Cutting the dies, carrying on the craft
A Visit to the Cutting Die Workshop
Craftsmanship evolves swiftly, yet many techniques are quietly fading away. It is easy for us to feel nostalgia, to long for them to remain. But for those in the workshop, the choices are never so straightforward. When to bring in new machines or equipment? What to preserve, and what to let go? Walking the tangled, uncertain path of time, these are decisions one must ultimately face alone.
This September, a blacksmith who has devoted more than 60 years to his craft will be retiring.
It was with a calm, matter-of-fact tone that Naokazu Iwata shared this news. He is the third-generation owner of Iwataya Tool Shop, founded in 1927, the second year of the Showa era.
“Hizukuri” refers to the forged cutting dies used to punch leather. The process involves bending steel, grinding, sharpening the edge, and hardening it with heat. The result is a die of exceptional strength, precision, and longevity. Yet because it is handmade and demands a master’s skill, it is costly and requires time to produce. For this reason, most production today has shifted to dies made by bending pre-hardened steel known as Swedish steel.
Even so, the only reason this craft has endured to this day is because of the presence of the second-generation master, Naoji Iwata.
The reason Iwataya Tool Shop has endured for nearly a century.
Naoji-san speaks of those days as if fondly reminiscing.
“There are about twenty or so die-making companies in this area, but our shop has always stood in a slightly different position. We make both the dies and the tools ourselves—and sell them as well.”
That’s right—Iwataya Tool Shop is not only a factory that produces cutting dies, but also a retailer that manufactures and sells tools for craftsmen.
“In the end, leather goods back then were made almost entirely by hand. They weren’t sewn with machines but stitched by hand. So there were many craftsmen, and naturally, they would come to buy tools.”
Sewing and shaving thick leather requires specialized tools—ones not only suited to the work but also strong enough not to break or bend easily. And with the workshop just in back, repairs could always be taken care of right away.
“We could hear customers’ requests right away, directly—that was our strength, you could say. Even now, there are customers who bring in tools made before the war for repair. They’ve been using them for 40, even 50 years. Craftsmen truly take care of their tools. But you know…”
Naokazu, who always answers with a warm smile, lets a slightly wistful expression cross his face.
“The craftsmen are gone. One after another, they left. So what will happen from here, I wonder… I don’t know how much longer we can keep going.”
At the same time, in die-making, the shop’s work shifted with the times: in its early years producing equipment for the police and Self-Defense Forces, during the war making goods for military supply, and after the war turning to cutting dies for leather products such as shoes and bags. At each stage, it adapted flexibly to the needs of the era.
And it was for that very reason that REN came to cross their path.
Because it is a natural material, there is always room for the human hand to take part.
We were given a glimpse into the workshop behind the shop. Having just heard how it once employed many craftsmen and met such varied demands over the years, the space felt surprisingly modest. It was filled with machines, all bearing the marks of long use and age.
“These kinds of leather cutting dies actually aren’t all that mechanized.”
Even among cutting dies, there are differences. For cardboard and other paper products, “biku-gata” dies are used—embedded into wood or resin, bent automatically, or laser-cut into place. By contrast, leather dies, whether forged by hizukuri or made from Swedish steel, are still created in an entirely analog way: bent and shaped by hand to match the paper pattern. That tradition continues even today.
“With biku-gata, the blade is embedded in wood, so for making leather bags like REN’s, the cuts aren’t visible. In contrast, with the dies we make, the cutters carefully examine the leather as they cut and assemble each piece by hand.”
There is the person who creates the pattern, the one who shapes the die to match it, the one who cuts the leather with that die, and the one who gathers the pieces to sew them together. It is through this passing of the baton from hand to hand that a single product comes to life.
“There are machines for automatic cutting, and about ten years ago people were saying they might replace us. Some of the larger manufacturers have adopted them. But those machines work with synthetic leather; with natural leather it’s still very difficult. And there’s also the advantage of flexibility. If you suddenly find you’re two pieces short, you don’t have to go through the trouble of setting up a machine—you can just cut them out on the spot. It’s faster that way, too. Because it’s a natural material, there will always be room for the human hand to be involved.”
“By the way, even before I had any personal connection with REN, I always thought, ‘Their patterns are really well made.’”
All of a sudden, Naokazu began to share something that had been on his mind.
“Actually, our shop used to do business with the place where President Yanamoto trained in pattern-making. Even back then, the patterns were so well made—perfectly aligned left and right, the curves drawn as true curves, the straight lines as true straight lines. I always thought, ‘These are really easy to work with.’”
Later, when the relationship with REN began, he looked at the patterns and realized, “It was that person from back then!”
“Even now, some patterns are cut by the president and some by the workshop, but both are so skilled that, for us, with REN’s work there’s no mistake if we follow the pattern. We trust them completely.”
Of course, we too hold the deepest trust and respect for Iwataya Tool Shop. And since Iriya is close to Kuramae, where REN is based, there is also a certain sense of closeness we feel.
In REN’s craft, the cutting die is one of the essential stages of making. Especially for items with many parts, such as wallets, it has a direct impact on quality. Though our direct exchanges may be few, they remain an irreplaceable partner.
Not doing it leaves a sense of regret; doing it brings a richness of heart.
With the second-generation master, Naoji Iwata, stepping down due to age, the third-generation Naokazu has carried the work for over thirty years. And now, two years ago, his son Tomohiro took up the mantle. A welcome piece of good news.
“Before this, I worked at a shoe retailer and even held a managerial position there. But this path brings a greater richness of heart. Letting the company disappear without trying felt like it would leave me with deeper regrets.”
“That’s exactly what I felt thirty years ago,” Naokazu adds.
“While everyone around me was job hunting, I chose to take over the company—out of a sense of responsibility, I suppose. If I had gone off to find a job back then, I think Iwataya Tool Shop would have disappeared more than ten years ago.”
It is like walking a tightrope—how the decision of a single person to simply “continue” can become the thread that preserves a tradition. That is how Naokazu puts it.
“I suppose you could call it the tradition of craftsmanship. When it comes to the hizukuri dies my father made, people now often express their gratitude—saying they’re thankful we kept at it.”
And yet, by refusing to cling to hizukuri and choosing to steer toward Swedish steel, Naokazu was able to pass the baton to Tomohiro. Each choice made with care—so as not to misjudge the moment. Carefully, step by step.
In REN’s making, nothing is guaranteed to remain secure forever. If even one step in the process is missing, the work becomes difficult. And that is why we wish to feel, deeply and sincerely, gratitude for what still “is,” and for what still “can be done.”
Iwataya Tool Shop Ltd.
〒110-0004 2-7-1 Shitaya, Taito-ku, Tokyo
TEL03-3872-0325 FAX03-3872-1578
HP : http://www.iwataya-kouguten.jp
instagram : @iwataya_kouguten
