Neil Kamimura

About

Hawaii-born, self-taught master bladesmith best known as a champion of the History Channel competition series Forged in Fire. After emerging victorious in his debut episode, he was invited back to compete in s special champions edition. He has since become a highly sought-after blacksmith, with his work appearing in celebrity and other exclusive collections around the world. In addition to selling frequently waitlisted, one-of-a-kind knives through his website, he also showcases his work on his rpm_neil Instagram account, which has amassed over 900,000 followers collectively.

Before fame

He began his professional journey as an electrician, but following a profound personal tragedy, he sought a new outlet and discovered solace in the art of blacksmithing. After forging his very first knife, he quickly crafted dozens more within just a few months. Since the beginning of his blacksmithing journey, he has drawn inspiration from his great-grandfather, Teiji Kamimura, who was also a celebrated blacksmith.

Trivia

After gaining recognition through his appearance on Forged in Fire, he created a unique experience at The Four Seasons Hualalai, where guests could learn directly from him in an exclusive "blacksmith experience," forging their own personalized knives in his dedicated workshop.

Family life

His full name is Neil Teiji Kamimura. He shares part of his name with his great grandfather Teiji, a renowned blacksmith and, in 1932, the first Japanese immigrant to own a business in the state of Hawaii. He and his wife, Flora, share two sons named Maddix and Ruda. He also has an adopted son named Bryan.

Associated with

He was hired to craft exclusive weapons for Jason Momoa's character, Baba Voss, on the Apple TV+ series See. His knives can also be found in the personal collections of celebrities like country singer Zac Brown and MMA fighter "Cowboy" Donald Cerrone.