Santoku Japanese kitchen knife Yu Kurosaki Fujin VG10 Damascus ZVD-165SAOWQ 16.5cm

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. Yu started making knives since he was a teenager. He started his 12 years long apprenticeship under master Hiroshi Kato at age 23. Recognising his talents, Kato started showcasing his works in many international knife fairs, as well as handling the most challenging assignments to him. In 2014, Kurosaki opened his own workshop. His solid knife making skills combined with an innovative approach to finishing earned him awards and recognition both in Japan and internationally. Tsuchime finish is the art of hand-hammering patterns on the soft cladding (jiagne) to enhance the aesthetic value of the blade. This painstaking process is often seen in Japanese art and craft, and require a high level of skill and concentration to create a random yet uniformed pattern. Typically the Tsuchime patterns seen on Japanese knives are those little round dents that resemble the surface of the moon. Yu Kurosaki's Tsuchime finish, however, is something out of this world. His unique Tsuchime design, as seen in his Shizuku and Fujin series, are not only aesthetically magnificent but also incredibly functional when it comes to making food less likely to stick to blades.