Kurosaki-san was inspired by Fujin, The god of Wind in Japanese mythology for the design of these knives and we think he's done a remarkable job of capturing the essence of the God of wind in the Tsuchime (hand hammere) finish on these knives.
These are easily some of the most beautiful knives we have at the shop. Made by Master Blacksmith Yu Kurosaki who works out of a newly constructed shop just steps from the Takefu knife village community centre. He began his blacksmith journey in 2002 at Kanehiro and now only 17 short years later he has been awarded his Master Blacksmith designation by the Echizen Blacksmith Foundation. His knives represent the future of Blacksmithing in Japan as he focuses on traditional technique while using innovative and progressive design's and finishes that have garnered the attention of many chef's around the globe. Simply put his knives are stunning to look at and dare we say perform even better than they look.
The bunka is very similar to a santoku but features a more aggresively shaped tip referred to as "reverse tanto" that in our experience can help with intricate work like brunoise shallots and garlic. It's a fantasticly versatile and fun to use shape and is great for the home cook looking for that go to knife or the professional looking for something nimble, compact and capable.
Knife Care (Stainless Clad)
This knife is made from 3 layers of steel using a technique called Sanmai (Forge welding). It involves laminating a piece of Carbon steel with two pieces of Stainless steel giving the knife all the benefits of the carbon steel (Edge retention, ease of sharpening, cutting feel) and the Ease of Maintenance from Stainless steel. 2-3 millimeters of the carbon steel is exposed at the edge of the knife and is susceptible to rust and discouloration if not properly maintained.
Simply Wipe the knife with a damp cloth immediately after use to keep it from rusting or discouloring.
Never put your knife in the Dishwasher. The extreme heat will ruin the wooden handle.
Highly acidic ingredients (Onions, Tomatoes, Citrus) Will cause rust and oxidation to happen faster, thus the user must ensure the knife is wiped clean immediately after working with such an ingredient.
Should any rust form it can be removed using a rust eraser or a mixture of Baking soda and water to simply scrub it clean.
Service from Gage was absolutely spectacular, best knife buying experience I’ve ever had.
This knife has been great. It’s super thin behind the edge so it just glides right through food. It also has pretty solid food release on the tsuchime section. Food can sometimes stick to the area below the shinogi line, but this doesn’t usually cause any problems in practice. The profile is nice because it gives enough curve for a double rock chop (would not recommend a classic rock chop, that’s asking for a chop), while still having enough flat to get clean slices.
The only complaint I would have about the knife is that mine came with an unusually short neck. I knew this beforehand because Gage sent me pictures of my exact knife before he sent it. I was worried this might be uncomfortable, but in practice I’ve never noticed it because I tend to have a fairly high pinch grip anyways.
All in all, a fantastic knife, and the Wenge mono handle looks even better in person.
CAMIL M.
This knife is surprisingly light, very thin behind the edge and super versatile. I would consider it a piece of art made by Yu Kurosaki.
Nathan L.
Amazing knife, amazing service. One down side for the knife: the spine could be a bit rounder but I don’t use pinch grip for this one so it doesn’t bother me that much.... hence the 5*
Slade M.
Service from Gage was absolutely spectacular, best knife buying experience I’ve ever had.
This knife has been great. It’s super thin behind the edge so it just glides right through food. It also has pretty solid food release on the tsuchime section. Food can sometimes stick to the area below the shinogi line, but this doesn’t usually cause any problems in practice. The profile is nice because it gives enough curve for a double rock chop (would not recommend a classic rock chop, that’s asking for a chop), while still having enough flat to get clean slices.
The only complaint I would have about the knife is that mine came with an unusually short neck. I knew this beforehand because Gage sent me pictures of my exact knife before he sent it. I was worried this might be uncomfortable, but in practice I’ve never noticed it because I tend to have a fairly high pinch grip anyways.
All in all, a fantastic knife, and the Wenge mono handle looks even better in person.
CAMIL M.
This knife is surprisingly light, very thin behind the edge and super versatile. I would consider it a piece of art made by Yu Kurosaki.
Nathan L.
Amazing knife, amazing service. One down side for the knife: the spine could be a bit rounder but I don’t use pinch grip for this one so it doesn’t bother me that much.... hence the 5*
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