Bunka Knife // Black

The Bunka Knife is the cream of the crop when it comes to kitchen knives, combining the best steel, a multi-purpose profile, excellent functionality, and an attractive look. Paying special attention to aesthetics inspired by Japanese mysticism and crafted with a respectful attitude toward tradition, nature, and raw materials, the Bunka Knife Embodies the core values of Japanese culture. Its superior qualities will excel in a professional environment with a large volume of cutting work, as well as for daily usage in your home kitchen.

The blade is versatile, with a flexible profile that is wide enough at the handle, a gently designed belly of the blade suitable for making either long or short cuts, a flat back side of the blade, and a thin tip for precise work with food.

The knife is manufactured at the smithery of Yoshida Hamono in Japan, a family company with an age-long tradition in manufacturing state-of-the-art tools and Japanese katanas by hand. Yoshida Hamono has a great deal of experience forging ZDP-189 steel in the traditional manner.

The heart of the knife is made of ZDP-189 steel, which we selected because systematic testing has proven its superior qualities and long-lasting sharpness. The steel is laminated, meaning that the core is made of very strong steel covered with an external layer of softer stainless steel - also known as san-mai clad. The softer external layer protects the core steel from external factors.

With a Kuro-uchi finish, the unprocessed (black) part on the top side of the blade has already developed a dark patina that protects the blade and gives it a traditional Japanese look. The knife bears visible impressions of the hand-forging process (round hammer dents on the blade), which gives it a beautiful finish and also prevents food from sticking to the blade.

Bunka Black was fitted a traditional Japanese wooden handle, called Wa handle. The wooden handle is made of walnut wood with an octagonal shape, so it will fit equally well into the hands of right- or left-handed users.

The steel contains as much as 3% Carbon (C), which is one of the main elements contributing strength and typically found in amounts of up to only 1% in other types of solid steel, while the Chromium (Cr) content, which prevents corrosion, amounts to nearly 20%. It also features 1.5% Tungsten (W), which considerably increases the abrasion resistance of steel, 1.3% Molybdenum (Mo), which helps to preserve the strength and power of steel under variable temperatures, and 0.10% Vanadium (V), the key element in increasing steel strength. Heat treatment produces steel with a hardness of 65-67 HRC.