就像傳奇的風神與雷神一樣，雫（Shizuku）是黑崎裕所打造的原創鍛造系列之一，自問世以來便廣受顧客好評與認可。經過多年的精與調整，現今的雫系列已成為優秀操控性與性能的均衡刀款。
2017年的雫刀型與現在大不相同：強烈的錘紋、輕微拋表面並帶有熱處理後殘留的棕褐色調，以及極為深凹的刃磨方式，在薄鍛刀身時能創造出極鋒利的刃口。雖然這款雫在切割表現上令人驚艷，但過於脆弱的刃口卻讓大多數幾乎無法正常使用。
現行版本的雫在外觀上更為精緻，刃磨也更加穩健。美麗拋的表面保留了標誌性的錘紋，並平滑地過渡至拋與輕微噴砂處理的刀刃斜面，呈現出類似Ukiba風格的斜面質感。幾何形狀採用凸面研磨（convex grind），被普遍認為是打造刀刃最優良的方式之一。當製作得恰到好處時，刃口能憑自身重量食材，而逐漸隆起的斜面則有助於讓食材從表面輕鬆剝離，整體切割過程順暢、阻力低且不易黏附。毫無疑問，黑崎團隊多年累積的專業技術，使他們能掌控刀刃幾何形狀，在整個雫系列中一致地實現卓越的切削體驗。
此系列另一大亮點在於刀身的鍛造工藝，這也是越前刀匠的代表性特徵。由於不鏽鋼含有較高的合金成分，手工鍛造時難度更高，需更精確控制溫度以「過火」，因此大多數刀匠會選擇更耐受的碳鋼進行製作。然而，越前刀匠長手工鍛造不鏽鋼，他們獨特的技術能將塊坯料合併鍛打以保留熱量，延長在彈簧錘下塑形的時間窗口。雫以及許多黑崎刀款皆採用此方式鍛造，可從刀背明顯的漸變厚度看出——靠近刀柄處較厚、接近刀尖則逐漸變薄。這種製法所產出的刀手感固、精準且易於操控，刀尖能隨意願靈活移動，同時在握持點附近有適度重量分布以抑制震動；刀身雖薄卻依然強韌，在切割硬質食材時表現出色。這些刀無疑是砧板上最令人信心滿滿的。
作為一款已銷售十年的系列，雫至今仍備受歡迎，原因在於幾乎沒有替代品能提供相似的規格：高刃口保持力鋼材、手工鍛造刀身、頂級研磨工藝與富有個性的設計。若您有幸在預算範圍找到一把雫，這絕對是值得嘗試的經之作——畢竟它們並非隨時都能輕易。
The Shizuku back in 2017 was quite a different knife: strong hammer marks, lightly polished surface with some brown colouring left from heat treating, and a very strong concave grind that creates a very thin edge when paired with the thinly forged blade. Although that version of Shizuku is amazing to cut with, the very brittle edges have made it almost unusable for most users.
The current version of the Shizuku has a more refined look and stronger grind, the beautifully polished surface retains the signature hammer texture, transitions smoothly into the polished and lightly sandblasted bevel, giving the knife a Ukiba-style finish on the bevel. The geometry now comes in a convex shape, which is often considered the best way of creating bevels. When done right, the edge can submerge into most food with its own weight, then the gradually bulging bevel can then encourage the slice of food to peel off from the surface, leading to overall very smooth cut with low resistance and little sticking issues. Without doubt, the expertise built over years by Kurosaki san and his team allow them to have a full control on the geometry of the bevel, and achieve this excellent cutting experience consistently throughout the entire Shizuku range.
Another highlight of this line is the forged feature on these blades, which have been another signature characteristic of the Echizen knifemaking. Due to the higher alloy content, stainless steels are generally much harder to hand forge and require much more precise temperature control to not “overcook” the steel, for this reason, most blacksmith would choose to work with carbon steel that is more tolerant. However, Echizen blacksmiths are experts in hand forging stainless steel, their unique technique allows them to forge two billets together to retain heat, leaving a longer time window for them to shape the knife under the spring hammer. Shizuku, and many other Kurosaki knives, are forged this way, and you can tell by the distinct taper in the spine of the knife, which is thicker near the handle and thinner near the tip. Knives made like this feel rigid, precise and easy to handle, they have a tip that follows your command and some weigh near the pinch grip that dampens them, the thin blades are incredible to cut while remaining strong while cutting hard items. These knives are some of the most confident instilling tools to use on the chopping board.
As a lineup that has been sold for more than a decade, the popularity of the Shizuku remains high, and it's simply because there is hardly an alternative that can offer similar specs: high edge retention steel, hand forged blade, top notch sharpening and characterful design. If you happen to find one available within your budget, Shizuku is definitely a classic piece that you want to give it a shot at, as they are not the easiest knives to come by most of the time.
