Maruyama, Ritsu

I was born in 1998 the second son of a furniture artist. At the age of 14, I came across Knife Magazine and was instantly fascinated by the world of custom knives. I started knifemaking in earnest after graduating from high school and then went to work as an apprentice at a time-honored knife factory in Seki, Japan. I won the Art Knife Award at the 37th JKG Knife Show (Japan’s premier custom knife show) in 2022 and became a full-time knife maker in the spring of 2023. I first learned about custom knives when I read the Japanese Knife Magazine. For me, it was a very natural progression to start making high quality knives in my own style and I pay great attention to the details to ensure a perfect fit and finish. I also have great a passion for working with wood and leather as I do for grinding beautiful blades and I always strive for to improve and reach perfection. In recent years I have been focusing on take-down knives, which is a very interesting theme. I am particularly fond of the Fighter and Bowie knives made by John White and Fred Carter, as well as the more elaborate art knives. I was especially shocked by the knives of Yoshihiko Mutoh. Nowadays, it is easy to gather information through Youtube and blogs, and I deeply respect the many makers and predecessors who generously share their methods with us today. And I will devote myself to catch up with the world's top makers every day.