Sakai Uchi Hamono are hammer-forged knives produced in the cities of Osaka and Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. Artisans use traditional methods to transform iron and steel into strong blades with excellent cutting precision and lasting sharpness. When smoking became popular in the early Edo period (1603-1868), the demand for tobacco leaf-cutting knives increased, and high-quality tobacco knives made by the craftsmen of Sakai were considered superior to imported knives. Later, when the mechanization of tobacco production reduced the demand for tobacco knives, craftsmen shifted their focus to the production of cooking knives.