Makoto Sakura Tsuchime Gyuto 240mm

Makoto san has come up with a very nice knife line here with the Sakura Tsuchime. Let's break down what each word means since it's a mouthful. Makoto Kurosaki is his name. He chose the name for his brand as Makoto because his brother uses Kurosaki. Sakura means Cherry Tree, which is revered for its beauty in Japan. If you ever travel to Japan in the spring, you'll be amazed at the massive amount of blossoming cherry trees everywhere. Makoto san use cherry wood handles on his knives, which inspired the name. Tsuchime means "hammered" and refers to the hammered cladding on the blade. Gyuto means "cow sword" in Japanese and is the shape of this knife. Phew!

Makoto Kurosaki has used SG2 to make this excellent gyuto. His choice is a good one from the standpoint of ease of maintenance and durability. SG2 steel can feel rather carbon-like when forged by a good blacksmith. It has a tough feel but can hold an edge over the long haul. It also has a high wear resistance as compared to other knife steels. However, it is quite easy to sharpen, more so than any other stainless steel. The inner core is clad in san-mai style with soft stainless steel. It is given a very lovely hairline finish.

Makoto is an expert sharpener, and it is very apparent with this knife. The grind is exceptional, as is the overall thinness of this laser. It is thin but not wispy. The gyuto exhibits very easy controllability while truly falling through food with an ease that is quite remarkable.

That this finely made package should come in at this price is the true icing on the cake. We highly recommend these knives.

Brand: Makoto

Blacksmith: Makoto Kurosaki

Location: Takefu, Japan

Construction: San Mai

Method: Hammer Forged

Quenching: Water Quenched

HRC: 62+-

Finish: Tsuchime

Edge Steel: SG2 Powdered Stainless Steel

Cladding: Stainless Steel

Handle: Cherry Octagonal (Sakura means Cherry Tree)

Ferrule: Maple

Weight: 5.9 oz/ 170g

Blade Length: 244 mm

Overall Length: 395 mm

Spine Thickness at Heel: 2.2 mm

Blade Height at Heel: 52 mm

Edge Grind: Even (See Choil Photo)

Photos by Gustavo Bermudez