Haiku Kurouchi

Modern steels are often alloyed with other elements to enhance their hardness, flexibility or to deoxidize them. However, these secondary metals greatly complicate the task of master cutters, from forging to heat treatment to polishing.

Pure ores, called unalloyed steels, are easier to work with (being free of ancillary pollution), but their handling relies entirely on the craftsman's ability to read the fire. The finished product is also easier to sharpen yourself because of the absence of anti-oxidants that complicate this task.

Haiku Kurouchi's unpolished raw forged blade is done in three layers, two of which cover an Aoko blue steel core. The handle is made of hardened wood and stained black. The ferrule is made of steel, fixed by a metal pin.

These knives require more care because they are very sensitive to oxidation, and are intended for an attentive clientele willing to sharpen them on stone. Indeed, the blades are delivered with a safety edge to protect them from corrosion during their journey from Japan. Over time the blades develop a patina. Rust stains on the grey surface can be removed with a special eraser sold by Chroma France. 

You will enjoy improving the initial sharpness with your own tools to get your own sharpening.

The Haiku Kurouchi knife is an alien of Japanese cutlery. Forged in small workshops on the island of Tosa (now Kochi Prefecture, southern Japan), it carries the rusticity of this weathered island. It is an extreme mono-artisanat, each reference is made only by one person in particular, who does not make the others. The knife is forged freely, that is to say, without a mold, then put under the hammer. This is the primitive knife, as it was imagined in the past.

Kurouchi is a registered trademark derived from the transliteration of two Japanese kanji. When the brand appeared about twenty years ago it was the first of its kind, since then even in Japan the Latin term has become emblematic. We translate it as Black Magic because everything is magic in this knife. Its sharpness of course, its vintage look certainly. Each knife is unique, each blade has a different thickness.

Kurouchi appeals to young and old alike. Equipping for example the table of Christian Bau, one of the best 3 Michelin stars in Germany, or the young talent of the best restaurant in Norway, the Singaporean Mathew Leong, Bocuse 2021 / 2025 candidate.

When the knives are stored in the open air for some time without being used, we recommend to oil the blade with a camellia oil designed for, and sold by Chroma France. It will protect the knife from outside projections.

Take advantage of this because no one knows what will happen to the workshops when their master hands in his apron. Production is insignificant worldwide and cannot be mechanized.