Okeya-san operates a small blacksmith shop with his son, following on his grandfather’s tradition of making the small Japanese blades called kogatanas (the traditional small multi-purpose utility knives adept at all kinds of cutting and whittling tasks). The Okeya team have expanded their line of blades into kitchen knives like gyutos, santokus, and other styles. The bunka featured here is a good example of this new range of utensils.
Bunka style knives are versatile and easy to use kitchen utensils. Their short length and tanto-style tip makes them really useful at cutting smaller ingredients and prepping intricate morsels and garnishes. The relatively tall blade height offers extra hand clearance and control.
Okeya fashions the blade from White Paper #2 carbon steel. It is a well-liked and highly touted alloy for use in a variety kitchen and sporting knives. It’s a reactive steel so care with cleaning and drying is needed to keep that under control. The Shirogami 2 steel takes a very good edge and holds it through long prep sessions. It is also an easy steel to sharpen. Given the level of fit and finish and the use of good materials this knife is a quite a bargain.
Many people are discovering the virtues of the versatile bunka. The shorter length and taller profile are slightly different from the usual chef knife or gyuto. The Okeya White #2 bunka is a great opportunity to try something new while keeping the bank balance in check!Blacksmith: Okeya
Location: Miki, Japan
Construction: Hammer Forged, San Mai
Edge Steel: White #2 Carbon Steel
Cladding: Stainless Steel
Finish: Hairline/Sand Blast
Edge Length: 185mm
Height: 48mm
Weight: 4.3oz
Handle: Oval
Bunka style knives are versatile and easy to use kitchen utensils. Their short length and tanto-style tip makes them really useful at cutting smaller ingredients and prepping intricate morsels and garnishes. The relatively tall blade height offers extra hand clearance and control.
Okeya fashions the blade from White Paper #2 carbon steel. It is a well-liked and highly touted alloy for use in a variety kitchen and sporting knives. It’s a reactive steel so care with cleaning and drying is needed to keep that under control. The Shirogami 2 steel takes a very good edge and holds it through long prep sessions. It is also an easy steel to sharpen. Given the level of fit and finish and the use of good materials this knife is a quite a bargain.
Many people are discovering the virtues of the versatile bunka. The shorter length and taller profile are slightly different from the usual chef knife or gyuto. The Okeya White #2 bunka is a great opportunity to try something new while keeping the bank balance in check!
Reviews
4 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) Solid bladePosted By: Zack Harmon
2 people found this review helpful
Smoothed edges around the choil. Great balance. Good and versatile profile. Takes 10 minutes to sharpen. Holds an edge fairly well. Gets sharper than any of my german knives in less than a quarter of the time. If you are decent with whetstones and have a decent set this knife is great. Just make sure you touch it up every once in a while and keep a consistent edge and you'll have a great knife that can handle most jobs with little effort. I'm still going to have to get a 210 or 240 gyuto to handle certain prep jobs more efficiently but this is my go to knife. I literally havent used any of my other knives unless I'm cutting rinsed lettuce or something along those lines and it's just because the stainless steel is less of a hassle in that situation. I really dig the reactivity of the edge. Seeing the knife change throughout the day really gives it a sense of personality and I tend to respect the knife more for it and it helps me be more mindful of my technique such so forth. Pretty sweet knife. Its helped make me a better cook and put more love into my work.
2 people found this review helpful
Smoothed edges around the choil. Great balance. Good and versatile profile. Takes 10 minutes to sharpen. Holds an edge fairly well. Gets sharper than any of my german knives in less than a quarter of the time. If you are decent with whetstones and have a decent set this knife is great. Just make sure you touch it up every once in a while and keep a consistent edge and you'll have a great knife that can handle most jobs with little effort. I'm still going to have to get a 210 or 240 gyuto to handle certain prep jobs more efficiently but this is my go to knife. I literally havent used any of my other knives unless I'm cutting rinsed lettuce or something along those lines and it's just because the stainless steel is less of a hassle in that situation. I really dig the reactivity of the edge. Seeing the knife change throughout the day really gives it a sense of personality and I tend to respect the knife more for it and it helps me be more mindful of my technique such so forth. Pretty sweet knife. Its helped make me a better cook and put more love into my work.
Great knifePosted By: Friz
4 people found this review helpful
This is my first bunka knife. Out of the box it's pretty sharp. After using a whetstone it is now razor sharp! It doesn't have the Japanese characters like the one shown in the photo, other than that it cuts very nicely. This is now my main knife in the kitchen.
4 people found this review helpful
This is my first bunka knife. Out of the box it's pretty sharp. After using a whetstone it is now razor sharp! It doesn't have the Japanese characters like the one shown in the photo, other than that it cuts very nicely. This is now my main knife in the kitchen.
This is a great knife!!!
