Indigo Bocho

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[Indigo Bocho] Kurouchi Stainless Tsuchime Knife Set of 3

A knife that carries the quiet beauty of indigo and stands up to everyday use.

A kitchen knife that combines ease of use and beauty, making it a natural fit for everyday cooking.

Engraving and gift wrapping available — a good choice as a gift.

Shipping is calculated at checkout.
See our Shipping policy for details.

Ready-to-ship items leave within 2 business days. Everything else takes 7–10 days.

Regular price
$484.00 USD
Regular price
Sale price
$484.00 USD
Shipping calculated at checkout. Import duties are not included in the price. For orders shipped to the United States we pay the duty before dispatch and email you a payment link once your order is placed; we ship as soon as that payment clears. Duty on kitchen knives is currently about 31% of the item price. Shipping policy

Rust-resistant stainless × kuro-uchi × tsuchime — a serious set for everyday use, complete in three knives.

The basic set, chosen so you never have to wonder which knife to pick up.

Includes engraving and gift wrapping.

Product features

Traditional kuro-uchi, worked over with a tsuchime hammer finish struck by hand — a combination you will not find anywhere else.

Kuro-uchi is an Edo-period method: the face of the blade is deliberately left unpolished so that the black oxide film stays on it. Until now that meant carbon steel, which takes the film readily and cuts beautifully but rusts just as readily. Here we have managed kuro-uchi in rust-resistant stainless instead — the edge of a Japanese knife, with upkeep a home kitchen can actually live with.

Why a set of three

A santoku on its own will do most things, but everyday cooking keeps coming back to three situations: fine work, general work, and large ingredients or meat.

This set covers all three with knives from the same series, so you can reach for the right one instead of making one knife do everything.

Petty — fruit, vegetable prep and close work. It makes fiddly jobs quicker.

Santoku — the all-rounder for home cooking. When in doubt, this one.

Gyuto 21cm — meat and larger ingredients, where a long pulling cut lets the edge do the work. Blocks of meat and whole cabbages stop being a chore.

For anyone who would rather set the kitchen up properly from the start than build it one knife at a time.

Practical and good to look at, it also makes a fitting gift for a wedding or a new home.

Specifications

  • Type: Petty, Santoku, Gyuto
  • Steel: SUS stainless steel with Tsuchime hammered finish
  • Blade length: 15cm (Petty), 18cm (Santoku), 21cm (Gyuto)
  • Blade grind: Double bevel (right- or left-handed)
  • Handle wood: Hiba (Japanese cypress)
  • Handle finish: Indigo dyed with waterproof coating
  • Made in: Japan (Osaka + Tokushima)

About Indigo Bocho

Indigo dyeing has been part of everyday life in Japan for centuries, valued for the antibacterial and deodorizing qualities long attributed to it. The Indigo Bocho brings that craft to a kitchen knife, so that how a knife performs and how it looks are settled together. Each one joins Sakai bladesmithing, an Osaka tradition, to the indigo dyeing rooted in the history of Tokushima. Putting artisans from different regions and different disciplines on the same object is the whole point: each craft is worth more for standing next to the other. There is a wider aim as well — one product that supports several craft regions at once, and helps keep Japan's traditional skills in working use. We hope you enjoy what the two crafts make together.

[Optional] About Tosa Washi gift wrapping

Gift wrapping in Tosa washi is available as an optional add-on. A natural choice when you are giving the knife as a present.

See the gift wrapping page

[Optional] About the name engraving service

A name or short message can be carved into the blade. Available across the Indigo Bocho lineup.

See the engraving page

About shipping, delivery, and delivery date

Shipping

Shipping is calculated at checkout. See our Shipping policy for details.

About handling methods and precautions

Wood grain and the depth of the indigo differ slightly from piece to piece.

A food-safe waterproof coating keeps the indigo from bleeding out.

The coating can come away if the knife takes a hard knock.

Cutting anything hard or frozen will chip the edge.

Do not hold the blade over a flame.

Please do not put it in the dishwasher.

Wash with a mild detergent, dry it thoroughly, and leave it to air-dry.