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Makoto Kurosaki has, like all great blacksmiths, worked his way through the ranks of apprenticeships, forging and working alongside some of the legends of modern blade making. Together with his brother, Yu, he worked and learned with the famed Kato-san.
He started making blades under his own name quite recently, and his offerings from the start were hits with many of our customers. His original limited offerings through CKTG have grown, and now included the Ryusei line of Aogami Super stainless clad knives. We are pleased to be the first store in the world to offer them for sale.
The combination of Aogami Super steel and a san-mai sandwich of soft stainless is a perfect combination of knife abilities and simplicities. The AS core is hardened to a respectable 62+ HRC which gives a great edge, especially after you take it to your favorite finishing stone! It is not a laser, but it flirts with that descriptions at its extremes. The spine is certainly thin and it has a lovely primary bevel which comes together at a super thin edge. It really is a great looking knife from every angle. Those looks are enhanced by some finely applied hand chiseled kanji elements and a well-made, good looking handle constructed from maple and red dyed pakka wood.
For those of you that enjoyed our Richmond Laser a few years ago this is essentially the same knife with the same cladding, same core steel.Brand: Makoto
Blacksmith: Makoto Kurosaki
Location: Takefu, Japan
Construction: San Mai
Method: Hammer Forged
Quenching: Water Quenched
HRC: 62+-
Finish: Hairline
Edge Steel: AS
Cladding: Stainless Steel
Handle: Maple Octagonal
Ferrule: Red Pakka Wood
Weight: 180g
Blade Length: 236 mm
Total Length: 390 mm
Blade Height: 51 mm
Spine Thickness at Base: 2 mm
Edge Grind: Even (See Choil Photo)
He started making blades under his own name quite recently, and his offerings from the start were hits with many of our customers. His original limited offerings through CKTG have grown, and now included the Ryusei line of Aogami Super stainless clad knives. We are pleased to be the first store in the world to offer them for sale.
The combination of Aogami Super steel and a san-mai sandwich of soft stainless is a perfect combination of knife abilities and simplicities. The AS core is hardened to a respectable 62+ HRC which gives a great edge, especially after you take it to your favorite finishing stone! It is not a laser, but it flirts with that descriptions at its extremes. The spine is certainly thin and it has a lovely primary bevel which comes together at a super thin edge. It really is a great looking knife from every angle. Those looks are enhanced by some finely applied hand chiseled kanji elements and a well-made, good looking handle constructed from maple and red dyed pakka wood.
For those of you that enjoyed our Richmond Laser a few years ago this is essentially the same knife with the same cladding, same core steel.
Product Reviews
Another hit out of the park..., June 21, 2020Posted By: d_rap - verified customer
With it's beautiful high grind, thinness behind the edge and up the grind, and slightly blade heavy balance, this knife delivers all over the board. It chops and rocks easily, and while thin and nimble, the tip can also be powered by the substantial balance in the forward direction. A young up-and-coming smith, 9 out of 10 fit and finish, ease of care...what's not to love?
And then there's the almost incomprehensibly low price! Get one of these while they're still in stock.
With it's beautiful high grind, thinness behind the edge and up the grind, and slightly blade heavy balance, this knife delivers all over the board. It chops and rocks easily, and while thin and nimble, the tip can also be powered by the substantial balance in the forward direction. A young up-and-coming smith, 9 out of 10 fit and finish, ease of care...what's not to love?
And then there's the almost incomprehensibly low price! Get one of these while they're still in stock.
Love This Knife, May 9, 2019Posted By: Ken Slaughter - verified customer
2 people found this review helpful
This knife hits the sweet spot for me. The fit and finish is excellent, it's just a beautiful knife, but the main thing it how it feels in my hand and how it performs. It doesn't get dull very fast, but even as it dulls it still performs quite well. 4 or 5 strokes on a bare horsebutt or rolled buffalo stop usually brings the edge right back. When that doesn't work I go with a 2.0 or 1.0 micron strop. I've only taken it to the stones once in the 2 months I've had it, and that was when I first got it. I have several knives in various flavors of steel, and this one is my go-to.
2 people found this review helpful
This knife hits the sweet spot for me. The fit and finish is excellent, it's just a beautiful knife, but the main thing it how it feels in my hand and how it performs. It doesn't get dull very fast, but even as it dulls it still performs quite well. 4 or 5 strokes on a bare horsebutt or rolled buffalo stop usually brings the edge right back. When that doesn't work I go with a 2.0 or 1.0 micron strop. I've only taken it to the stones once in the 2 months I've had it, and that was when I first got it. I have several knives in various flavors of steel, and this one is my go-to.
First Carbon knife..If blessings exist this is one., March 21, 2019Posted By: Ingo Edler
2 people found this review helpful
I'm familiar with vg-10/sg2/aus10/JA henckels' friodur pro S line's steel, this knife has one of the most wonderful profile's i've ever encountered, i've got a kramer 8" sg2 damascus knife which i was afraid to use /felt unworthy as i'd won it in a giveaway. i've been using knives that i've purchased & recieved as gifts as a traveling chef & my profession in general and i've got to say, this is one incredible knife. I've cut Tonnes of onions & peppers, mushrooms, shallots, ginger, squash/potatoes/yams/sweet potatoes and cucumbers/zuchinni , Pork loins, Salmon &halibut, Beef top rounds & tenderloins with Shuns, Henckel as mentioned of their Kramer line & a miyabi birchwood nakiri, a Dalstrong and a custom AEB-L knife made by Noah vachon (first custom knife and is amazing) But nothing compares to just how incredible this knife is. The blade geometry is amazing, It's Aogami super, i've tried a few coworkers knives which are constructed out of this, W2 and white #2 and blue #2 and this knife, for $200 outshines every knife in my collection albiet my first knife, my extra wide henckel because it's the knife i learned with, and is just "MY" knife, you know? But this knife's profile is wonderful for slicing, chopping/push/pull cuts, rocking is also very comfortable. Fine tip work is very easy with how thin this knife's blade is, at the tip just .34mm!! Normal honing steels don't cut it, I personally have used a MAC black ceramic for a few months now, and one to two swipes on each side, or however your blade profile is dominantly, and this thing is good as new, actually sometimes sharper because of how sharpening is sometimes. I'm new to the world of carbon knives and this.. is impressive. I'm soon to be 25, and i see this knife in my kit for at least 25 more years. It's a pleasure to use this incredible piece of craftsmanship. Also keep some lintseed oil or beeswax for the handle! it's treated but quite raw. it'll build its own character like the AS edge on this baby with time. I'm so utterly dumbfounded.
2 people found this review helpful
I'm familiar with vg-10/sg2/aus10/JA henckels' friodur pro S line's steel, this knife has one of the most wonderful profile's i've ever encountered, i've got a kramer 8" sg2 damascus knife which i was afraid to use /felt unworthy as i'd won it in a giveaway. i've been using knives that i've purchased & recieved as gifts as a traveling chef & my profession in general and i've got to say, this is one incredible knife. I've cut Tonnes of onions & peppers, mushrooms, shallots, ginger, squash/potatoes/yams/sweet potatoes and cucumbers/zuchinni , Pork loins, Salmon &halibut, Beef top rounds & tenderloins with Shuns, Henckel as mentioned of their Kramer line & a miyabi birchwood nakiri, a Dalstrong and a custom AEB-L knife made by Noah vachon (first custom knife and is amazing) But nothing compares to just how incredible this knife is. The blade geometry is amazing, It's Aogami super, i've tried a few coworkers knives which are constructed out of this, W2 and white #2 and blue #2 and this knife, for $200 outshines every knife in my collection albiet my first knife, my extra wide henckel because it's the knife i learned with, and is just "MY" knife, you know? But this knife's profile is wonderful for slicing, chopping/push/pull cuts, rocking is also very comfortable. Fine tip work is very easy with how thin this knife's blade is, at the tip just .34mm!! Normal honing steels don't cut it, I personally have used a MAC black ceramic for a few months now, and one to two swipes on each side, or however your blade profile is dominantly, and this thing is good as new, actually sometimes sharper because of how sharpening is sometimes. I'm new to the world of carbon knives and this.. is impressive. I'm soon to be 25, and i see this knife in my kit for at least 25 more years. It's a pleasure to use this incredible piece of craftsmanship. Also keep some lintseed oil or beeswax for the handle! it's treated but quite raw. it'll build its own character like the AS edge on this baby with time. I'm so utterly dumbfounded.
My first Makoto, December 23, 2018Posted By: THOMAS TUCKER - verified customer
2 people found this review helpful
I got this knife because of the reviews the other Makoto knives had recieved. They were right. The edge holds up better than my other AS blades and the F&F is what you expect from knives costing 50% more. The edge even keeps up with my Kramer 52100 by Zwilling. The grinds are truley beautiful. This is my go to for almost everything. I used it on poly boards for about 12 hours and stroped on leather a couple of times and it still push cut paper. The balance is just in front of my pinch grip, but I mostly chop so it feels great. Buy it now because the price will and should go up!
2 people found this review helpful
I got this knife because of the reviews the other Makoto knives had recieved. They were right. The edge holds up better than my other AS blades and the F&F is what you expect from knives costing 50% more. The edge even keeps up with my Kramer 52100 by Zwilling. The grinds are truley beautiful. This is my go to for almost everything. I used it on poly boards for about 12 hours and stroped on leather a couple of times and it still push cut paper. The balance is just in front of my pinch grip, but I mostly chop so it feels great. Buy it now because the price will and should go up!
Very nice knife , November 1, 2018 Great Knife, October 26, 2018Posted By: John - verified customer
4 people found this review helpful
Here are my impressions after about a month of use:
Profile: I primarily use rock cuts and push/pull cuts and my Ryusei has a great profile for those techniques. I like the forward swept choil. It allows a lot of flexibility in where I can comfortably do a pinch grip. I can pinch by the neck for longer cuts or choke up the spine a couple of inches if I want to work with the tip, or anything in between without my fingers getting in the way. Yet despite how far forward the choil is, the blade still comes to a nice gliding stop at the end of a cut. Mine doesn't have much of a flat area in the back but this isn't an issue for me since I don't do much chopping.
Fit and Finish: Excellent fit and finish on my knife. The spine and choil are polished and comfortable on my fingers. The hairline finish cleanly highlights the grind of the blade and the chiseled kanji are nice touch. The grind gets pretty thin at the edge so a good amount of the AS core steel is exposed and it looks really cool once it has developed a patina. The edge is smokey dark, the grind is matte gray and the hairline blade flats are shiny white, for a 3-layered look. The handle is looks good and the junction with the red pakka ferrule is seamless. The maple in my handle is darker than it appears in the photos.
Performance: The ootb edge on mine was good, not great, but the AS sharpened up very easily to a razor edge. As mentioned above, the grind gets thin towards the edge so for short ingredients like garlic or green onions the performance is laser-like. Less so for ingredients tall enough to reach the top of the grind which is just thick enough to make the blade feel sturdy and to make the food release on those taller ingredients better. It feels nimble and balanced in my hand. I can cut softer ingredients with just the weight of the knife. I'm not even close to having to sharpen again, so edge retention is good.
It's a great all-around performing, cool looking, nicely finished knife. I feel like I got good value for my money with this one.
4 people found this review helpful
Here are my impressions after about a month of use:
Profile: I primarily use rock cuts and push/pull cuts and my Ryusei has a great profile for those techniques. I like the forward swept choil. It allows a lot of flexibility in where I can comfortably do a pinch grip. I can pinch by the neck for longer cuts or choke up the spine a couple of inches if I want to work with the tip, or anything in between without my fingers getting in the way. Yet despite how far forward the choil is, the blade still comes to a nice gliding stop at the end of a cut. Mine doesn't have much of a flat area in the back but this isn't an issue for me since I don't do much chopping.
Fit and Finish: Excellent fit and finish on my knife. The spine and choil are polished and comfortable on my fingers. The hairline finish cleanly highlights the grind of the blade and the chiseled kanji are nice touch. The grind gets pretty thin at the edge so a good amount of the AS core steel is exposed and it looks really cool once it has developed a patina. The edge is smokey dark, the grind is matte gray and the hairline blade flats are shiny white, for a 3-layered look. The handle is looks good and the junction with the red pakka ferrule is seamless. The maple in my handle is darker than it appears in the photos.
Performance: The ootb edge on mine was good, not great, but the AS sharpened up very easily to a razor edge. As mentioned above, the grind gets thin towards the edge so for short ingredients like garlic or green onions the performance is laser-like. Less so for ingredients tall enough to reach the top of the grind which is just thick enough to make the blade feel sturdy and to make the food release on those taller ingredients better. It feels nimble and balanced in my hand. I can cut softer ingredients with just the weight of the knife. I'm not even close to having to sharpen again, so edge retention is good.
It's a great all-around performing, cool looking, nicely finished knife. I feel like I got good value for my money with this one.
Fantastic Craftsmanship - My New Go-to , October 23, 2018Posted By: Kevin Rosinbum - verified customer
2 people found this review helpful
The work from the Takefu village never really disappoints, and this blade is evidence. With a stout spine it is an incredibly confident knife, but quite thin behind the edge and the geometry is excellence. It is not a laser per se, but it can see it from where it sits - for me that is just perfect. I'm in love with this grind, so expertly done. The heat-treat of the knife if excellent as well - for the first time I asked CKTG to add their finishing-sharpening to this blade rather than do it myself and the result was sublime - very refined but still with enough tooth to scare tomato skins senseless - I've only stropped it several times as of yet and it remains shaving-sharp. More, amongst general use I also processed about 25 lbs of apples three days ago, rocking and pulling through cores and seeds on the board and while its not recommended of course, there's not a chip to be found on this edge and a quick strop brought back what (very) little edge it lost after all of that. There isn't a whole lot of taper until the tip but it's thin enough at the tip and behind the edge in general that i don't think twice. I've never used a knife that felt this light *and* this sure of itself simultaneously. And even the handle is impeccable, FAR beyond what you expect for a knife in this price-range.... and that's true of this blade overall. Just a beautiful piece that I reach for now daily - a brilliant all-arounder that somehow never feels like anything is compromised. I genuinely love this knife.
2 people found this review helpful
The work from the Takefu village never really disappoints, and this blade is evidence. With a stout spine it is an incredibly confident knife, but quite thin behind the edge and the geometry is excellence. It is not a laser per se, but it can see it from where it sits - for me that is just perfect. I'm in love with this grind, so expertly done. The heat-treat of the knife if excellent as well - for the first time I asked CKTG to add their finishing-sharpening to this blade rather than do it myself and the result was sublime - very refined but still with enough tooth to scare tomato skins senseless - I've only stropped it several times as of yet and it remains shaving-sharp. More, amongst general use I also processed about 25 lbs of apples three days ago, rocking and pulling through cores and seeds on the board and while its not recommended of course, there's not a chip to be found on this edge and a quick strop brought back what (very) little edge it lost after all of that. There isn't a whole lot of taper until the tip but it's thin enough at the tip and behind the edge in general that i don't think twice. I've never used a knife that felt this light *and* this sure of itself simultaneously. And even the handle is impeccable, FAR beyond what you expect for a knife in this price-range.... and that's true of this blade overall. Just a beautiful piece that I reach for now daily - a brilliant all-arounder that somehow never feels like anything is compromised. I genuinely love this knife.
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