Mazaki is one of those independent Sanjo makers who built a following fast, and the White 2 Kurouchi line shows exactly why. Where his Migaki line polishes everything away to a flowing brushed finish, the Kurouchi leaves the forging texture untouched outside of the bevel — the irregular surface, the organic forge marks, the visible record of how the blade was shaped all remain. It's a rawer, more characterful look, and for those who appreciate that kind of honesty in a knife, it's a compelling one.
The blade profile is broad with a generous heel height and a wide tip, making it particularly well suited to dicing and producing consistent thin slices in a committed push. What really defines the handling is the spine taper — Mazaki keeps the neck near the handle notably thick even by Sanjo standards, then tapers it aggressively down to around 2mm at the tip. This gives the knife an unusual combination of a stiff, confident spine near the handle and a featherlight, responsive tip. The forging quality behind this taper is worth noting: bringing the blade down to that kind of thinness at the tip without distorting the cladding line or introducing any warp in the blade is a genuinely skilful feat, and the Kurouchi finish makes this visible in a way a polished surface wouldn't.
The bevel is hand finished to a slightly convex shape with an organic Kasumi polish and low thickness behind the edge. The blade is forged thicker near the Shinogi line and combines this with a slightly concave Hira — creating a more pronounced change in angle at the Shinogi line that strengthens the food release effect as the slice reaches that transition. The result is a knife that cuts smoothly and releases cleanly without needing to be laser-thin to achieve it.
The core steel is White 2 (Shirogami #2), encased in soft iron cladding — which means the entire blade requires careful maintenance to prevent rust, and the steel will see more wear than Blue 2 under the same conditions. That said, White 2 rewards the effort with an edge that bites cleanly and sharpens back up with minimal fuss on a whetstone. For enthusiasts and professional chefs who are comfortable with that trade-off and prefer a knife that wears its craft openly, the Kurouchi is a very natural choice.
By
Mazaki
