Blacksmith Makoto Kurosaki

Who am I?

My name is Makoto Kurosaki, I'm a Japanese blacksmith and I practice my art in the famous Takefu Cutlery Village in Echizen.

If my name sounds familiar, it's perfectly normal, since I'm the older brother of Yu Kurosaki, also a blacksmith in Takefu!

I work in the best possible place for forging Japanese knives. The Village, founded in the late 1970s by young blacksmiths who wanted to perpetuate their skills, brings together Japan's finest craftsmen who share traditional methods and innovation.

My apprenticeship began in the 2000s. I met the great Hiroshi Kato, who agreed to train me. As one of the founders of the Village, Hiroshi Kato san taught me everything I needed to know to forge handcrafted Japanese knives in the best possible way.

My work

At the start of my career, I, like my brother, decided to forge only top-quality blades.

I work with a wide variety of steels, but I have a slight preference for SG2 steel. This top-of-the-range steel contains a lot of carbon, but is enriched with around 15% chromium, making it a stainless steel. Produced by powder metallurgy, the alloy has a very homogeneous structure, enabling it to retain its sharpness for a long time.

But over the years, I've gradually come to specialize in knife sharpening. My aim is to offer you top-of-the-range Japanese knives with exceptional sharpness. To achieve this, I use a grinding wheel and gently run each blade over it until I'm satisfied with the result.

I give the blades an extremely fine edge so that cuts are precise yet effortless.

A true expert, I not only sharpen the blades I forge, but also offer my sharpening services to other blacksmiths, such as Takumi Ikeda, Yoshimi Kato and of course my brother Yu Kurosaki.

Our favorite knife

It's the Makoto Kurosaki Sakura 18cm SG2 steel handmade Japanese bunka knife!

It combines everything that makes Makoto Kurosaki so talented. Its heart-shaped San Maï blade in SG2 steel looks as if it were immaculate, so pure is it. You'd think it was simply worked, but that would be to misunderstand the blacksmith! He's obviously used his sharpening talent to give it an exceptional edge!

The handle is made from cherry wood, an emblematic Japanese species. Its camel-brown color is highlighted by a simple veining and its feel is soft. A pakkawood bolster completes the look and feel. Its octagonal shape ensures an easy, comfortable grip, suitable for professionals and lovers of fine knives alike!

Find all Makoto Kurosaki knives on our site!