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Kurouchi

The cutting edge guide to Japanese knives
  • Blacksmith
  • Knife Basics
Knife Basics by Richard YuApr 9, 20232:13 am9 April, 2023
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Types of Japanese knives explained

There is an astonishingly wide range of Japanese knife types, each with its own distinct traits and applications. They generally fall into the following two main categories: modern Japanese knives and traditional Japanese knives. Modern […]

Blacksmith by Richard YuOct 15, 20203:25 am21 October, 2020
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Mizuno Tanrenjo – the prestigious blacksmith workshop that put scent and soul into steel

When you open the box of a brand new Minamoto Akitada (源 昭忠) knife by Mizuno Tanrenjo (水野鍛錬所), the first thing to greet you is an unmistakable scent of pine charcoal — an instant 4th […]

Blacksmith by Richard YuAug 13, 20208:33 am22 September, 2020
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Moritaka Hamono – the story of a 700 years old blade-making family

I have never met Akiko Moritaka in person, but we have exchanged many emails. Wife of 27th generation Moritaka craftsman Tsunehiro Moritaka, Akiko-san is responsible for the family business’ international outreach. Our conversations have never […]

Blacksmith by Richard YuJul 27, 20208:27 am22 September, 2020
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Nigara Hamono — the 350-year-old knife company with two secret weapons and a taste for Andy Warhol

There’s something that sets Nigara Hamono apart from other knife-making families in Japan. One might argue that it is the 350 years of history, starting from making swords for Tsugaru clan in the early Edo […]

Blacksmith by Richard YuJul 5, 20208:03 am22 September, 2020
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Sugimoto Hamono – the Tokyo Tsukiji knife brand for professional chefs

The history of Sugimoto (杉本) – a family-ran group of chef knife shops in Tokyo – is not well documented. While some say they started in the 1930s, there have been claims that Sugimoto was […]

Blacksmith by Richard YuMar 16, 20206:16 am22 September, 2020
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Hinoura Hamono – The father and son team with over 100 years of bladesmithing family tradition

Hinoura Hamono is a knife-making workshop by Tsukasa Hinoura & Mutsumi Hinoura, the father and son team. Knifemaking by Hinoura can be traced back to the Meiji era when first-generation Hinoura, Shintaro Hinoura founded the knife forging business.

Blacksmith by Richard YuMar 9, 202012:30 am22 September, 2020
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Yu Kurosaki – the young artisan who raised to the top of traditional knife making

A young artisan in his forties, Yu Kurosaki (黒崎 優) has become one of leading knife makers in Japan, winning top awards and attention for his hand-forged knives especially his Tsuchime and Suminagashi finish.

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