Damascus Japanese Bunka - Live Edge Maple Burl Handle

A Bunka is a staple blade in any kitchen. This Japanese blade is roughly akin to a European chef knife, which makes it an excellent general purpose kitchen knife that excels at meat prep, hard or soft vegetables, and chopping herbs. My take on the traditional Bunka includes some features such as a Damascus steel blade and a handle made from Manitoba Maple Burl.

My Bunka features a wide profile with a gently curving edge, forged from 250 layers of premium Damascus Steel for optimal performance. This particular blade has been forged with a ladder pattern, which has a dramatic chatoyance in use. The blade has a very thin grind which allows for superior slicing both on hard and soft ingredients. This steel holds an excellent edge and resharpens with ease, and as it is a carbon Damascus the steel will etch and patina with use, adding blue, gold, and purple hues to the existing Damascus pattern with age and use. 

The handle style of this blade is inspired by a traditional octagonal Wa style handle. I've taken inspiration and slightly adjusted some angles of the handle to make the handle taper down towards the blade to allow for slightly better indexing. 

Besides the comfortable grip, my favourite part of this handle is the wood choice. I've featured some locally sourced Manitoba Maple Burl and infused it under vacuum with a specialty blue stabilizing resin to ensure for a lifetime of durability. Furthermore, for this blade I've left the end of the handle raw, as a live edge. I removed the bark so you can see where the bark attached to the tree and left it natural. The bolster features a green stabilizing resin, while the main grip of the handle has blue stabilizing resin. The different dyes in the resins bring out different features of the Maple Burl, which I really enjoy.  

Note: This is a one of a kind piece, made entirely in Canada - if you place an order, you will receive the exact blade pictured. As this is a carbon Damascus blade, it is recommended to clean the blade immediately after use, and apply mineral oil after use to prevent rust.  

Blade Specifications:

Blade Length: 8" (200mm)

OAL: 14" (350 mm)

Weight:  130 grams

Blade Thickness: 3/32" (2.5mm)

Steel: 250 Layer Damascus Steel 62 HRC

Handle Material: Stabilized Manitoba Maple Burl, Brass accents