Makoto Kurosaki R2 270mm Sujihiki Review: A Standout Japanese Slicing Knife

Introduction

The sujihiki is the Japanese answer to long, clean slicing work, and the Makoto Kurosaki R2 270mm version is a knife that keeps coming up as a favorite for good reason. It combines a hard powdered stainless core, a striking hand-hammered finish, and handling that feels confident rather than fragile. If you have been considering a dedicated slicing knife, this one deserves a close look.

What a Sujihiki Is For

A sujihiki is a Japanese slicing knife, a name that translates to flesh slicer. It is double beveled, angling in from both sides, which sets it apart from the yanagiba, the more traditional single-beveled Japanese slicing knife. That makes the sujihiki the more all-purpose choice for slicing tasks: raw proteins like fish, but also roasts and other cooked meats.

If your only goal is sashimi or extremely thin slices of raw fish, a yanagiba is the more specialized tool. But for a single knife that covers both raw and cooked slicing duties, the sujihiki is the better fit, and it is also less prone to chipping, which matters if you plan to work around bones or tougher tasks like barbecue.

Why the R2 Steel and Sandwich Construction Matter

This knife is made from R2, a quick powdered stainless tool steel with a high Rockwell hardness of around 64. The blade is san-mai construction: a hard stainless R2 core clad between two layers of softer stainless steel. That combination delivers excellent edge retention while keeping the outside of the blade more forgiving.

The stainless construction is genuinely practical for butchery and protein work. Slicing raw meat is messy, and your hands are often too gunked up to wipe the blade down immediately. A stainless sujihiki will not punish you the way an iron-clad knife would if you forget to wipe it for a moment, though you should still build the habit of wiping it down and handling it with clean, dry hands.

Length and Cutting Performance

Sujihiki blades range from around 180mm, which is nearly petty territory, up to about 300mm. At 270mm, this one sits on the longer end of the spectrum, and that length translates directly into performance: a longer blade means a longer stroke, less sawing motion, and less tearing of the meat. Combined with the sharpness of the edge, it makes clean drawing cuts much easier.

It is relatively thin at the spine, but unlike some sujihiki on the market that feel delicate, this one does not. It is quite stiff, in the way a slicing knife should be, yet it can flex slightly without any fear of snapping or staying bent. That confidence is especially useful when breaking down a whole salmon, where the blade may encounter small bones along the spine. It is less prone to chipping than a yanagiba in those situations.

Everyday Tasks This Knife Handles Well

This is a knife built for the kind of prep that makes weeknight cooking faster. Thinly sliced raw chicken breast that goes straight into the pan, a flank steak sliced properly before it reaches the table, or clean portioning of a salmon are all exactly where this knife shines.

The long blade also helps with cleanup work at the end of a butchery session, letting you make long, smooth drawing strokes for perfect slices rather than short, tearing cuts.

Fit, Finish, and Handle Feel

The fit and finish are top notch. Where the tang and handle come together, the junction is perfectly executed, with no gaps, bumps, or spaces. The handle is a little unusual: a maple handle paired with a blonde pakka wood ferrule, a combination you rarely see, and it looks genuinely striking.

The handle is octagonal, so it suits both right-handed and left-handed users. Overall, it has a beautiful feel in the hand and balances the high-performance blade well.

Buying Advice

Makoto Kurosaki is the older brother of a well-regarded blacksmith and an expert sharpener, and this knife shows it, with some of the best out-of-the-box edges you are likely to encounter. It is certainly not a cheap knife, but compared with other sujihiki on the market, it offers strong value for the level of steel, fit, finish, and sharpness you get. If you want one slicing knife that handles raw fish, roasts, steaks, and salmon breakdown without feeling fragile, this 270mm R2 sujihiki is a confident choice.

Conclusion

The Makoto Kurosaki R2 270mm Sujihiki pairs a hard powdered stainless core with a hand-hammered finish, a comfortable octagonal maple handle, and edge quality that stands out even among Japanese knives. For anyone after a versatile, all-purpose slicing knife that stays sharp and handles real kitchen work, it is an easy recommendation.