I believe this knife was originally kurouchi, but at some point this was stripped away. The knife has somewhat of a rough finish to it as a result. I will be honest, this is far and away my most used knife in my collection. And that is exactly why I am selling it! I am trying to force myself into using my nicer knives more frequently. Anyways, this is a great knife and I have become quite attached to it over the years. It is in good condition, aside from a slight crack in the ferrule, see photo below. This crack has been there since I acquired the knife and it has never changed. Handle is ebony I believe. Asking $285 shipped conus.