renowned for their quality, sharpness, and variety, sought after by chefs, collectors, and enthusiasts worldwide. The city's historical significance is not forgotten, with stories of American missionaries bringing Yangjiang knives back home as gifts in the 19th century serving as a reminder of its long-standing reputation for excellence. As Yangjiang continues to innovate and adapt to the global market, it remains deeply rooted in its rich history, ensuring that the art of knife making will thrive for generations to come.
Forge To Table’s Philosophy
Throughout the design process of our blades, we fuse the traditions of Yangjiang with the modern craftsmanship that Alex studied in his time in Japan and during his degree in industrial design, and the needs of the American chef. Our sourcing of Japanese, Chinese, and German steels in conjunction with local materials like our ox horn help shape our blades and produce a quality product that reaches across continents. By uniting efficient technology with traditional methods, we simplify the process and keep blades affordable, making one-of-a-kind craftsmanship accessible to all. All while retaining the classic techniques and methods that produce a one of a kind blade every time. Our family-like friendships with the smiths we work alongside ensure our quality and integrity, because, ultimately, life is about the relationships we share. Since Alex took over the forge from his father, we’ve had only one person leave the team, and it's because he retired! Supporting our team through investment in machinery and equipment, and more importantly by investing in our people, supporting extended paid holiday breaks are some of the ways we’ve been able to change the narrative around Chinese manufacturing. By prioritizing our people and individuality, we honor the knifemaking culture and reap the benefits in the beautiful blades our team produces.
The Forging Method of the Origin of Chinese Tang Dao by Hanbon Forge
The Development History of Chinese Swords and Knives by Chinese Sword Store
China's Capital of Knives and Scissors, Yangjiang, Presents Its Exquisite Craftsmanship to the World by PR Newswire
Why Choose Yangjiang Knives: A Guide to Quality and Craftsmanship by Juberts Kitchen
Yangjiang Knife Industry by Sourcing Nova
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