Our History

Welcome to Suwada

Our story began in 1926 in rural Japan, when Mr Shukusaburo Kobayashi founded Suwada as a pliers manufacturing company. Fast forward to 2020, his grandson, Tomoyuki Kobayashi, is leading this company with a focus on evolving and modernizing the traditional Japanese crafts in the area.

Mr Tomoyuki Kobayashi, CEO

 

The mentality

We like to joke sometimes that we are the opposite of mass produced and disposable products. That's how we all prefer it. Knowing each other personally and getting better in our crafts with time. Even the master blacksmiths don't admit that they know everything. This growth mindset is what makes our products unique.

The products

 Our products bring together the finest materials, stunning design and traditional skills to create the best cutting performance tools. We believe in quality, care, and people.
Focused, creative, and inspired by what we see everyday, each item we create represents our approach to happiness. Simple actions work better with the best tools, like cutting your nails, slicing a vegetable or opening a bottle of wine.
We hope they’ll inspire you. 

The people

The average age in the factory is 35 years old. About 15 university graduates joined in the last two years alone. Excellent work conditions allow them to keep the high life standards they need while learning Japanese metal crafts. There are about 20 master craftspeople, each an expert in his or her domain. A total of 60 people work in Japan, and 5 abroad in our offices in London, UK and Hong Kong, China. About half of them are women!

The Open Factory

The "Suwada Open Factory" concept is a move towards transparency. In 2011 the company opened its doors to customers who wished to witness how our products are made. Every year more than 20,000 people visit the Open Factory in Sanjo, Niigata. After its initial success, drawing the public's interest, a dozen more factories in the area converted their buildings to accept visitors.

The Future

The future is exciting. We will continue to make our products better and respond to the feedback of our customers. We produce for you, so we listen to you. We'll continue making quality products that make you happier in a special way, every day.
 
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