Makoto Kurosaki worked under the great Hiroshi Kato for many years, learning his trade and developing his skill set. He has also trained with the great sharpener, Mr. Morihiro. He is a part-time partner with his well-known brother Yu Kurosaki. Makoto works out of Yu’s shop in Echizen, making knives for many leading names in the Japanese knife business.
Using VG10 stainless steel as the knife's core, Makoto-san clads it with suminagashi stainless steel. VG10 is knife steel designed explicitly for kitchen knives, and when properly heat treated, makes wonderful knives. This steel is prevalent in the kitchen knife world. It has great wear resistance and edge retention and is fairly easy to sharpen. Makoto-san hardens the steel to about 62 HRC. The knife is san-mai style of awase which means they're clad and have the hard steel down the middle. It's a common technique in Japanese kitchen cutlery.
Makoto-san has developed into an incredibly talented sharpener, and the outstanding attribute of these new knives is their superb grinds. These are as good as we have seen, even in knives costing far more money. The blades are wonderful cutters, and we think you will be impressed when you use them. The handle is made from rosewood and uses a black pakka wood ferrule.
Brand: Makoto
Blacksmith: Makoto Kurosaki
Location: Takefu, Japan
Construction: San Mai
Method: Hammer Forged
Quenching: Water Quenched
HRC: 62+-
Finish: Stainless Hammered Damascus
Edge Steel: VG10 Stainless Steel
Cladding: Suminagashi Stainless Steel
Handle: Rosewood Oval
Ferrule: Black Pakka Wood
Weight: 4.5 ounces
Blade Length: 215 mm
Total Length: 360 mm
Spine Thickness at Base: 2 mm
Blade Height: 49 mm
Edge Grind: Even (See Choil Photo)