14.--The imports of cutlery have averaged 21,000 dollars (say 3000_l._) during each of the past three years, and practically the whole came from Sheffield. It is a trade capable, I believe, of great development. At the present time, the use of table cutlery is confined to the foreign population and visitors, and to a small proportion of the Japanese, perhaps 100,000 out of the forty millions.
But this number is likely to increase every year, and, indeed, every day, as European ideas, habits, and costume, encouraged, by the imperial Court, the nobility, and the leaders of commerce and thought, gain a firmer foothold. It is illustrated _inter alia_ by the wide adoption of English head gear on the Lop of the native costume, and the consequent importation of a million dollars worth of English hats and caps in the last triennial period.
At a recent industrial conference with some of my constituents, an artisan asked if nothing could be done to encourage Eastern races to abandon "chop sticks" in favour of knives and forks. The question created some amusement, but it showed much intelligence and acumen. It has since occurred to me that possibly advantage might be taken of the Japanese and Oriental generous custom of present-giving to stimulate a taste for our cutlery, by enabling donors to obtain at a small cost a gift knife and fork, attractively got up either upon a card or in a case. In any case an experiment would not be ruinous.
15.--I have obtained for the information of the Sheffield trade, specimens of the razors, scissors, and pocket knives now in use among the Japanese, and shall on my return forward them to the Cutlers' Hall. As will be seen, they are of a very rough and primitive description.
Time was when, according to Professor Rein, the German scientist sent by the Prussian Government to report upon "The Industries of Japan," "among the nations of Eastern Asia the Japanese were known as skilful workers in iron, which their celebrated armourers transformed into famous weapons of excellent steel. The forging and polishing of swords was a wearisome work demanding much skill and practice. The tempering of the edge was carefully done in the charcoal furnace, the softer backs and sides being surrounded up to a certain point by fire clay, so that only the edge remained outside. The cooling was in cold water. Skilful sword cutlers gained for themselves high social position, and won great glory and fame with their swords."