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.
Takefu Knife Village
The Takefu Knife Village is a cooperative workshop in the Echizen region of Japan. It is the home to a long list of blacksmiths that we work with and many young and upcoming apprentices learning the trade. The area has a 700 year long history of smithing with roots in agricultural tools turned cutlery powerhouse.
The Knife
This new "Kurosen" line (combination of "Kuro" meaning black, and the "Senko Ei" stainless series) from Yu Kurosaki utilizing the roll forge technique which cuts down the cost, but you still get the great steel (Aogami/Blue Super), thin grind, and fit and finish of the hand forged Shizuku line. These fall into the laser category and while are more delicate than some other knives have a buttery smooth cutting feel due to the thinness behind the edge from the high bevel grinds. These guys have a kurouchi (blacksmith) finish, stainless clad, and Aogami/Blue Super steel core -- making for an excellent "best of both worlds" knife!
The bunka is a medium sized all purpose knife very similar to the santoku, the most popular knife in Japanese home kitchens, but with a more aggressive tip for the more detailed work. These guys can slice, dice, chop, and rock with the best of the and would be able to handle 99% of the tasks a home kitchen could throw at it, and can be great for a professional as the smaller size and lighter weight can reduce fatigue which is much more noticeable when swinging a knife around 8-10 hours a day.
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.
Wash with regular dish soap and warm water using a none abrasive sponge or cloth.
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.
Avoid Bones, Frozen foods, nuts and hard candies or anything other than fruits, vegetables and proteins.
