Kurokage

Sakai Takayuki Kurokage is another great series from the prominent producer Aoki Hamono from the city of Sakai. Its products are sought after primarily by domestic professionals, and obtaining at least a limited amount for export is always a more than difficult task. We are happy to be among the lucky ones who have succeeded.

Kurokage is a Japanese term for a black shadow. Looking at the blades of these exotic knives, the reason for the name is immediately clear. Their surface is matte black and the golden kanji characters stand out really well. A careful eye will not miss the gentle hammering in the upper part of the blade. The black coating is not purposeless. It is a Teflon layer which primary role is to reduce friction during cutting. Secondarily, it increases resistance to corrosion, but it is probably unnecessary to talk about the aesthetic benefit. Structurally, it is a typical San Mai, i.e. a hard core clad on each side with one layer of softer steel. In this case, the proven VG10 and SUS410 on the sides were used. The edge is just as interesting as the rest of the blade. It is a typical Hamaguri with a convex shape.

The handle is just as unusual as the blade. Although the octagonal shape is typical for Japanese knives, exotic wenge wood can only be found on the most luxurious ones. This tropical wood is hard, strong and stable. If you add a beautiful brown and black decor, you will understand this choice. Using a ferrule made of any material other than buffalo horn would be a real faux pas in this case. 

Sakai Takayuki Kurokage knives have rightfully found their place in our Nippon Knives Top Gun virtual academy.

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