CHANGWON · KOREA
CHANGWON · KOREA
PULMU FORGE · CHANGWON, KOREA · EST. FORGE & CAFE
A working forge in Changwon, Korea. We craft carbon-steel knives by hammer and fire — and partner with retailers, distributors and restaurants that want blades with a story, made one at a time.
WHY PULMU
Every knife passes through one master's hands — design, forging, heat-treatment, grinding, handle and finish. Nothing is drop-shipped; everything is made here.
01
Ku Jin-young shapes, heat-treats and polishes each blade himself — eight rounds of grinding, finished on a water whetstone until paper falls away.
02
Different carbon steels stacked with pure copper between the layers, then hammered until the pattern blooms. PULMU forges this technique alone in Korea.
03
Geometry, steel, handle material — wood or antler — plus engraving. From a single custom piece to production runs designed with your brand.
OUR SIGNATURE — CU-MAI DAMASCUS
Sixty-one layers of carbon steel wrapped around two of copper. When the blade is etched, the copper blooms into a wave no machine can fake — a pattern your customers will point at.
Handles meet the blade through premium ebony, sealed with a special waterproof finish; grips are shaped from fine woods and antler to fit the hand.
KNIFE EXPERIENCE FEES
| Beginner | Knife shaping, grinding, heat-treat & handle finish | KRW 150,000 |
| Intermediate | Chef’s knife — forging or grinding, finished handle | KRW 250,000 |
| Advanced | Chef’s knife — full traditional forge process | KRW 300,000 |
| Camp knife | Camp knife — full traditional forge process | KRW 350,000~ |
| Premium | Premium steel, exotic wood & lacquered handles | KRW 450,000~ |
WHAT WE FORGE
All knives are made to order — your market decides the shape. Every line below exists in the workshop today.
HOW WE WORK WITH BUYERS
Message us by phone or email — Korean or English, both welcome.
Purpose, steel, pattern, handle and engraving — settled together, sketch by sketch.
Fire, forge, shaping, heat-treat, eight-stage grinding, handle, final edge.
Each blade is checked and cut-tests paper before it leaves the forge.
Dispatched from Changwon, Korea — shipping arranged per destination.
MOQ, pricing and lead time are discussed per project. Every blade is made to order — tell us your market and we will shape the right proposal.
FROM THE FORGE · VIDEO
See the forge at workThe making process, filmed in the workshop. More on our channel — including a 63-layer Cu-Mai Damascus build and visitor experience vlogs.
THE MASTER & THE TOWN
Ku Jin-young runs PULMU Forge in Jayeo village, Dongeup — a Changwon district whose ironworking history reaches back to the ancient Dahori burial mounds. Beside the forge, his wife runs Cafe Pulmu, where visitors watch blades take shape over a coffee.
Buyers are welcome to visit, watch a forging session, and handle the knives before ordering — by appointment.
Ku Jin-young · CEO, PULMU Forge
TRAVEL COURSE — GAYA IRON ROAD
Gimhae is the cradle of Korea's iron culture. Two thousand years ago, Gaya smithies lit their forges on this very ground — a craft that echoes in every hammer blow at PULMU today. Walk the Royal Tomb of King Suro and the UNESCO-listed Gaya Tumuli (Daeseong-dong mounds, inscribed 2023), spend a night in a traditional hanok — then light the fire yourself at PULMU Forge.
An overnight stay in a traditional hanok — with a quiet cup of tea by the forge.
Royal tombs of Gaya and the UNESCO World Heritage Daeseong-dong mounds (2023) — a walk through the Iron Age.
Make your own knife in a single day — beginners and children welcome.
DAY 1 Gimhae — Royal Tomb of King Suro & Daeseong-dong Tumuli → overnight at Gimhae Hanok Village / DAY 2 Changwon, PULMU Forge — knife-making experience (reservation required) → afternoon return
* Forge experiences run by reservation — email or call us first.
TRADE INQUIRIES
Wholesale, custom runs, single signature pieces, or a visit to the forge — we answer every message ourselves.
We correspond in Korean and English. Korea Standard Time (UTC+9) — messages are usually answered the same day.
· Your market (retail, restaurant, outdoor, gifting)
· Approximate quantity & timeline
· Knife types or patterns you liked from this page
· Destination country