Hatsukokoro Kurokaze White 2 Kurouchi

Sanmai - Stainless Clad Kurouchi White 2 / Shirogami #2 / Carbon Stainless Clad Hyogo, Japan

The new Hatsukokoro White 2 Kurouchi Stainless Clad Gyuto reminds me the old version Mazaki gyuto: both are tall blades, with fat tang, and most importantly, amazing performance.

Unlike the Mazaki with soft iron cladding that is hard to look after in the kitchen, the Hatsukokoro Kurokaze has stainless clad for easy maintenance, while its White 2 steel core provides excellent edge retention, ultimate sharpness, and ease in sharpening.

Its Kurouchi finish with raw, organic, and distinctive appearance provides the natural characteristics of the steel, showcases the craftsmanship behind the knife, and adds a touch of traditional elegance to the blade. The profile of this line is rather interesting, as most of them have a slightly longer than typical cutting edge. The Gyuto of this line has a tip that drops down like a Santoku, resulting a flat belly and a wider tip, making it slice better but harder to do rock cutting with. And the petty offers a 165mm long slender blade, it can be used as a mini Sujihiki and do most of the work that a gyuto can do with better precision and control.

In all, the Hatsukokoro Kurokaze White 2 gyuto offers superior performance and great price. The tall heel and thick spine make it a choice as a sturdy workhorse.

Pros

Budget friendly
Excellent performance
Workhorse grind

Cons

Need extra care

Best For

Pro chefs
Enthusiasts

Construction

Sanmai - Stainless Clad

Surface Finish

Kurouchi

Cladding

Stainless Clad

Steel

White 2 / Shirogami #2 / Carbon

Origin

Hyogo, Japan

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Blue 2 and White 2 steel?

Proterial lists 1.05 to 1.15% carbon for both steels; its Blue 2 table lists 0.20 to 0.50% chromium and 1.00 to 1.50% tungsten, while its White 2 table lists neither.

Proterial describes White 2 as a carbon steel with minimum impurities and high hardness, and Blue 2 as an alloy steel with tungsten and chromium to improve heat-treatment properties and wear resistance, with a hardening hardness of over 60 HRC for both. In its Japanese materials, Proterial calls its Aogami (青紙) steels high-carbon steel (高炭素鋼). Neither steel is close to the JSSA's 10.5% minimum for stainless.

Published by K&S Education Desk; staff review pending

What is the difference between White 1, White 2 and White 3?

White 1, White 2 and White 3 are Proterial's Shirogami 1, Shirogami 2 and Shirogami 3. Proterial lists carbon at 1.25 to 1.35% for Shirogami 1, 1.05 to 1.15% for Shirogami 2 and 0.80 to 0.90% for Shirogami 3, with the same silicon and manganese ranges for all three and no chromium listed.

Proterial describes all three as carbon steel with minimum impurities, at highest, high and middle hardness in that order, and gives a hardening hardness of over 60 HRC for each.

Published by K&S Education Desk; staff review pending