Once a club DJ, Nakagawa Satoshi is now among the brightest rising stars of the Japanese knife making industry. While relatively new on the scene as an independent bladesmith, he is by no means inexperienced, having served as an apprentice under the legendary Kenichi Shiraki for 16 years. During the final 5 years of his apprenticeship, he personally forged all the knives produced under the Shiraki name. When his master retired, the business was passed down to Nakagawa, who rebranded it under his own name and continues in his master's lineage with only two other employees.

Nakagawa has an impressive range of forging skills which he employs efficaciously, whether he's producing a clad blade from carbon steel, Ginsan, VG-10, or making a striking honyaki. In fact, he is one of only a few bladesmiths left today that endeavor to produce honyaki. His skills have earned his work top tier positions with large retailers such as Sakai Kikumori, Jikko, and Kagekiyo, so there's a chance you've already encountered his handiwork, if not under his own name.

Nakagawa's relatively low profile in the knifemaking world is rapidly evolving, and he appears to be on the cusp of major national recognition in Japan. This up-and-comer definitely bears watching.