Hatsukokoro Kurogane Blue 2 Kurouchi Santoku 165mm Black Chacate

The Hatsukokoro Kurogane(黒鉄, Black Iron) can be considered as the Blue 2 version of the popular Kokugei line. Main difference is the core steel is Blue 2 instead of Blue 1, and the slightly blue tint is not present on the Kotetsu, it is just as the name implies, a Kurouchi finished, iron cladding knife.

For the experienced eyes, it won't be hard to tell that this knife is made in the Tosa region. The wild hammer marks can be clearly seen under the rustic black oxidation layer. Although the finish is on the rough side, its performance is still quite decent. The bevel is a slight convex grind, but left with some thickness behind the edge, it won't fly through food like many other knives but once the cut initiates, the very positive food release will help the cut to be smooth.

The additional thickness also means the edge is on the stronger side, it can be pushed a bit harder, which kind of fits it purpose as a budget, rough use knife. For the seasoned expert, the iron cladding means the bevel geometry can be modified with relative ease, and the thicker blade can be turned into a thinner one.

I shall consider the Kurogane as a interesting brother to the Kokugei line, with their very friendly price and decent maintainability due to the Kurouchi finish, they are both a strong contender for those who are picking their first carbon steel knife. It's a knife that you can really live and explore with, which can be a valuable thing before steeping up to a more demanding and expensive knife.