Steel, Fire, and Tradition: Blacksmith Neil Kamimura

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Long before the sun rises over the Pacific Ocean down below, a glow and a rhythmic clanging emanate from deep inside the blacksmithing workshop of Neil Kamimura. Hunched over a glowing hunk of Damascus steel, he raises his hammer into the sky and brings it down. Each blow slowly transforms the metal into something new, something unseen before, something beautiful. It’s hard work that would break most people, but Kamimura feels nothing but joy each time he stands over his anvil.

At first glance, Kamimura can seem intimidating. His burly arms are covered in tattoos, a serene gaze emanating from a face framed by a bushy black beard and long hair often worn in a bun. His worn leather apron is a testament to the long hours he spends daily inside the T Kamimura Blacksmith Shop on the Big Island of Hawaii. But like the ocean breezes so common here, his smile quickly dominates the room, especially when he begins discussing his life’s passion, making stunning blades in paradise.

"Every blade I make, I do in the oldest way possible, which is to forge the shape, forge the profile, forge the geometry. From the first time I swung a hammer, I felt connected with my ancestor and the island. Nothing else mattered."
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“I came to blacksmithing later in life, but it’s something that was in my blood. My great-grandfather, Teiji Kamimura, whom I am named after (middle name), was a renowned blacksmith and is in the Japanese American history museum. It’s where the T in my shop’s name and on each blade comes from; we are linked,” he says. “Every blade I make, I do in the oldest way possible, which is to forge the shape, forge the profile, forge the geometry. From the first time I swung a hammer, I felt connected with my ancestor and the island. Nothing else mattered.”

Kamimura was staring down a black hole of despair when a friend first suggested he try blacksmithing at the age of thirty-five. His mother had just passed away after a long depression, and he wondered if the darkness might swallow him too. Always a hard worker, he found a peace and quiet that had alluded him his entire life as soon as he stood over the half-busted anvil his friend had brought him. Each blow to the molten glowing metal seemed to release more pressure.

From that moment on, he began to transform. He had no time for anything else. All he wanted to do was create knives. Emerging from his ramshackle makeshift shop after long days and nights sore, yet fulfilled, he had a purpose. He stopped cutting his hair and shaving; they were secondary, and he devoured any literature and videos about blacksmithing. He had been reborn.

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His passion and skills were quickly noticed when only seven months later, and seventy knives, he earned a spot on the television show Forged in Fire. Competing against other more seasoned blacksmiths, he won and was invited back to the championship, where he finished second. These days there is a three-year waiting list for just the opportunity to buy one of his custom blades.

“I find it a little humorous that I have had so much success doing what I do. For a kid who dropped out of school in the seventh grade and had to bust his ass his whole life, how perfect is it that I do this,” he says. “I basically do the simplest of things. I bash metal with a hammer all day long. From fire and sweat, my blades emerge, and then I sharpen them with a rock. Then I get to go out and spend time on the island; c’mon, that’s awesome. Luckily people want to buy my knives, but honestly, I would do this regardless.”

"I basically do the simplest of things. I bash metal with a hammer all day long. From fire and sweat, my blades emerge, and then I sharpen them with a rock. Then I get to go out and spend time on the island; c'mon, that's awesome. Luckily people want to buy my knives, but honestly, I would do this regardless."

Each knife Kamimura produces takes hours upon hours of work. Two different metals are forged together, he finesses the beauty and versatility to the surface with each blow. In the end, the layers often resemble the nature surrounding his workshop on his small farm. The flow of the tides and ebbs of the breezes shine in each knife. Local wood handles serve to add functionality to them. They are a work of art.

Each is a direct link to its maker. A man who has put in the hard work both on himself and the steel he continually tucks back into the forge. Often beauty comes from flowing with the stresses and blows of life. A T Kamimura blade is a testament to that.

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