Kouki Hashimoto is a name to keep an eye on. Having worked as an instructor at Kajiya Soseijuku — the Tosa Forged Blade School — before establishing his own brand in 2025, Hashimoto comes to independent knifemaking with a deeper grounding in the craft than most newcomers. Teaching forging demands a thorough understanding of what makes a knife work, and that foundation shows clearly in this Blue 2 Kurouchi line. For a first independent release, it punches well above what you'd typically expect.
The construction is a classic Sanmai with soft iron cladding over a Blue 2 (Aogami 2) core — honest about its maintenance requirements. Both the iron cladding and the reactive core steel need regular attention to stay rust-free, which is the trade-off you accept for that characterful Kurouchi finish and the aggressive edge that Blue 2 delivers. The forged taper in the spine is well executed, and the short length gives the blade a nimble, responsive feel that makes it easy to direct with precision.
The geometry is genuinely impressive for this price. Minimal thickness behind the edge makes for clean food penetration, and the low Shinogi line means food release kicks in reliably even on shorter cuts — the slice doesn't need to travel far up the bevel before it starts to peel away. Where this design is more honest about its limits is against dense, tough produce like sweet potato or carrot — the narrow bevel creates a steeper angle from the Hira, which causes more wedging as the blade pushes through denser material. On softer everyday prep though, it cuts noticeably better than most Tosa-made Kurouchi knives at a similar or higher price point.
For enthusiasts looking for an entry point into forged carbon steel knives, or for anyone after a gift with genuine craft behind it and a story worth telling, the Kouki line is a very easy recommendation.
