Yu Kurosaki Santoku Fujin SG2 165mm (6.5″)

Kurosaki Santoku Fujin is another uniquely looking blade from the hands of talented master blacksmith Yu Kurosaki. As with all his knives, the fit and finish are simply superb, we hardly find any little irregularities with Kurosaki knives.

Santoku is a multi-purpose kitchen knife, intended to cut vegetables, meat, and fish. Due to its (shorter) blade length, it will excel at chopping vegetables. The blade is wide and flat at the handle and has a softly curved belly of the blade, suitable for both long and short cuts.

Fujin is the god of wind and one of the oldest Shinto gods in Japanese mythology. It is a very aptly named knife since the unique hammered patterns on the blade resemble the blowing of the wind. The knife is made from the popular and well-tested SG2 steel, heat-treated to 62-63 HRC.

BLADE SHAPE
The Santoku knife, originating from Japan, is a versatile and multipurpose kitchen tool commonly found in Japanese households. It excels at various cutting and chopping tasks on the cutting board.

The name “Santoku” derives from the Japanese word “San,” meaning “three,” representing the knife’s three virtues. It effortlessly handles three key ingredients: meat, fish, and vegetables. It is equally adept at slicing, chopping, and mincing, making it a versatile companion in the kitchen.

The Santoku knife is divided into three distinct parts. The tip is designed for intricate work, allowing for precise cuts. The cutting edge serves general cutting purposes, accommodating a range of tasks. Lastly, the heel of the knife is perfect for heavy-duty chopping.

With its rich heritage and versatile design, the Santoku knife is an indispensable tool for any kitchen, catering to a wide range of cutting needs with its three virtues.

STEEL
SG2 steel is a powder steel, renowned for its hardness and subsequent edge retention—due to a high carbon (C) content of 1.5%. The steel is also high in chromium (Cr)—around 15%, which adds to corrosion resistance and Molybdenum (Mo) that improves the blade’s wear resistance. SG2 steel blades will be able to achieve a fine sharpness due to the fine microstructure of the steel and will keep it—without having to worry about maintenance and corrosion.

LAMINATION:
The excellent SG2 steel core is clad into layers of softer stainless steel – this lamination technique is called san-mai.

→ Read more on Blade Construction: Lamination.

GEOMETRY:
It has a double bevel (symmetrical) blade (50/50) with a concave v-edge grind. The blade has a distal taper – at the tang, the blade is 3.6mm (0.14″) thick and narrows towards the tip, where it is 1.5mm (0.05″) thick.

BLADE FINISH:
The Kurosaki Fujin blade consists of a unique combination of a tsuchime (hammered) finish and migaki polish The narrow and straight lines create a sense of motion, evoking the image of swirling winds. This distinctive texture not only enhances the visual charm of the blade, but also reduces food sticking to the blade.

HANDLE
Kurosaki fitted his standard wooden handle on the Fujin. Made from beautiful dark rosewood and shaped octagonally, it fits the hands of both left- and right-handed users.

A great knife to own, use, and marvel at, as it showcases the amazing skills of the master blacksmith.

About Yu Kurosaki:
Yu Kurosaki is a talented master blacksmith, located in Takefu Knife Village, close to the city of Echizen. His knives are well known in Japan and around the world for their beautiful, special-looking design and great quality. Hammer’s dents on the blade are his unique signature, and like snowflakes, not a single dent is alike. Needless to say (but we will say it anyway), his knives not only look great, they are made of high-quality steels and come with a razor sharp, long-lasting edge.

Before opening his own smithy, Kurosaki-san was the apprentice of Hiroshi Kato, a master blacksmith with more than 50 years of knife making experience. Kato-san is one of the founders of the Takefu Knife Village, where now more than 10 master blacksmiths make handmade knives on display for visitors to observe and learn more about their craft. Kurosaki-san is the youngest blacksmith to be granted the title of Master Nokaji by Takefu Knife Village Association and is the senior teacher there.

☝️When you visit Japan, make sure to put the Takefu Knife Village to your itinerary!

Here’s a short video of Kurosaki’s workshop: