Kimhae, once the center of the iron culture of Gaya 2,000 years ago, is now gaining attention for its traditional knives in both domestic and international markets.
The Gaya Daejanggan, a traditional forge, and Chelling, equipped with advanced manufacturing technology, are both elevating the status of Kimhae knives.
On August 12, the city of Kimhae introduced the two local knife manufacturers, stating, "The traditional forge culture is being recognized as a new tourism content and luxury item." Both companies are part of Kimhae's hometown love donation program.
Located at the entrance of Bongri-dan-gil in Bonghwang-dong, Gaya Daejanggan is operated by Jeon Byeong-jin, 63, who has over 40 years of experience, and Jeon Hyeon-bae, 34, who is continuing the family business. They produce knives and agricultural tools using traditional forging methods, heating iron in a furnace exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius, followed by repeated hammering and quenching. Their current offerings include kitchen knives, sashimi knives, and various household iron tools.
Gaya Daejanggan recently gained attention after being featured on MBC Every1's show "Welcome, First Time in Korea?" Three Michelin-starred chefs from Italy visited the forge to observe the production process and purchased over 160 traditional knives, including the Beoseonko knife.
Following the broadcast, orders surged, leading to many online products being sold out. Jeon Hyeon-bae stated, "As a small business, we have production limits, so it takes time to restock due to the continued orders."
'Non-Sharpening Knife' Chelling Competes with Double Heat Treatment
Chelling, located in Juchon-myeon, is a premium kitchen knife manufacturer that employs a machine processing method. While Gaya Daejanggan uses traditional hammering techniques, Chelling adopts a modern approach of mass production followed by precision processing. The company has been producing kitchenware since 1980 and has inherited the techniques of Korea's first knife master, Jeong Jae-seo.
Their flagship product is a kitchen knife designed to last without needing sharpening, utilizing a double heat treatment process. The knife's surface features mirror polishing, preventing food from sticking and making cleaning easy.
Chelling's CEO, Kim Seok-bong, explained, "When a knife is sharpened, it can easily rust, but our method eliminates that issue. If the blade wears out after a few years, customers can send it back to us for re-manufacturing and double heat treatment."
Last year, Chelling achieved sales of 17 million won over four days at the Mega Show with their new product, the X-knife IV, ranking first in consumer goods sales. Since then, they have expanded their market to the United States, Netherlands, Kuwait, and Sri Lanka. At the 2026 Vietnam International Premium Consumer Goods Fair held in June, they held discussions with local buyers and signed a memorandum of understanding with five Vietnamese companies for kitchen knife exports.
Among these, they are negotiating export contracts worth approximately $600,000 with two distribution companies.
Initially, Chelling set an export target of $20,000 to $30,000 last year. Regarding the unexpectedly large contracts, Kim stated, "We launched a new product in November last year, and this development was beyond our expectations."
The contracts are still in the pre-signing stage. Kim noted, "The Vietnamese side is scheduled to visit this month, and we plan to finalize the contracts during their visit."
Chelling is also exploring entry into the Indonesian market in collaboration with KOTRA. Kim mentioned, "We received a request for samples from Indonesia, and the products will be ready next week. If the samples meet their satisfaction, we plan to proceed with contracts worth $20,000 to $30,000."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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