Gamakatsu® started producing fish hooks in 1955. At that time, they were the smallest hook manufacturer in Japan and all of their hooks were made by hand. In 1963 they introduced a new automated heating facility which catapulted them to the forefront of the Japanese market. In 1974, they introduced fully automated hook making machines and found it necessary to build a second factory in order to meet the demand they had created. - See more at: http://www.gamakatsu.com/about.html#sthash.c32MnteN.dpuf