Yu Kurosaki trained under famed blacksmith Hiroshi Kato at Kanehiro Uchi Hamono in Echizen, and has spent over two decades building one of the most distinctive catalogs in Japanese knife making. His lines span wildly different aesthetics and steels - but the common thread is a convex grind that becomes nearly imperceptible at the edge, producing a knife that is athletic in character: equally capable of cutting hard, dense produce and gliding through soft onions. The Senko Ei line is SG2 powdered stainless steel hardened to 62 HRC, with san mai stainless cladding, paired with an octagonal rosewood and maple handle. The Senko surface treatment gives the line its visual identity.
The nakiri is Japanese dedicated vegetable knife - with its flat edge, tall blade, and squared tip, it was built entirely for push-cutting produce. With a 155mm blade length and a 53mm height, this is a tall, substantial nakiri with exceptional board coverage and knuckle clearance. The even 50/50 double-bevel grind works equally well for right- and left-handed cooks.
What Customers Are Saying: Two reviews averaging 4.5 stars. Richard has heard the internet claim that hammered finishes do not work for food release - and calls that myth busted. Dicing an onion, the pieces fell away from the blade like rain. He compares it to his HAP40 laser and notes the Senko releases food where the laser sticks - a genuine practical advantage for vegetable prep. One minor note: the tang-to-handle junction could look neater - a small finish detail that does not affect performance. He ordered the CKTG sharpening service on arrival and highly recommends doing the same.
Care Instructions: SG2 is a fully stainless powdered steel - low maintenance and resistant to corrosion. Hand wash and dry after each use. Avoid the dishwasher. Use wood or rubber cutting boards. Avoid bones, frozen foods, and hard materials. Sharpen on quality water stones - SG2 at 62 HRC rewards a consistent angle and light pressure. Strop regularly between sharpenings. The convex grind benefits from a flat stone used with light, consistent pressure to maintain the geometry.
The nakiri is Japanese dedicated vegetable knife - with its flat edge, tall blade, and squared tip, it was built entirely for push-cutting produce. With a 155mm blade length and a 53mm height, this is a tall, substantial nakiri with exceptional board coverage and knuckle clearance. The even 50/50 double-bevel grind works equally well for right- and left-handed cooks.
What Customers Are Saying: Two reviews averaging 4.5 stars. Richard has heard the internet claim that hammered finishes do not work for food release - and calls that myth busted. Dicing an onion, the pieces fell away from the blade like rain. He compares it to his HAP40 laser and notes the Senko releases food where the laser sticks - a genuine practical advantage for vegetable prep. One minor note: the tang-to-handle junction could look neater - a small finish detail that does not affect performance. He ordered the CKTG sharpening service on arrival and highly recommends doing the same.
Care Instructions: SG2 is a fully stainless powdered steel - low maintenance and resistant to corrosion. Hand wash and dry after each use. Avoid the dishwasher. Use wood or rubber cutting boards. Avoid bones, frozen foods, and hard materials. Sharpen on quality water stones - SG2 at 62 HRC rewards a consistent angle and light pressure. Strop regularly between sharpenings. The convex grind benefits from a flat stone used with light, consistent pressure to maintain the geometry.
- Blacksmith: Yu Kurosaki
- Location: Echizen, Japan
- Construction: San Mai
- Edge Steel: SG2 (R2) Powdered Stainless Steel
- Cladding: Stainless
- HRC: 62
- Finish: Senko
- Edge Grind: Even, 50/50 Double Bevel
- Handle: Rosewood Octagonal
- Ferrule: Maple Wood
- Weight: 5.1 oz (146 g)
- Blade Length: 155 mm
- Total Length: 306 mm
- Spine Thickness at Base: 2 mm
- Blade Height: 53 mm
Reviews
2 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval)
I love YuPosted By: Richard
34 people found this review helpful
How many times have I heard internet experts claim that the hammered finish on Japanese knives doesn't work? Myth, busted! Or maybe they just didn't have the right knife. When I tested this Yu Kurosaki nakiri by dicing an onion, the pieces fell away from the blade like rain. The cutting edge may be a smidge less sharp than my HAP40 laser, but the latter is sticky, and there are times when you need the food to release. (With both knives, I ordered the sharpening service, which I highly recommend, to ensure I was getting the most out of them.) The place where the tang is glued into the handle could look a little neater, but that's a minor nitpick. Otherwise, this blade is beautiful, cuts very well and releases like a dream.
34 people found this review helpful
How many times have I heard internet experts claim that the hammered finish on Japanese knives doesn't work? Myth, busted! Or maybe they just didn't have the right knife. When I tested this Yu Kurosaki nakiri by dicing an onion, the pieces fell away from the blade like rain. The cutting edge may be a smidge less sharp than my HAP40 laser, but the latter is sticky, and there are times when you need the food to release. (With both knives, I ordered the sharpening service, which I highly recommend, to ensure I was getting the most out of them.) The place where the tang is glued into the handle could look a little neater, but that's a minor nitpick. Otherwise, this blade is beautiful, cuts very well and releases like a dream.
Almost perfectPosted By: Anthony
40 people found this review helpful
This thing looks awesome in person, the pictures really don’t do it justice. You have to see the way light reflects off it to really appreciate it. If you like the looks, I’d say buy buy buy!
The blade surface is very ant-stick to a surprising degree. It’s almost like there’s a non-stick coating or something but I’m sure there’s not. It just releases food really well, “magical” indeed.
Out of the box sharpness was pretty darn good, but I had it touched up and noticed a minor improvement. This thing does really well with potatoes, practically falls through them.
It’s also a bit heavier than I imagined it would be. It feels very solid and sturdy without being thick. I’ve wedged a few onions, but that’s probably my own fault.
Docking it one star since I think the choir/machi/spine areas could be rounded better. Maybe it’s just my grip/style, but the general bottom area between the blade and handle digs into my finger more than I’d like it too, making it uncomfortable to use for a lot of prep (which I bought it for). From what I’ve gathered, this is fairly common and shouldn’t be too much of a deterrent if you like this maker/knife. I’ve just seen other designs with a fully rounded area, or filleted corners, and I think that this would be perfect if only it had those.
40 people found this review helpful
This thing looks awesome in person, the pictures really don’t do it justice. You have to see the way light reflects off it to really appreciate it. If you like the looks, I’d say buy buy buy!
The blade surface is very ant-stick to a surprising degree. It’s almost like there’s a non-stick coating or something but I’m sure there’s not. It just releases food really well, “magical” indeed.
Out of the box sharpness was pretty darn good, but I had it touched up and noticed a minor improvement. This thing does really well with potatoes, practically falls through them.
It’s also a bit heavier than I imagined it would be. It feels very solid and sturdy without being thick. I’ve wedged a few onions, but that’s probably my own fault.
Docking it one star since I think the choir/machi/spine areas could be rounded better. Maybe it’s just my grip/style, but the general bottom area between the blade and handle digs into my finger more than I’d like it too, making it uncomfortable to use for a lot of prep (which I bought it for). From what I’ve gathered, this is fairly common and shouldn’t be too much of a deterrent if you like this maker/knife. I’ve just seen other designs with a fully rounded area, or filleted corners, and I think that this would be perfect if only it had those.
