Kurosaki Yu (Kurosaki Uchihamono) 黒﨑打刃物（黒﨑 優）

Marks on the blade

About

Takefu Knife Village smith with multi-year waiting lists abroad. Series names are the giveaway, and each has its own finish, so you can often tell the series without seeing the kanji: 雫 Shizuku (SG2, hammer marks like water drops on glass), 閃光 Senko (SG2, flowing hammered lines), 風神 Fujin (Aogami Super, kurouchi + tsuchime), 雷神 Raijin (cobalt/SG2, dark hammered), 月光 Gekko (VG10, migaki), 蕾 Tsubomi. Mark 黒崎優 / 黒﨑優 or 優作.

Steels

• Aogami Super — Longest edge life of the Hitachi carbon steels. Kiryu Kogyo tempers it to HRC 64–65 inside stainless cladding.
• SG2 / R2 (powder stainless) — Powder-metallurgy stainless. Long edge life, chips if abused. Kataoka's TAMAHAGANE and Kiryu's SPG2 line.
• VG10 — Takefu Special Steel's stainless with cobalt. The default steel of Tojiro's DP/PRO lines; also in damascus lines.

Facts

Knife types made

• Gyuto (chef's knife) 牛刀 · Western-style chef's knife: meat, large vegetables, rocking cuts.
• Santoku 三徳 · All-round home knife: vegetables, fish, meat. The first knife to buy.
• Bunka 文化 · Santoku with a reverse-tanto tip: precision tip work plus vegetables.
• Petty ペティ · Small jobs in hand: peeling, trimming, garnish, fruit.
• Nakiri 菜切 · Vegetables only: straight up-and-down cuts, thin slices, cabbage, daikon.
• Sujihiki 筋引 · Long slicer for roasts, brisket, portioning fish without bones.

Care for these steels

Carbon steel (Shirogami / Aogami / SK)

• Rinse and wipe dry immediately after each use — never leave it wet or in the sink.
• Do not put in the dishwasher. Do not cut acidic foods and walk away (lemon, tomato, onion will stain within minutes).
• A grey-blue patina is normal and protective; orange rust is not. Remove orange rust with a rust eraser or #1000 stone slurry.
• Before storing for more than a day, wipe with camellia oil (椿油) or any food-safe oil.
• Store dry, in a saya or on a rack — not loose in a drawer.

Stainless (VG10 / AUS10 / molybdenum / CROMOVA / SG2)

• Wipe dry after use. Dishwasher still not recommended — the heat and detergent dull the edge and loosen handles.
• Powder steels (SG2) chip rather than roll: avoid bones, frozen food and twisting cuts.
• Sharpen on #1000; finish on #3000–5000 if you like a polished edge.

Where to buy

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