Kurosaki Gekko VG XEOS Nakiri 165mm

Part of the edge never reaches the board, so the cut never finishes. At our counter we put it simply: there is not enough flat at the heel. A knife with a long curve is built for rock chopping, not for the Chinese or Eastern up-and-down chop.

A straight edge, like a nakiri's, meets the board along its whole length and finishes the cut. On any knife, a dip worn near the heel or a dull section can cause the same thing.

The bevel. A Japanese dictionary describes the nakiri (菜切包丁) as shaped like an usuba but double-bevel and relatively easy to handle; the Sakai cutlery association describes the usuba (薄刃包丁) as an acute, wide knife for vegetables, in a square Kanto type and a kamagata Kansai type.

The names overlap, since another dictionary records the usuba as also called nakiri, so check the bevel rather than the name.

No. Takefu, which developed VG XEOS, says a special melting method gives it a fine microstructure that improves wear resistance, strength and hardenability.

Takefu says X refers to a new material combining corrosion resistance with hardness, while EOS refers to the dawn of a new stage in cutlery.

We think so. Yu Kurosaki established his own workshop in 2014 after twelve years at Kanehiro Uchihamono (カネ弘打刃物), and he was certified as a traditional craftsman (伝統工芸士) in 2019. In a 2022 interview with the magazine Nihonmono, he described his knives as thin, sharp and tough.

We list his knives in steels such as SG2 and Blue Super. For a closer look at his work and approach, you can explore the Yu Kurosaki maker page on the Knives and Stones site.

All four are Yu Kurosaki's own designs. In a 2022 interview with the magazine Nihonmono he named his five original designs, Shizuku, Fujin, Raijin, Juhyo and Senko, and described his knives as thin, sharp and tough.

In our range the steel is in the product title: Senko and Fujin are made in SG2 and Raijin in VG10W. So pick the design you like first, then check the steel in its title.

Yes. Yu Kurosaki worked at Kanehiro Uchihamono from 2002 to 2014, then founded his own workshop, 黒﨑打刃物 (Kurosaki Uchihamono), in 2014, and he is certified as a traditional craftsman. The trade body's profile of him lists double-bevel forged knives and custom knives, and his own site says his Echizen forged knives are made one by one by a craftsman's hand.

The Kurosaki knives we stock, such as the Senko SG2, Fujin SG2, Raijin VG10W and Shizuku lines, carry his name in the title.