Shibazi

Shibazi (十八子作) is the flagship kitchen-knife brand of Yangjiang Shibazi Group Co., Ltd., a Chinese cutlery manufacturer based in Yangjiang, Guangdong. The business traces its origins to 1983, when it began as a small workshop attached to a collective factory, producing carbon-steel kitchen cleavers with fewer than ten workers and minimal capital. Over the following decades it grew into a vertically integrated group that combines steel research and smelting, manufacturing, sales and industrial tourism. The company's main product line, marketed under the 'Shibazi Zuo' (十八子作) trademark, has been recognized as a 'China Export Famous Brand', a 'Guangdong Famous Trademark' and a 'Guangdong Famous Brand Product'. Its knives are sold across China and exported to more than 30 countries and regions, including Japan, the United States, Canada, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Shibazi describes its development through four major growth stages: its 1983 founding as a small carbon-steel cleaver workshop; its 1988 break from the collective factory to become a privately owned enterprise under the name Jiangcheng Xiangyang Household Cutlery Factory; the 1997 establishment of Yangjiang Shibazi Kitchen Co., Ltd.; and the 2002 formation of Yangjiang Shibazi Group Co., Ltd., which today has multiple subsidiaries, more than 1,700 employees and annual sales value exceeding 200 million yuan according to company materials. The group is also known for five self-described technological revolutions in Chinese knife-making, including the shift from welded to one-piece knives in 1993, the development of multi-functional Japanese-style household kitchen knives in 1995, the introduction of packaged knife sets, the conversion of military-grade 7Cr17Mo and stainless clad steel to civilian cutlery, and the construction of a special-alloy steel mill. It has been approved as the 'China Cleaver Center' and operates as a national industrial-tourism demonstration site, with an audio museum among its visitor attractions.

Yangjiang Shibazi Group Co., Ltd. was founded in 1983 in Yangjiang, Guangdong, initially as a small workshop attached to the collective 'Chaoyang Arts and Cutlery Factory'. At that time it occupied less than 200 square meters, employed eight production workers and had less than 20,000 yuan in capital, focusing on carbon-steel kitchen cleavers. In 1988 the business broke away from the collective factory and was established as 'Jiangcheng Xiangyang Household Cutlery Factory', becoming a privately owned enterprise. It then had about 2,000 square meters of industrial land and more than 50 production staff, with annual production and sales value reaching over 500,000 yuan that year. In 1997 the company adopted a modern corporate structure as 'Yangjiang Shibazi Kitchen Co., Ltd.', a period of rapid growth during which staff increased to more than 200 and annual production and sales value reached over 2 million yuan. In 2002 the group expanded across the board and formed 'Yangjiang Shibazi Group Co., Ltd.' By then it had six subsidiaries, more than 800 sets of domestic, foreign and self-made machinery, over 250,000 square meters of industrial and supporting land, more than 1,700 employees and annual sales value exceeding 200 million yuan. According to the company, its growth was driven by five technological revolutions. The first, in 1993, replaced traditional welded knives with one-piece straight-through knives, which the company describes as triggering the first revolution in China's knife industry. The second, in 1995, drew on Japanese and West German knife characteristics to develop multi-functional Japanese-style household kitchen knives suited to Chinese needs, expanding the market from single products to multi-category cutlery. The third was the development and promotion of packaged knife sets with a 'humanized' design and Chinese characteristics. The fourth converted military-grade 7Cr17Mo and advanced international stainless clad steel to civilian knife manufacturing. The fifth was the construction of a special-alloy steel mill aimed at the international high-end knife market, integrating steelmaking, knife-making and technology. Through these steps the group became recognized as the 'China Cleaver Center' by the National Science Commission and the Daily Hardware Technology Development Center, and was rated a 'National Industrial Tourism Demonstration Site' by the National Tourism Administration. It has also been approved as the 'Guangdong Hardware and Cutlery Engineering Technology Research and Development Center', 'Guangdong Outstanding High-Tech Enterprise', 'Guangdong Provincial Enterprise Technology Center' and a 'Guangdong Contract-honoring and Credit-worthy Unit for 21 consecutive years', among more than 300 honors and awards. The company continues to adapt to globalization and market demand, aiming to build an internationally known brand.

• 2023

  Published notice of application for the 5th China Quality Award.

• 2020

  Announced winning the Guangdong Provincial Government Quality Award.

• 2002

  Formed Yangjiang Shibazi Group Co., Ltd., with six subsidiaries and over 1,700 employees.

• 1997

  Established Yangjiang Shibazi Kitchen Co., Ltd. with a modern corporate structure.

• 1995

  Second technological revolution: developed multi-functional Japanese-style household kitchen knives.

• 1993

  First technological revolution: replaced traditional welded knives with one-piece straight-through knives.

• 1988

  Broke away from the collective factory to become privately owned Jiangcheng Xiangyang Household Cutlery Factory.

• 1983

  Founded as a small carbon-steel cleaver workshop attached to the collective Chaoyang Arts and Cutlery Factory.

Mass-market to mid-range Chinese kitchen-knife brand positioned as a domestic cutlery leader and 'China Cleaver Center', with growing export reach.

• Shibazi Zuo kitchen cleavers

  The company's core product line, recognized as a China Export Famous Brand and Guangdong Famous Brand Product.

• Multi-functional household kitchen knives

  Japanese-style household knives developed in 1995 to diversify the Chinese cutlery market.

• Packaged knife sets

  Humanized, Chinese-characteristic transparent-style knife sets introduced as the third technological revolution.

• Special-alloy steel

  Steel produced by the group's special-alloy steel mill for high-end knife manufacturing.

1. 1阳江十八子集团有限公司官网首页shibazi.com
2. 2阳江十八子集团有限公司 - 企业简介shibazi.com
3. 3阳江十八子集团有限公司 - 发展历程shibazi.com
4. 4阳江十八子集团有限公司 - 产品中心shibazi.com