Historically Famous Knives From Leung Tim Choppers Factory In Hong Kong 香港老字号刀舖, 梁添刀厂

A very much-delayed as well as the last blog post on my Hong Kong trip travelled last year. Please continue to stay tune to my Hong Kong documentation work updates in the coming May!

In most of my Hong Kong trips, i always find time has somehow slowed down in Sham Shui Po (poorest district in Hong Kong). In the 1950′s big licences stalls flourished. In the 1970′s industries boomed and made a peak for shops and businesses. Apart from regular shops, there were many shops here which reflected the poor livelihood of the past century pawnshops, repairing broken pots, sharpening kitchen knives, etc. Old shops which have disappeared elsewhere are still lingering here with their afterglow. Even when faced with urban redevelopment, sunset industries, skills and crafts with no heirs, the old owners are still persisting.

Here's a 40-year-old Hong Kong shop located in Sham Shui Po - Leung Tim Choppers Factory. It is, as you could imagine, bristling with choppers of every weight and variety.

香港的梁添刀厂位于深水埗长沙湾道 221 号，坐港铁的话是在“深水埗站”下车，找长沙湾道的指标，上到地面左转便是，很容易便能找到。我听说梁添刀厂甚么种类的刀子都有，而且世界上有华人餐馆的地方就有它的钢刀出品，钢刀至少可用上十几年，可说是老字号，有保证。

说起老字号，人们多半会从脑海中盘算出那几个名牌，自豪地竖起大拇指，那是从童年起就陪伴他们的独特情结。老字号也是一个城市的烙印，代表一个时代的象征。有些老字号随着浪潮渐渐隐退，但留存下来的大多代表着时代的印记，今天就跟随我的脚步去探访梁添刀厂老字号吧。

当我走到深水埗长沙湾道寻找梁添刀厂，举头一看，即时被不远处的一张刀所吸引，原来就是梁添刀厂的老字号招牌。刀厂原址为上环文咸东街，早于1946年由现任老板梁添所设，现已经历三代，当年叶问来到深水埗设拳馆，刀厂就专门铸造咏春八斩刀，至今中外咏春拳馆都找他们造刀。当然店内亦有专业厨刀供应，远近驰名，连外地的中菜馆也指定向刀厂订货。

梁添刀厂的巨型菜刀招牌。

刀是每一位厨师很重要的装备。实在的说，刀功完全能有力反映厨师真正的实力。相信家家户户都有一把菜刀来守门口以作烹调工具之用，但日子久了菜刀已不像昔日般的峰利，唯有走入街市巡视一下，或走到附近的五金舖询问有否售卖菜刀之类的。但我发现原来香港专营售卖刀的店铺不多，我路过长沙湾道一带的时候，发现这间以刀维生的怀旧店舖，人客数量更是你意想不到的多，单看橱窗上陈列的刀款形状，原来也有学问。除了家用的菜刀以外，就连镰刀也有，更令我想起这是农夫的揾食工具。

Leung Tim Choppers Factory has been here for three generations, and is now managed by Leung Tim’s son, Leung Hung. The proudest item it has ever made is the “Wing Chun Eight-Chopping Knife”. 

每天都会镇守在梁添刀厂老板的梁添妻子。

店內各式貨物堆積如山，很有老店的味道。

The factory has an enduring relationship with the Wing Chun martial arts school, ever since the great master Yip Man (叶问) came to Sham Shui Po to set up a gym. According to the owner Leung Hung, in those days, martial arts gyms would ask his grandfather to make Wing Chun Eight-Chopping Knives and to-date,  they are still making them. Until now, Wing Chun gyms throughout Hong Kong, and also those abroad, have been asking them to make knives.

老板是爱刀之人，每把刀都是精工打造。

这里的员工看见我走进来，友善的问我想要什么，并介绍觉得合适的用具。价钱方面，当然便宜，令我充分感觉到老字号的好。

梁添刀厂自豪招牌货的武术刀是独一无二， 自家品牌，是香港制造刀既起点。其他国家都买它家的刀，无论是专业的厨刀，武术刀都是来自传统制刀技艺。听说刀厂师父手工精细，不但出国学艺，还以锦还乡，扬名海外，刀在外国亦有闻名，掣造武术刀在籍港只此一家，令到深水埗生生不息，源源不绝。我认为令更多人认识梁添刀厂，要买好刀，就去梁添刀厂。

店中的玻璃柜内，放满数以千计的各式刀具。梁添刀厂以制作中式刀具闻名，当然制作过不同款式的中式刀具，每种都各有特色和用途，部分更是见所未见，堪称中式刀具兵器库。

Fancy your own backyard Peking duck roaster ($3800 for a 10-bird capacity), an industrial-strength wok burner or a gleaming, mean-looking set of weighted stainless steel cleavers, each engraved with the Two Tigers One Globe logo of its Hong Kong manufacturer? It's all here at Leung Tim Choppers Factory. 

同一款的刀，都有不同的重量，就好像切鱼刀，都会有不同的重量，以便于不同的人使用。但是若果对比起家庭用的普通厨刀，这类专用刀会较重。每把出制于梁添刀厂的刀身上都写有刀的重量。

刀子的 “好看” 很重要：完美的组装，简洁的线条，精研加细磨，皆可增加其价格，以及顾客购买时的满意度。但是刀子的美丽却常常经不起使用。刀子坚实可靠的性能，可在使用多年后，能仍然提供忠实的服务及美好的回忆。在梁添刀厂，他们坚持所生产的刀都必须是高性能的，亦即从最小最便宜的到最好最昂贵的刀，皆须符合这个要求。每一把刀的性能都必须超越它的价格，也就是必须 “物超所值”。

就算是多锋利的刀，长时间使用锋口也会变钝，这时候就需要进行打磨。梁添刀厂亦设有这项服务，对于自家的产品，磨刀费更只收廿元。根据老板所说，如非运用不当，磨刀后刀锋两三年都可以保持锋利，绝对超值。

梁添刀厂店里面除了刀以外，还有很多不同以不锈钢制的用具。由简简单单的打蛋碗子、煲汤用的大煲、不锈钢的碟子到从前冰室用来调制奶茶的茶壶、木制坚硬的砧板、都应有尽有。

The chopper display behind the counter is impressive. But the wok selection is equally awesome, including the popular carbon steel and wood-handled variety and a very cool line in lightweight cast iron. From the towers of steamer baskets you can choose from basic bamboo, steel-rimmed bamboo or the glossy stainless type, designed for fish and poultry. Then there's every ladle, noodle-dipper, gold-mesh "spider" sieve, wok brush and plastic squeeze bottle the serious and not-so-serious Chinese cook ever dreamed of.

You can find enormous woks at Leung Tim Choppers Factory and unlike non stick woks which you can't heat to super high, you can heat the ones found in Leung Tim high enough to get the much sought after "breath of the wok".

The long history of Leung Tim Choppers Factory has been affected by eventful times, but two things remained: their passion and enthusiasm for extraordinary knives. The success of their product line, as well as the long tradition of its factory production gives them a reason to continue designing and producing high quality knives. If you need a solid, high quality kitchen knife that will last you for many years, you can't go wrong with one of these from Leung Tim Factory in Hong Kong!

连胶袋也有老字号味道。梁添刀厂﹕一试便知虎与凤　品质超羣带誉来。

梁老板继承先祖累积数百年制刀工艺加上自己六十多年不断钻研造刀经验，严格挑选极优质钢材，加上独特精湛的工艺，所制造的系列刀具锋利耐用，深受厨师们的喜爱。

在香港爱下厨的朋友，厨房应有的东西如果缺的话，到梁添刀厂走一趟，万无一失。