Tobisho

Tobisho was founded in Yamagata, Japan by a 10th generation cutlery blacksmith. Yamagata cutlery has a long history, dating back to the Muromachi period in the 1300s, when the shogun ordered a master blacksmith to produce weapons there.

Tobisho was founded there in 1930 as a scissors factory, focusing on pruning and gardening shears. They employ many traditional processes in their manufacturing of top-quality pruning shears, as they consider the company a representative of Yamagata's traditional craft.

More than 200 processes go into making a single pair of Tobisho shears, and many are done by hand. Blades are brazed, ground, quenched, tempered, sharpened and finished by hand. With the finishing process considered the most important, Tobisho's experienced craftsmen polish, counterbore, adjust and tighten each pair of shears one-by-one.

Many of their shears are made from yasugi aogami steel, one of Japan's finest high-carbon steels. Tobisho has inherited the spirit of Yamagata's samurai blacksmiths.