In co-operation with the Cultural Centre Italy-Asia, the Art and Science Museum and Roberto Jelmini’s Family, F.lli Lorenzi are pleased to invite you in the shop of C.so di Porta Romana 1, on 29th November at 18.00, for the presentation of the various manufacturing stages needed to create a Samurai sword (“at the end of the manufacture, after fifteen folds, you can count as many as 32.768 layers”). They will also explain how the old techniques are applied today for the production of the best kitchen and sports knives. 

 “ The test of a blade was carried out following Yamada Tameshigi’s strict rules (he was one of the tester appointed by the Government who could use the prisoners’ bodies to assess the performance of the blades). This test involved a sword cutting blow on a human corpse to prove the weapon efficiency: a sabre-cut that was supposed to cut off the hit part with a single blow. There were sixteen different ways to execute such tests; the simplest one consisted in cutting off the hand at the wrist, whereas the most challenging one was the complete cut of the body at the abdomen level”.

Today in Japan kitchen knives’ tests – although carried out in the respect of tradition - are surely executed in less ferocious ways. According to a holistic approach that embraces art, cuisine and philosophy – you always have to use a suitable knife if you wish to get serene pleasure and quiet enjoyment while cooking. So we agree with Tim Mälzer, who stated: “not only makes a good knife an easier job, it also helps to cook the best”.