Yoshimi Kato has taken the reins of the business that his father-in-law, Hiroshi, started and is making some of the best blades coming out of Echizen today. This bunka features a traditional oval wa handle.
Bunkas are general-purpose knives tackling a wide range of common kitchen tasks. Their reverse tanto profile gives the knives a dexterous and delicate tip and a unique and eye-catching aesthetic. These can be used any time a gyuto or santoku might be called for. Since bunkas have fairly flat profiles they are most adept at push cutting and chopping rather than rock chopping.
The Kato VG-10 Damascus wa-bunka is a well-balanced, well-made, and extremely fine-looking piece of kitchen cutlery. Handmade by a genuine master blacksmith, and all at a truly affordable price. Highly recommended.Blacksmith: Yoshimi Kato
Location: Echizen, Japan
Factory: Takefu Village
Edge Steel: VG10
Cladding: Stainless Damascus
Edge: Even 50/50
Weight: 4.1 oz (116 g)
Edge Length: 173 mm
Total Length: 319 mm
Spine Thickness at Base: 1.8 mm
Blade Height: 46.3 mm
Bunkas are general-purpose knives tackling a wide range of common kitchen tasks. Their reverse tanto profile gives the knives a dexterous and delicate tip and a unique and eye-catching aesthetic. These can be used any time a gyuto or santoku might be called for. Since bunkas have fairly flat profiles they are most adept at push cutting and chopping rather than rock chopping.
The Kato VG-10 Damascus wa-bunka is a well-balanced, well-made, and extremely fine-looking piece of kitchen cutlery. Handmade by a genuine master blacksmith, and all at a truly affordable price. Highly recommended.
Reviews
12 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) Beautiful and razor sharpPosted By: Nick - verified customer
2 people found this review helpful
Great craftsmanship on this knife as all Kato knives. The acid etched finish is spectacular, I hope it lasts after use/washing multiple times. Definitely easy to scratch, so I don't recommend hanging on a metal bar. The knife is laser sharp, and the finish does not create too much drag as I anticipated. Definitely one of my favorites now. The kanji looks different than what's pictured here, it's laser-etched for sure. Looks good on the knife.
2 people found this review helpful
Great craftsmanship on this knife as all Kato knives. The acid etched finish is spectacular, I hope it lasts after use/washing multiple times. Definitely easy to scratch, so I don't recommend hanging on a metal bar. The knife is laser sharp, and the finish does not create too much drag as I anticipated. Definitely one of my favorites now. The kanji looks different than what's pictured here, it's laser-etched for sure. Looks good on the knife.
Kato VG10 SuminagashiPosted By: Alec R - verified customer
2 people found this review helpful
Great knife overall! Very nice, subtle, thin convex grind that is very thin behind the edge. Etched finish is beautiful but does present a little drag at first. With a little time however, it does settle down and get smoother as the blade is used and cleaned. Very thin overall with very little taper as its already thin throughout. Great line knife and very good heat treat. I was pleasantly suprised at the good edge retention and feels great on the stones. Good value for the price!
2 people found this review helpful
Great knife overall! Very nice, subtle, thin convex grind that is very thin behind the edge. Etched finish is beautiful but does present a little drag at first. With a little time however, it does settle down and get smoother as the blade is used and cleaned. Very thin overall with very little taper as its already thin throughout. Great line knife and very good heat treat. I was pleasantly suprised at the good edge retention and feels great on the stones. Good value for the price!
Great knife Lovely; light, thin, sharp & comfyPosted By: Richard - verified customer
2 people found this review helpful
It's a dream to use. Out of the box sharpness was very good. I've never had a knife that push cuts like this - it makes everything easy.
It is thin enough to feel some flex occasionally, and there definitely is a bit of blade sticking due to the matte surface of the blade, but neither deter from usability.
2 people found this review helpful
It's a dream to use. Out of the box sharpness was very good. I've never had a knife that push cuts like this - it makes everything easy.
It is thin enough to feel some flex occasionally, and there definitely is a bit of blade sticking due to the matte surface of the blade, but neither deter from usability.
Very pleasantPosted By: Garret - verified customer
2 people found this review helpful
Having used this knife for a bit now I'm extremely happy with the purchase. This is almost always the one I reach for. The size is the sweet spot. The profile is flat with just a tiny rock towards the tip. Push cuts very well and chops decently too. The handle is fine, but nothing to write home about. It doesn't seem to hold an edge quite as long as some of my other knives but on the plus side it's extremely easy to sharpen with the flat profile. The layered finish is really eye-catching. Well worth the price!
2 people found this review helpful
Having used this knife for a bit now I'm extremely happy with the purchase. This is almost always the one I reach for. The size is the sweet spot. The profile is flat with just a tiny rock towards the tip. Push cuts very well and chops decently too. The handle is fine, but nothing to write home about. It doesn't seem to hold an edge quite as long as some of my other knives but on the plus side it's extremely easy to sharpen with the flat profile. The layered finish is really eye-catching. Well worth the price!
Great Bunka Sturdy saya excellent kifePosted By: Dieter Schmidl - verified customer
2 people found this review helpful
Thanks to the recommendation of Kit Craft, I have chosen this absolute beauty. Was 8 of 10 sharp out of the box, but was easy to regrind to absolute hairpopping sharpeness. Exactly what I expected from an upper class Japanese knife, but still not can imagine how they produce a hand forged knife for this low price.Thank you, Dieter
2 people found this review helpful
Thanks to the recommendation of Kit Craft, I have chosen this absolute beauty. Was 8 of 10 sharp out of the box, but was easy to regrind to absolute hairpopping sharpeness. Exactly what I expected from an upper class Japanese knife, but still not can imagine how they produce a hand forged knife for this low price.Thank you, Dieter
Not a professional chef fun knife Very good knife
