The Kuronami(黒波, Black Wave) is a newly released entry level carbon knife line. It's commissioned by Hatsukokoro and aimed at the entry level carbon knife market. This line is extremely similar to the Kokugei line, but featuring Blue 2 instead of Blue 1 core steel and a slightly different finish.
This line have many features that is in common with the Kokugei line: glossy Kurouchi finish that has a teal tint, tapered spine and a very good edge out of the box. Thanks to the carbon core steel, the food penetration is excellent on this line and the edge won't hesitate on the surface of the food. However, the glossy finish and the lack of special geometry means some sticking will happen as you cut some dense food like potato or carrot.
The pricing on this line is also quite friendly for beginner, by it comes at the price of poorer fit and finish. Rough grinding marks are observable near the choil, and the bevel isn't polished evenly. But compare with the Kokugei line, this line features a hazy wave-like finish on its bevel that runs from tip to heel, thus it gets the "Black Wave" name. It is straight forward, but I think it is just like this line: a straight forward budget carbon knife with some interesting cosmetic features and decent cutting performance.
If you are looking to try out a carbon knife but don't want spend too much on something you are not sure if you can take good care of, this line is an alternative choice besides the Kokugei line.
By
Hatsukokoro
