This Usuba knife has a one sided edge that makes it very sharp. Great for precision cuts. Bunmei knives are traditional Japanese knives. Bunmei knives are sharpened with a one half to three quarter inch bevel on just one side giving them the ultimate degree of sharpness. The balance of Bunmei knives is also very different from western knives. Bunmei knives are made of a high carbon stainless steel and also contain molybdenum and vanadium giving them excellent edge retention.