About Kurocho

Kurocho began with a simple frustration: most kitchen knives are bought once, used badly, and replaced. The knives that don't get replaced are the ones that were made properly in the first place.

We work with Japanese blade-making traditions — laminated steels, hand-finished edges, handles shaped for long sessions rather than for a shop shelf — and we bring them to kitchens in the UK without the markup of a department store counter.

Our range is built around four families, each with its own character:

• Hinoki — VG10 Damascus blades with pale wooden handles and matching scabbards. Bright, clean, and built for everyday work.
• Kiri — forged kurouchi steel with octagonal rosewood handles. The traditional, understated end of the range.
• Nami — Damascus blades with iridescent abalone handles. The ones people pick up and comment on.
• Special Collection — knives and complete sets with coloured resin, G-10, ebony or octagonal handles, plus the full-tang Kuro cleaver. The resin handles are finished by hand, so each one varies slightly.

We don't make claims we can't stand behind, and we'd rather sell you one knife you keep for twenty years than five you forget about. If you're not sure where to start, the santoku or the gyuto is almost always the right answer.

Questions about a blade, a size, or what suits your kitchen? Get in touch — we answer everything ourselves.