Crafted in Australia. Inspired by Tradition, guided by Design.

From a young age, I was deeply fascinated by the world of samurais and their katanas.
I practiced Iaido, the martial art of drawing and cutting with the katana, and spent countless hours learning about how these legendary swords were made, always curious to see if I could create something similar myself. I made wooden katanas, bows and arrows, and even a cardboard samurai armor.

One day, I came across a blog that showed, step by step, how to craft a shirasaya: a wooden scabbard and handle traditionally used to protect a katana’s blade when it was not in use. I dreamed of building one for my own iaito, the practice sword I used in Iaido.

Years later, my interest in woodworking and design led me to study architecture.
Between 2009 and 2019, I graduated and worked as an architect in Chile.
In 2019, I moved to Australia, where I decided to explore my long-time passion for woodworking, so I studied carpentry.

While studying carpentry, a chef friend asked me if I could repair his saya that was coming apart and had lost its pin or, better yet, if I could make him a new one.
At that time, I had only a few tools and a strong desire to take on this beautiful challenge. Together with a friend, we began crafting sayas in the garage of the house we lived in. What started as an experiment soon became a true passion.

In 2021, we decided to take it seriously and that’s how Black Bird Saya was born.
Since 2025, the project has been led solely by me.

From the very beginning, my goal has been to design and build a saya that is unique, functional, sustainable, and of the highest quality.
That pursuit has kept me constantly learning, refining techniques, materials, and processes that combine craftsmanship with modern design and technology.

Over time, I’ve had the privilege of creating sayas for knives made by renowned Japanese masters and blacksmiths from around the world.

Today, with many sayas and prototypes made and thousands more to come I’m proud to share my work with chefs, knife enthusiasts, and artisans who value the intersection of design, precision, and craftsmanship.

Matias