Seki Kanetsugu Zuiun Series
Petty 150 mm
Bunka 180 mm
Kiritsuke 210 mm
Sujihiki 240 mm
The petty knife is the Japanese equivalent to a western utility knife, being longer than a paring and much more capable. From small veg cleaning tasks, cleaning silverskin, breaking down small fish and poultry, brunoise garlic and shallots, or just use on a smaller board or prep station during service the petty is a must have in your kit and the second knife we recommend after you main workhorse be that a gyuto, kiritsuke, bunka, or santoku.
The bunka is very similar to the santoku but features a more aggressive tip and flatter profile than most santokus. This bunka will excel at chopping and piercing tasks, and also more detailed tip work. Having that extra length at 180 mm it also walks to line of versatility between the standard sized bunka and the 210mm Gyuto.
The Kiritsuke is very similar to the Gyuto but similarly to the bunka it has a more aggressively shaped tip, making it a bit better at slicing and helps with more intricate tip work. It also looks super cool and this whole set with the matching k-tips is really beautiful, not to mention the amazing damascus pattern on the blades.
Sujihiki translates to flesh slicer, and this knife does just that. the long slender blade allows long clean single stroke slicing for clean results without sawing back and fourth, making sure those juices stay right where they should be, in the meat. While for the homecook this may not be the best knife to start your collection off with since it is pretty task specific, this could be invaluable to a professional working a grill or protein station.
The Blacksmith
Based in the knife making capital of Japan (Seki City, Gifu Prefecture), Seki Kanetsugu was founded in 1918 by Matsujiro Kawamura, descendant of the famous swordsmith Kanetsugu, who worked during Nanboku-cho period. The Zuiun line was made for the 100th anniversary of the company and features an R2(SG2) steel core, with a stainless damascus cladding, and a heptagonal (7-sided) handle made from pakkawood, which I find fantastically comfortable and unique, and especially good for the finger on the spine technique which I like to use for intricate slicing tasks. The blades are quite thin at 1-1.5 mm spines in this line and feature a very mild convex grind, helping a great deal with food release.
Knife Care (Stainless Steel)
- Although this knife is made from stainless steel we do still encourage our customers to keep their knives as dry and clean as possible.
- NO DISHWASHER - the high heat will ruin the wooden handle.
- Wash and dry by hand using regular dish soap and warm water using a none abrasive sponge or cloth.
- Ensure the knife is dry before being put away for storage and ensure the edge of the knife is protected to avoid any unnecessary dulling.
- Avoid Bones, Frozen foods, nuts and hard candies or anything other than fruits, vegetables and proteins.
