Yu Kurosaki Houou Rainbow Damascus Bunka

First Impressions

The houou is a thinner, flater grind than some of the other Kurosaki ranges and so sharpness right out of the box is impressive as you would expect and food release on the smoother polished finish will be good.

Beauty

We're committed fans of the design and unique finishes on all Kurosaki knives and this range is no different. The rainbow damascus layering is created by the alternating brass and copper running through the knife. 

It's not as pronounced as the rainbow damascus seen on the Tsukasa Hinoura knives but the contrasting layering change between that brass and copper is fantastic and something you'll find yourself looking closely at!

Durability

The VG10 and stainless cladding that is widely used by Kurosaki in their knives is reliable and durable and so you won't have any problems keeping a wicked edge on your knife.

Ease of Care

As it's a stainless knife, care tips would simply follow our normal instructions and you'll have no issues. For a knife like the houou we'd definitely recommend showing it off on a rack or block when you're not using it.

Our Verdict

Overall, this is another one from Yu Kurosaki's workshop that's going to be very popular.

Obviously his skill in knife making is top notch but it's his ability to create new and interesting designs and finishes that adds to the value of his knives as both high performance kitchen knives and pieces of visual art that look great on your wall once you've finished food prep.

We fully expect demand to wildly outstrip supply of this range for some time!