Makoto Kurosaki trained as a sharpener and apprenticed under Hiroshi Kato-san, as part of Takefu Knife Village, based in Echizen city, Fukui prefecture, Japan. While Makoto is Yu Kurosaki’s older brother, he has his own shop separate from Yu's, and has sharpened several different lines from knife makers such as Yoshimi Kato and Takumi Ikeda, as well as Yu Kurosaki.
The “Style-K” line knives still have a great grind and geometry to them, they are slightly more robust than Yu's knives on the spine making them slightly less delicate. The R2 (SG2) core steel is one of our favorites at the shop for its great edge retention and surprising ease of sharpening for such a tough stainless. It also has a very fine and consistent grain structure as it is a powdered steel so it will benefit from being taken to a much higher grit stone than a more traditional stainless steel will. The fit and finish on these knives is also of a very high level with a perfectly smooth transition between the handle and ferrule, the joint between the tang and handle, and the rounding and polishing on the spine and choil.
The Takefu Knife Village is a cooperative workshop in the Echizen region of Japan. It is the home to a long list of blacksmiths that we work with and many young and upcoming apprentices learning the trade. The area has a 700 year long history of smithing with roots in agricultural tools turned cutlery powerhouse. is a cooperative workshop in the Echizen region of Japan. It is the home to a long list of blacksmiths that we work with and many young and upcoming apprentices learning the trade. The area has a 700 year long history of smithing with roots in agricultural tools turned cutlery powerhouse.
The Knife
The bunka is to the santoku what the kiritsuke is to the gyuto. With 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. The Bunka is an all purpose shape that is very similar to the ever versatile santoku. With its more aggressive K-tip, or reverse tanto tip, these guys can do everything the santoku can, but excel in finer tip work for things like brunoise shallots and garlic.
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.
CARE INSTRUCTIONS
Follow these care recommendations for your Japanese knives to protect the edge and keep them sharp as long as possible:
Do not put them in the dishwasher or soak them in water, as this may ruin the wooden handle and rust the blade.
Wash with soapy water and wipe dry after each use, especially after handling acidic ingredients, to minimize the risk of rusting.
Don’t cut through anything you wouldn’t bite through, like frozen foods, hard candies, or bones, as this may chip or damage the knife.
Don't torque the blade, as this may chip the knife. Use it in a forward and back, up and down motion without twisting.
Don’t scrape the cutting board with your knife, as this will cause it to dull quickly and ruin your edge.
Use an end grain wooden cutting board or hi-soft rubberized cutting board if you can to protect your edge. Glass, bamboo, and granite are terrible materials for cutting boards, and plastic is only slightly better.
SHIPPING & RETURNS
All products are shipped within 24 hours. We offer same day shipping for products ordered by 12pm. Please allow 4-7 business days for your shipment to arrive with standard shipping. Expedited shipping options are also available at checkout.
We offer free shipping on orders within Canada over $150 CAD and free shipping on orders to the US over $200 USD.
Curbside pick-up is available at both our Hamilton and Etobicoke locations.
To make sure our customers are always satisfied, we offer full refunds on products for 14 days after receiving them. See our full return policy for details.
The Bunka is a mid-sized, all-purpose knife that is compact, nimble, and handles many tasks. It's a touch shorter than the Gyuto and Kiritsuke, making it easier to wield and less intimidating to use. The "reverse tanto" or "K-tip" gives the user more travel for their guide finger toward the tip of the knife, which is super handy for tasks that require precise tip work, like brunoise shallot or garlic. It's great at slicing smaller proteins and flying through any mid-sized vegetable.
STEEL TYPE
R2 (SG2)
R2 and SG2 are technically different steel types, but are so similar we and many other retailers lump them into the same category. They are what’s known as a “quick powdered” stainless tool steel with incredible edge retention and corrosion resistance. Their one drawback is that their hardness can make them difficult to sharpen. It is not a steel we would recommend for those planning to thin and polish the bevels of their knives unless they are equipped with the proper tools (you will need a low grit stone in the #200 grit range).
Chemical Composition:
C 1.25-1.45% | Cr 14.0-16.0% | Mo 2.3-3.3% | V 1.8-2.2%
COMPOSITION
STAINLESS STEEL
LOW MAINTENANCE
Stainless steel Japanese knives are made in a process called “Sanmai” or “Forge welding” where two softer layers of stainless steel are laminated around a harder core layer of stainless steel. All three of these layers are rust resistant and therefore are not susceptible to rust or discoloration. The softer outer layers of steel are used to make the knife more durable and flexible while the harder core layer is used to provide better edge retention to the blade.
THE BLACKSMITH
MAKOTO KUROSAKI
Makoto Kurosaki trained as a sharpener and apprenticed under Hiroshi Kato-san at the Takefu Knife Village in Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture, Japan. Makoto is Yu Kurosaki’s older brother, though he has his own shop and line of knives separate from Yu's. His “Style-K” line knives have a great grind and geometry. They are slightly more robust than Yu's knives on the spine, making them a bit less delicate. The fit and finish is also of high quality with a smooth transition between the handle and ferrule (the joint between the tang and handle) and the rounding and polishing on the spine and choil.
