Fourth-generation owner joins family blacksmith business in Taichung
Fourth-generation owner joins family blacksmith business in Taichung
2026-04-21
During Taiwan’s agricultural heyday, an entire street in Taichung’s Nantun District was dedicated to making iron farm tools. But as the times have changed, these dozens of businesses have dwindled down to only one. Tsai Chin-yung used to work in a trading business before taking over his family’s 80-year-old plow shop. As the fourth generation to take over, he’s blazing his own trail in the hopes of reviving the family’s time-honored establishment.
A father and son blacksmith work together, showing remarkable synergy after over a decade of practice.
Tsai Chin-yung, clad in camouflage, braves the heat to stoke the furnace.
When the time is right, he takes a slab of iron out of the flames, hammering it into the perfect shape.
Their family has been selling plows at this shop in Taichung’s Nantun District for 80 years. As agriculture has changed, their neighbors on Nantun’s old street have all closed up shop, leaving only the Tsai family businesses.
Tsai Ching-lung
Second-generation owner
There used to be dozens of blacksmiths here in Nantun. Now we’re the only ones left. I started when I was a little over 10 years old. It’s been over 80 years.
Tsai Chin-yung is now the fourth generation in the family to join the business, leaving his job in trade a number of years ago already. But blacksmithing isn’t easy. Just mastering the temperature is an art in and of itself.
Tsai Chin-yung
Fourth-generation owner
It was hard at first because I didn’t understand anything. He said, What aren’t you getting? And then he’d start yelling at me. And it wasn’t just him. Grandpa would also join in. I had no idea what I was doing! But Dad taught me step by step.
Tsai Tien-shun
Third-generation owner
Of course it isn’t easy. He studied business before. I told him, Coming back here to join us will be hard. It’s hot in summer. But he wanted to learn, so I’ll keep passing down the knowledge.
They say it takes a decade to hone a skill. Tsai Chin-yung really did work hard for 10 years. Now he’s forging his own path.
These Damascus steel knives were made by layering different alloys to create unique spiraling patterns of concentric circles and undulating lines, targeting a distinct high-end market.
Tsai Chin-yung
Fourth-generation owner
I was restless. I didn’t want to keep doing the same old thing. But for knives, you start by adjusting the steel, then you smooth out the lines, followed by crafting the sheath. Then you incorporate bone and other materials to create the dagger.
Not satisfied with remaining complacent, Tsai Chin-yung is forging a new path for his family’s 80-year-old business, finely crafted to suit the newer generations.
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#blacksmith #familybusiness #Taichung #metalwork #craftsmanship #knives #plows #agriculture #Nantun #oldstreet
台中南屯老街僅存"犂頭店" 第四代返鄉扛80年老招牌
2026-04-21
台中市南屯區，早期因為農具需求大，整條街有數十間打鐵舖，但隨著時代變遷，目前僅剩一間犂頭店，第四代老闆蔡進永，原本從事貿易產業，幾年前返鄉接手家業，扛起了80年招牌，也走出屬於自己的創新之路，讓老店再創風華。
父子倆一同打鐵，展現絕佳默契，這是經過十年的磨練。
老闆蔡進永，一身迷彩服，耐著高溫生火。
抓準時機，從火爐裡取出鐵片，一鎚一鎚敲打，雕塑最佳狀態。
位在台中的南屯犂頭店已經有八十年歷史，走過時代變遷和產業轉變，是南屯老街，僅存的一間打鐵舖。
[[第二代老闆 蔡慶隆]]
“那時候南屯的打鐵店，好幾十間，到現在剩我一間。我從十幾歲就做，做到現在八十幾年了。”
第四代老闆蔡進永，原本從事貿易相關產業，幾年前，毅然決然返家，接手家業，但打鐵哪有這麼容易，溫度的拿捏更是一門深奧學問。
[[第四代老闆 蔡進永]]
“比較困難的就是一開始鴨子聽雷啊，他說什麼我聽不懂，然後就開始罵，然後還不是一個罵，阿公也一起罵，然後我就，我就不會，不過爸爸就是手把手教。”
[[第三代老闆 蔡添順]]
“當然這沒這麼簡單，他本來讀貿易的，我跟他說，你要回來接這是很辛苦的，夏天很熱 ，小孩有要學所以就繼續傳承下去。”
都說十年磨一劍，蔡進永真的花了十年時間和努力，才走出自己的路。
一整排大馬士革刀，透過層層堆疊，呈現螺旋紋、同心圓、平紋特殊造型，搶攻不一樣的高端市場。
[[第四代老闆 蔡進永]]
“不安於世，不想要就這樣而已。像刀子，先從鋼材先下去做調整，然後去控紋，然後再來就是說皮套，然後最後也導入一些獸骨，獸材去做匕。”
帶著這股"不安於世"的精神，蔡進永不只扛下傳承四代，歷經八十幾年老招牌，也走出創新風格，讓老店帶著不同樣貌，持續走下去。
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