Yu Kurosaki SG2 Senko Western Bunka 165mm

About Yu Kurosaki Senko – 

This has to be the prettiest workhorse knife I’ve ever laid eyes upon. The name, Senko, means ‘flash’ in Japanese, inspired by the spark-like hammer marks on the blade. Kurosaki-san clearly loves blacksmithing, as he was inspired to create this unique design by the sparks flying off of steel during forging. I always appreciate a knife maker who does it for a love of the craft.

The SG2 stainless steel used in the blade is wickedly sharp stuff, capable of holding its edge better than most other knife steels. Kurosaki-san has made the edge just thin enough to cut like a laser while keeping it thick enough to be relatively durable.

Yu Kurosaki began his blacksmithing career in 2002 at Kanehiro Uchi Hamono, where he apprenticed with Hiroshi Kato. Kato-san taught him well, and Kurosaki-san is now recognized as a master himself. He told me he wasn’t a natural at first and struggled for a long time, but his first sale inspired him to keep at it. We’re all glad he did. Kurosaki-san has since become best known for his wildly creative blades and finishes that are as much art as they are high-performance kitchen tools.

About the Shape – The Bunka looks like a bonafide badass. It is a multi purpose knife akin to the Santoku. “Bunka” translates to “culture.” A cross between the Nakiri and Gyuto, Bunkas can do it all. It’s the best of both worlds with the volume cranked to 11.