The History of Yangjiang Knives: Why 1500 Years of Craft Matters to Your Brand

If you’re in the knife business, you know the name Yangjiang. It’s called the “Capital of Knives and Scissors,” but that’s not just a slogan. It’s a title earned over 1,500 years of work.

Understanding this history helps you understand the value embedded in the products made here. It’s a story of skill, technology, and trade that directly impacts the quality and reliability you get as a partner.

To give you a quick overview, here is a simple timeline of the key moments that shaped the industry.

The History of Yangjiang Knives at a Glance

Period	Key Figure / Event	What It Means for Your Business Today
Southern/Northern Dynasties (420-589 AD)	Madam Xian introduces northern iron tech.	The Foundation of Quality: This is where the region’s deep knowledge of metalworking began.
Sui/Tang Dynasties (581-907 AD)	Gen. Feng Ang develops “Su Steel.”	The Origin of High-Performance: The focus shifted to creating stronger, more resilient steel alloys.
Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD)	The Maritime Silk Road boosts toolmaking.	Building Scale and Skill: High demand from trade built the capacity for large-scale production.
Late Qing Dynasty (1875-1908)	“Iron Alley” forms as a craft hub.	A Mature Supply Chain: The first industry cluster was born, creating a network of specialists.
Republic Era (1912-1949)	First brands like He Quanli & Jifu appear.	Early Market Awareness: Craftsmen began thinking about the end-user and brand reputation.
Modern Era (1983-Present)	Rise of Shibazi Zuo & OEM/ODM focus.	Global Manufacturing Power: Yangjiang becomes the center of the global knife supply chain.

A Deep-Rooted Legacy of Craft

1. The Foundation: Madam Xian and Early Iron Tech (Southern and Northern Dynasties, 420-589 AD)

The story starts with Madam Xian (512-602 AD), a local leader who brought advanced iron-smelting techniques from the north. This involved more efficient furnaces and better methods for converting brittle cast iron into workable wrought iron and early forms of steel. Her workshops produced superior weapons and farm tools, establishing the region as a center for metalworking.

• Why this matters to you: This was the “0 to 1” moment. It established Yangjiang as a place where metal was not just worked, but mastered. That deep-seated knowledge is still here.

2. The Performance Leap: General Feng Ang’s “Su Steel” (Sui and Tang Dynasties, 581-907 AD)

Madam Xian’s grandson, General Feng Ang, took this a step further. He and his smiths developed a refined steel known locally as “Su Steel” (苏钢). This was an early form of forge-welded steel, where layers of hard (high-carbon) and soft (low-carbon) iron were hammered together. This process removed impurities and created a blade that was both hard enough to hold a sharp edge and tough enough to resist chipping or breaking. It was an early composite blade, much like the famed ダマスカス鋼.

• Why this matters to you: This marks the shift from making basic tools to engineering high-performance alloys. The pursuit of better materials and heat treatment, which is critical for your products today, started here nearly 1,400 years ago.

3. The Trade Hub: Fueling Growth on the Silk Road (Song Dynasty, 960-1279 AD)

As a key stop on the Maritime Silk Road, Yangjiang (then part of the larger Gaoliang port area) was a busy transshipment hub for goods like ceramics and iron. The massive shipbuilding industry required a constant supply of high-quality axes, saws, and chisels. This huge local demand for durable tools kept blacksmiths busy and drove improvements in production efficiency.

• Why this matters to you: Trade forced the industry to scale up. Craftsmen here learned early how to handle high-volume, high-strength tool production—a direct ancestor of modern manufacturing capabilities.

4. The Industry Cluster: “Iron Alley” Takes Shape (Late Qing Dynasty, c. 1875-1908 AD)

By the late 19th century, the knife industry had become highly concentrated. Historical records describe a specific area near the city’s temple known as “Iron Alley” (打铁巷). This street was lined with small forges and workshops, each specializing in different parts of the process. This created the first true industry cluster, allowing for shared knowledge and a growing reputation for quality that spread throughout the region.

• Why this matters to you: This was the birth of the Yangjiang supply chain. This early specialization is the foundation of the efficient, multi-layered manufacturing ecosystem you can leverage today.

From Local Workshops to Your Global Partner

1. Early Brands and a Reputation for Quality (Republic Era, 1912-1949)

In the early 20th century, specific makers started earning a name for themselves. The He Quanli kitchen knife became famous in restaurants for its clean-cutting steel. Around the 1930s, a craftsman named Liang Jifu developed the “Jifu Knife,” which won an award at a World Expo for its unique, durable edge that was precise enough for shaving.

• Why this matters to you: This was the start of brand thinking. Makers began linking their name to quality and specific performance features, a principle that successful OEM factories live by today.

2. The State-Owned Era: Building for Export (1955-1980s)

After 1955, the industry was reorganized into state-managed cooperatives, which later formed the Yangjiang County State-owned Knife Factory. This move consolidated hundreds of small workshops into a large-scale production force. By the 1960s, this factory was a major exporter, sending knives to international markets and establishing the first global trade channels.

• Why this matters to you: This period built the infrastructure for large-scale, standardized production. It established the baseline experience in navigating international logistics and quality expectations.

3. The Three Leaps to a Modern Industry (1990-2001)

The end of the 20th century was a period of rapid change that created the dynamic, privately-owned industry you see today.

The Leap	Time Period	The Core Change	The Result for You
First Leap	1990s	From Manual to Semi-Mechanized	Production became more efficient and consistent, ready for larger export orders.
Second Leap	1997	The Rise of Private Factories	Competition drove up quality and customer focus, creating a dynamic, innovative market.
Third Leap	2001	Embracing Global Trade (WTO)	Factories invested heavily in equipment to become OEM/ODM specialists for global brands.

The Technology Driving Quality Today

The “Third Leap” was a complete overhaul of the manufacturing process. To meet the exacting standards of global brands, Yangjiang factories invested heavily in technology. Key investments included:

• Automated Machinery: High-precision stamping presses, CNC (Computer Numerical Control) grinding machines, and laser cutting systems to ensure perfect consistency.
• Advanced Heat Treatment: Vacuum heat treatment furnaces for precise temperature control, essential for maximizing the performance of modern steels.
• Mastery of Global Steels: To serve our international partners, especially in the US market, we invested heavily in the technology to perfect a global range of steels. This includes:
  • High-Value Steels のように 8Cr13MoV そして 9Cr18MoV for projects demanding performance at a competitive price.
  • Trusted Imported Steels from Japan (VG-10, AUS-10) and Europe (サンドビック 14C28N, ドイツ語 1.4116).
  • Premium American “Super Steels”, proving our high-end capability with materials like CPM S35VN, S45VN、 そして S90V.

This expertise, combined with automated CNC machinery and precise vacuum heat treatment, allows us to build knives to your exact specifications.

Yangjiang Today: The Core of Your Supply Chain

This 1500-year history has created a manufacturing ecosystem unlike any other. The numbers speak for themselves.

Yangjiang Knives: A Snapshot

Metric	Data	Why It Matters to You
Number of Companies	Over 2,600	A complete supply chain, from raw steel to packaging, is right here.
Annual Output Value	Over ¥52 Billion RMB	This scale provides stability and access to incredible resources.
Share of China’s Output	70% of all knives made in China	The industry’s center of gravity is here, driving innovation and talent.
Share of China’s Exports	85% of all knives exported from China	We have unmatched experience in meeting international quality standards.

Key Knife Brands of Yangjiang

When you look at Yangjiang brands, you see two sides of the industry.

For the Consumer Market: Shibazi Zuo (十八子作)

Founded in 1983 by the Li family, Shibazi Zuo is the company that brought modern, mass-production to Yangjiang. It’s the best-known knife brand inside China and a leader in the domestic market.

For Your Business: Specialized OEM/ODM Partners

While Shibazi Zuo is famous, the true engine of Yangjiang for a global brand like yours is the hundreds of factories that you don’t see on a store shelf. These are the OEM/ODM specialists like us, LeeKnives. We focus entirely on designing and manufacturing knives for global brands. We are the backbone of the global knife market. Here is what sets us apart:

• From Concept to Delivery, Seamlessly: Whether you have a finished design or just an idea, our in-house team of designers and engineers works with you. We provide a complete one-stop solution, from optimizing your blueprints and selecting the right materials to final production and quality control.
• Yangjiang Cost + US Efficiency: We offer the best of both worlds. While your knives are crafted with the cost advantages of Yangjiang’s mature supply chain, our US-based warehouse handles the complex logistics for you. This ensures your products reach the market quickly and reliably, reducing your inventory pressure and shipping headaches.
• Deep Market Insight: We have a long history of providing OEMサービス for well-known American brands. We understand the US market intimately—especially how to balance performance, cost, and craftsmanship to create products that consumers in the entry-level and mid-range markets truly value and buy.

When you partner with Leeknives, you’re not just sourcing knives. You are gaining a strategic partner dedicated to helping you scale, innovate, and win in a competitive market.

Partner with a Legacy of Manufacturing Excellence

This history isn’t just a collection of stories. It’s the reason why the supply chain here is so deep, skilled, and reliable.

で LeeKnives.com, we are a modern part of this long tradition. We use generations of knowledge and the best modern equipment to build knives that build your brand.

Ready to source your next product line from the heart of the knife industry? Contact us to discuss your manufacturing needs.