Who does the best Kurouchi?

[ModRQC]

Cause of the cladding.

Go western makers and they adopt basic carbon steels to an iron cladding, or sometimes even often use regular "mono" carbon steels. But an iron clad can go as low as recycled steel or some cheap in house substitute for good wrought iron since that has become quite harder to sample in a quality batch.

 

[Heckel7302]

I have nine KU knives. I like KU in that they all have a different look.

Left to right:

Moritaka Honesuki
KU has been very stable on this one. Maybe because it only ever sees raw chicken?

Takeda NAS
After taking off the lacquer I found it a bit mottled, interesting, but not my fav

Denka
Smooth, rock solid (except where I slipped when thinning it)

Mazaki Suji
Craggy Nashiji KU. Very stable in my experience

Wakui Stainless clad
This is an interesting one. It is very shiny. In some light it doesn’t look KU at all. My oldest knife and it hasn’t faded much

Jiro
Yes, the KU fades. I’ve noticed especially under my pinch grip. But I appreciate how it evolves and changes with use

Wat Pro

I really like the look of this one. Super smooth, like an oil slick. Overall pretty stable, though there has been a little wear under my pinch

Felipi

Another craggy one. Not super even, but what’s there has been stable

Kamon Denty

Another cool one that changes depending on the light. By far my priciest knife, so I don’t think I’ve used it enough to weigh in on durability

 

[ModRQC]

Now that’s finally something!

 

[deltaplex]

Kato Ku is no slouch either

I believe this is just the "standard" Morihei KU.

 

[Corradobrit1]

I believe this is just the "standard" Morihei KU.

All he Ku is the same whether WH (JNS), Morihei or the standard without Morihei Kao or WH kanji.

Courtesy @Markcg

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/mark’s-little-collection.52095/#post-790440

 

[deltaplex]

All he Ku is the same whether WH (JNS), Morihei or the standard without Morihei Kao or WH kanji.

Courtesy @Markcg

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/mark’s-little-collection.52095/#post-790440

The middle looks like a different application than the outside two, to me.

 

[McMan]

Some intersting discussion here:

Ishikawa has an almost glass-smooth consistent black KU

 

[Corradobrit1]

The middle looks like a different application than the outside two, to me.

Its just a lot older. Probably 15+ years is my guess. Those 3 blades are not contemporary.

 

[hendrix]

The nicest to my eye of my knives with kurouchi is my Shihan mono 52100. After several years of almost daily use there doesn’t seem to be much difference in the kurouchi unlike many of my other knives.