The Yoshida Bunka SUJ-2 Kuro-uchi 190mm (7.5") is a handmade, versatile mid-sized kitchen knife, perfect for a variety of cutting tasks. Part of the Yoshida Hamono Kuro-uchi series, this knife is crafted from durable SUJ-2 steel (64.7 HRC), which offers exceptional edge retention and features a kuro-uchi finish for a rustic appearance and added durability.

This blade is without a handle, so you can fit your own. Browse our selection of handles and create your own, custom-looking knife! If you would like that we fit the selected handle to the blade for you, select Handle fitting service when adding the blade to the cart. With its minimalist kuro-uchi look it will combine well with both classic and more extravagant handles.

BLADE SHAPE:

Bunka is one of the most versatile and useful blade shapes in the modern kitchen. It has a wide profile for easy food transfer and tends to be fairly flat towards the heel, enabling easy and fast chopping on the cutting board. A pointed tip allows piercing and precise, delicate work. It can be used for cutting meat, fish, and vegetables.

*Only a plastic saya fits this blade. Due to the hand-forged nature and the slightly non-standard size of the blade, the 190mm wooden saya does not fit properly.

STEEL:

The blade is forged in SUJ-2 steel, which offers incredible capacities. Its hardness is 63-64 HRC, meaning it will keep sharp for a long time, and the steel qualities also make the knife very easy to resharpen. The blade requires some extra maintenance because of its high carbon content. After use, rinse it well and dry it.

LAMINATION:

The blade’s core was laminated using the san-mai method to improve its structural integrity and subsequent ability to withstand impacts and prevent chipping. San-mai translates to “three layers” in Japanese, referring to a blade that is composed of a primary, inner layer of harder steel (hagane) and of two secondary, outer layers of softer steel (jigane) that protect the prior.

GEOMETRY:

It has a double bevel (symmetrical) blade and is suitable for both left- and right-handed users. The blade tapers distally, meaning that the blade becomes increasingly thinner from the heel of the blade towards the tip. This gives it more strength and weight at the handle (meaning we can exert more pressure with the heel) and more precision at the tip, allowing for smooth and precise cuts.

BLADE FINISH:

The blade has a dark finish which is the reason this look is also called kuro-uchi - the word “kuro” means black. This look is traditional and robust, with an unprocessed top part of the blade that has already developed a dark protective patina.

HANDLE:

This blade is without a handle, so you can fit your own. Browse our selection of handles and create your own, custom-looking knife! If you would like that we fit the selected handle to the blade for you, select Handle fitting service when adding the blade to the cart.

ABOUT THE BLACKSMITH:

The knife is manufactured at the smithy of Yoshida Hamono in Japan, a family company with an age-long tradition in manufacturing state-of-the-art tools and Japanese swords, i.e., katanas, by hand. Yoshida Hamono has a great deal of experience forging ZDP-189 steel in the traditional manner.