Japanese Bunka

A Bunka is a staple blade in any kitchen. This Japanese blade is the Japanese version of a classic chef knife, which makes it an excellent general purpose kitchen knife that excels at meat prep, hard or soft vegetables, and chopping herbs. The end result is a versatile and reliable blade that will elevate every cook's experience.

This blade features 8" of forged AEB-L stainless steel. I've intentionally left the forging marks on the flats of the blade to pay homage to the Kurochi finish - a Japanese style where the forged section of the blade remains raw and unpolished. This style offers enhanced food release, as well as slightly higher rigidity in very thin blade stock. The blade has a very thin grind which allows for superior slicing both on hard and soft ingredients. AEB-L is my choice of blade steel for these blades, which I heat treat in house to a hardness of 62 HRC. This steel holds an excellent edge and performs very similar to a high carbon steel, while offering the corrosion resistance of stainless steel which has made it a favourite of mine. 

The handle style of this blade is designed with a western style in mind, to ensure comfortable grip for cooks more familiar with traditional European style blades. Besides the comfortable grip, my favourite part of this handle is the wood choice. My favourite wood is locally sourced Manitoba Maple Burl, and for these handles I've featured the ends of the burl, where the bark attaches to the tree and filled it in with epoxy. These handles are my favourites to do, as I'm able to feature parts of trees what would otherwise be scrapped, in a really dramatic way. 

The polish of this blade is something I like to call my Tumbled Mirror Finish. I've polished the blade, and then tumbled it with polishing media which creates a matte appearance from some angles, but mirrored from other angles. This finish is difficult to produce but has quickly become my favourite finish due to the unique high gloss appearance, as well as being able to polish the forging marks without removing them, allowing you to see every hammerblow that made this knife. 

Blade Specifications:

Blade Length: 8" (200 mm)

OAL: 12.5" (320 mm)

Weight: 140 grams

Blade Thickness: 1/16" (1.5mm)

Steel: AEB-L Stainless 62 HRC

Handle Material: Stabilized Maple Burl