Kurouchi Tsuchime

The Kurouch Tsuchime is a combination of the raw, organic black finish and the characterful hammered Tsuchime finish. It is commonly seen as the Kurouchi finish will keep the original black scale of the billet unpolished after forging, the texture from the forging process will be also kept, allowing all kinds of patterns and indentations to be i...

This finish layers the two traditional techniques: forge scale (kurouchi) is preserved across most of the blade, and hammered marks (tsuchime) are added on top. The result is a deeply textured rustic appearance with both the black forge layer and the dimensional hammer indents.

This combined finish appears on rustic, artisan-forged Japanese knives from regional blacksmiths — typically carbon-steel gyuto, santoku, and bunka — where both traditional techniques are deliberately preserved for aesthetic and functional reasons.

Combine the care of both finishes. Hand wash carefully around the textured/forge-scale zone, dry immediately, oil between uses for carbon cores. Avoid abrasive pads or strong detergents which will damage the kurouchi layer. The hammered indents may trap residue — brush gently under running water.