R2 powdered stainless steel is one of the most demanding materials a blacksmith can work with - and Yu Kurosaki has made it the foundation of his Shizuku line. Trained under Hiroshi Kato at Kanehiro Uchi Hamono in Echizen, Kurosaki spent years mastering the techniques that now define his work: tight tolerances, a convex grind that sets his blades apart from most production knives at any price point, and out-of-the-box sharpness that consistently ranks among the finest in the CKTG catalog. CKTG was the second international account he accepted after completing his apprenticeship - a relationship of over a decade that began before his reputation became as widely established as it is today.
The 210mm gyuto is Japan all-purpose chef knife - the format most cooks reach for most often. This one is built around an R2 core (the same steel as SG2, a powdered stainless from Takefu Special Steel) hardened to 62 HRC and clad san mai in nashiji (pear skin) stainless steel. The nashiji texture on the blade road catches light beautifully and reduces food adhesion during use. At 215mm actual blade length and 47mm height it sits in the most useful range for daily kitchen work. The convex grind delivers exceptional food release from the first cut and contributes to the edge quality that makes these knives worth their price. Rosewood octagonal handle with black pakka wood ferrule, well-balanced through extended sessions.
Care Instructions: R2 powdered stainless is stainless but hard and chip-prone at high HRC. Use wood or rubber cutting boards only. Avoid bones, frozen foods, and hard materials. Hand wash and dry after each use. Strop regularly between sharpenings. Sharpen on quality water stones with consistent angle and light pressure.
The 210mm gyuto is Japan all-purpose chef knife - the format most cooks reach for most often. This one is built around an R2 core (the same steel as SG2, a powdered stainless from Takefu Special Steel) hardened to 62 HRC and clad san mai in nashiji (pear skin) stainless steel. The nashiji texture on the blade road catches light beautifully and reduces food adhesion during use. At 215mm actual blade length and 47mm height it sits in the most useful range for daily kitchen work. The convex grind delivers exceptional food release from the first cut and contributes to the edge quality that makes these knives worth their price. Rosewood octagonal handle with black pakka wood ferrule, well-balanced through extended sessions.
Care Instructions: R2 powdered stainless is stainless but hard and chip-prone at high HRC. Use wood or rubber cutting boards only. Avoid bones, frozen foods, and hard materials. Hand wash and dry after each use. Strop regularly between sharpenings. Sharpen on quality water stones with consistent angle and light pressure.
- Blacksmith: Yu Kurosaki
- Location: Echizen, Japan
- Construction: San Mai, Hammer Forged
- Edge Steel: R2 (SG2) Powdered Stainless
- Cladding: Nashiji (Pear Skin) Stainless
- HRC: 62
- Edge Grind: Even Convex Double Bevel
- Engraving: Laser Engraved
- Handle: Rosewood Octagonal
- Ferrule: Black Pakka Wood
- Weight: 5.6 oz (158 g)
- Blade Length: 215mm
- Total Length: 365mm
- Spine Thickness at Base: 3mm
- Blade Height: 47mm
