Sanjo City has a centuries-old tradition in hammer-forged metalwork - a city organized around the craft, where quality and consistency are built into the production culture rather than enforced from outside. The workshop that makes the Kohetsu SLD line for CKTG is undisclosed but top-tier, and the knives reflect that: excellent fit and finish, precise heat treatment, and a stamped lattice pattern on the jigane (outer cladding) that gives the line a visual identity unlike anything else at the price. SLD semi-stainless tool steel at 61-62 HRC. Made exclusively for CKTG.
The bunka at 173mm combines the versatility of a santoku with a reverse tanto tip for fine detail work. At 44mm height and 4mm spine it has good board coverage with enough tip precision for cuts a flat-tipped blade cannot handle. The lattice finish and walnut handle make it one of the best-looking knives in the SLD line. Weight: 4.9 oz (140g). Blade height: 44mm. Spine: 4mm. Even double-bevel grind works equally well for right- and left-handed cooks. Stainless cladding over the SLD core keeps daily maintenance simple. CKTG is the only source for the Kohetsu SLD line.
What Customers Are Saying: Eleven five-star reviews. The standout review comes from a sous chef at a high-end NYC restaurant who bought this during the pandemic lockdown and transitioned it from home to work knife - and never wants to use anything else. A coworker borrowed it dull, called it freshly sharpened, and was told it had not been touched. She describes the edge retention as stunning. Another reviewer calls it the new household favorite - comfortable handle, fine-tipped enough for precision, long enough for chopping tasks. Occasionally shows light rust if not dried properly before storage - as expected for semi-stainless and easy to clean.
Care Instructions: SLD is a semi-stainless tool steel - highly stain resistant under normal kitchen conditions. Hand wash and dry after each use. Avoid the dishwasher. The stainless cladding fully protects the flanks and the SLD core resists discoloration well, but drying after use is still good practice. Sharpen on quality water stones - SLD at 61-62 HRC sharpens easily and responds well to stropping. Use wood or rubber cutting boards. Avoid bones and frozen foods.
The bunka at 173mm combines the versatility of a santoku with a reverse tanto tip for fine detail work. At 44mm height and 4mm spine it has good board coverage with enough tip precision for cuts a flat-tipped blade cannot handle. The lattice finish and walnut handle make it one of the best-looking knives in the SLD line. Weight: 4.9 oz (140g). Blade height: 44mm. Spine: 4mm. Even double-bevel grind works equally well for right- and left-handed cooks. Stainless cladding over the SLD core keeps daily maintenance simple. CKTG is the only source for the Kohetsu SLD line.
What Customers Are Saying: Eleven five-star reviews. The standout review comes from a sous chef at a high-end NYC restaurant who bought this during the pandemic lockdown and transitioned it from home to work knife - and never wants to use anything else. A coworker borrowed it dull, called it freshly sharpened, and was told it had not been touched. She describes the edge retention as stunning. Another reviewer calls it the new household favorite - comfortable handle, fine-tipped enough for precision, long enough for chopping tasks. Occasionally shows light rust if not dried properly before storage - as expected for semi-stainless and easy to clean.
Care Instructions: SLD is a semi-stainless tool steel - highly stain resistant under normal kitchen conditions. Hand wash and dry after each use. Avoid the dishwasher. The stainless cladding fully protects the flanks and the SLD core resists discoloration well, but drying after use is still good practice. Sharpen on quality water stones - SLD at 61-62 HRC sharpens easily and responds well to stropping. Use wood or rubber cutting boards. Avoid bones and frozen foods.
- Brand: Kohetsu
- Exclusive: CKTG Exclusive - Available Only at CKTG
- Location: Sanjo City, Japan
- Construction: San Mai
- Edge Steel: SLD Semi-Stainless Tool Steel
- Cladding: Stainless
- HRC: 61-62
- Finish: Stamped Lattice with Polish
- Edge Grind: Even Double Bevel
- Handle: Walnut Octagonal
- Ferrule: Black Pakka Wood
- Weight: 4.9 oz (140g)
- Blade Length: 173mm
- Total Length: 314mm
- Spine Thickness at Heel: 4mm
- Blade Height: 44mm
Reviews
11 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) Awesome knife, new favorite in the kitchenPosted By: Zach
38 people found this review helpful
Just a home cook not a professional, but this is my wife and my new favorite do everything knife in the kitchen. The handle is comfortable, it keeps a nice edge even after a lot of use, and its tip is delicate enough for fine tasks but it's also long enough for large chopping tasks too. Love it, thanks for the recommendation Mark!
38 people found this review helpful
Just a home cook not a professional, but this is my wife and my new favorite do everything knife in the kitchen. The handle is comfortable, it keeps a nice edge even after a lot of use, and its tip is delicate enough for fine tasks but it's also long enough for large chopping tasks too. Love it, thanks for the recommendation Mark!
Excellent knifePosted By: Amanda
44 people found this review helpful
Bought this knife in 2020 as a gift to myself when my restaurant closed and I was stuck at home in quarantine for months. I prefer smaller blades so the length for me is perfect. Transitioned it from a home knife to a work knife (as a sous chef at a high end NYC restaurant) and never want to use anything else. Retains an edge forever - ex: I told my coworker I needed to sharpen my knife over my weekend, brought it home, didn’t do it, brought it back to work still wrapped in the same towel and plastic, coworker used it and said, “Oh shit! You sharpened it!” To which I replied I absolutely didn’t and he said, “daaamn this is what it’s like dull?!” Absolutely love this knife. Length, weight, and balance are perfect for me, low maintenance, looks sexy. Great for normal use and more precise knife cuts. Love it for supremes. About to get the gyuto to compare. Occasionally gets light rust if not dried properly before putting away, but that’s to be expected and is easy to clean. Highly recommend.
44 people found this review helpful
Bought this knife in 2020 as a gift to myself when my restaurant closed and I was stuck at home in quarantine for months. I prefer smaller blades so the length for me is perfect. Transitioned it from a home knife to a work knife (as a sous chef at a high end NYC restaurant) and never want to use anything else. Retains an edge forever - ex: I told my coworker I needed to sharpen my knife over my weekend, brought it home, didn’t do it, brought it back to work still wrapped in the same towel and plastic, coworker used it and said, “Oh shit! You sharpened it!” To which I replied I absolutely didn’t and he said, “daaamn this is what it’s like dull?!” Absolutely love this knife. Length, weight, and balance are perfect for me, low maintenance, looks sexy. Great for normal use and more precise knife cuts. Love it for supremes. About to get the gyuto to compare. Occasionally gets light rust if not dried properly before putting away, but that’s to be expected and is easy to clean. Highly recommend.
Kohetsu SLD Bunka A knife I now regularly reach forPosted By: AQ - verified customer
13 people found this review helpful
This bunka is nice and thin behind the edge, and I have no complaints about fit and finish. Amazing in-hand feel due to the weight and balance, but not at all heavy when in use. Mine has a much less pronounced hammering pattern, so food release on mine isn't remarkable, but the overall performance goes well above what I expected for the price point! Also, mine has a much flatter profile than the one in the product video, which I personally like. Like others have said, it feels confident on the board, and the tip gets extremely thin so it has a wonderful balance between workhorse and precision tool which makes it a great all-rounder and a perfect companion for any gyuto.
13 people found this review helpful
This bunka is nice and thin behind the edge, and I have no complaints about fit and finish. Amazing in-hand feel due to the weight and balance, but not at all heavy when in use. Mine has a much less pronounced hammering pattern, so food release on mine isn't remarkable, but the overall performance goes well above what I expected for the price point! Also, mine has a much flatter profile than the one in the product video, which I personally like. Like others have said, it feels confident on the board, and the tip gets extremely thin so it has a wonderful balance between workhorse and precision tool which makes it a great all-rounder and a perfect companion for any gyuto.
Perfect for Prep...Posted By: Wim - verified customer
13 people found this review helpful
Great little knife for prepping nearly everything. Light, nimble, feels like an extension of my hand. Holds a razor sharp edge with just regular stropping. Doesn't have quite the food release of a Glestain, but darn close. Put a tiny amount of filler around neck where it enters collar, but otherwise perfect out of the box. Would recommend without hesitation.
13 people found this review helpful
Great little knife for prepping nearly everything. Light, nimble, feels like an extension of my hand. Holds a razor sharp edge with just regular stropping. Doesn't have quite the food release of a Glestain, but darn close. Put a tiny amount of filler around neck where it enters collar, but otherwise perfect out of the box. Would recommend without hesitation.
If I could only have one knife this would be the one!Posted By: Stewart Emery - verified customer
7 people found this review helpful
I am delighted with this knife - it is lovely to look at, light and maneuverable and the blade geometry is just right. The pointed tip is especially useful. Takes and holds a very sharp edge. Terrific company to do business with. Wish I'd discover CNTG sooner than I did.
7 people found this review helpful
I am delighted with this knife - it is lovely to look at, light and maneuverable and the blade geometry is just right. The pointed tip is especially useful. Takes and holds a very sharp edge. Terrific company to do business with. Wish I'd discover CNTG sooner than I did.
Functional ArtistryPosted By: Noah Harrison - verified customer
11 people found this review helpful
Let's cut to the good stuff. This knife takes an insane edge, I've sharpened mine down to a zero degree edge and holy crap, it gets wicked! The edge retention is really impressive, the food release could be better for a Stainless Steel knife but it's nothing worth giving this knife a bad review over. The handle fit is wonderful and almost everyone in my kitchen adores this little knife. My bunka doesn't have a step between ferrule and handle so even that is a joy in the hand. As for height, well no complaints there either even from my coworkers with big hands. I will say this knife certainly prefers push cutting over drawing, but it does still rock without complaints. I highly recommend this knife as a line knife or a go to knife for heavy prep days. Seriously, just do yourself a favor and buy one, if you like a knife with a little bit of weight and versatility to the enth then this is the knife for you. Thank you again for another outstanding purchase CKTG!!!
11 people found this review helpful
Let's cut to the good stuff. This knife takes an insane edge, I've sharpened mine down to a zero degree edge and holy crap, it gets wicked! The edge retention is really impressive, the food release could be better for a Stainless Steel knife but it's nothing worth giving this knife a bad review over. The handle fit is wonderful and almost everyone in my kitchen adores this little knife. My bunka doesn't have a step between ferrule and handle so even that is a joy in the hand. As for height, well no complaints there either even from my coworkers with big hands. I will say this knife certainly prefers push cutting over drawing, but it does still rock without complaints. I highly recommend this knife as a line knife or a go to knife for heavy prep days. Seriously, just do yourself a favor and buy one, if you like a knife with a little bit of weight and versatility to the enth then this is the knife for you. Thank you again for another outstanding purchase CKTG!!!
My Top Pick for a Workhorse BunkaPosted By: Steve Recommends - verified customer
9 people found this review helpful
This workhorse Bunka has superb food release characteristics. The trade-off is a bit of wedging on some harder products, but I LOVE the confident feel of this Bunka and watching veggies just fall away from the blade is awesome. The core steel sharpens up easily and it holds a nice edge. If youre a pure chopper, the edge profile might be a bit too curvaceous, but the SLD works well for other techniques by using the profile to your advantage. This knife also gets top marks for value and fit & finish, with nice grinds and a cool aesthetic.
9 people found this review helpful
This workhorse Bunka has superb food release characteristics. The trade-off is a bit of wedging on some harder products, but I LOVE the confident feel of this Bunka and watching veggies just fall away from the blade is awesome. The core steel sharpens up easily and it holds a nice edge. If youre a pure chopper, the edge profile might be a bit too curvaceous, but the SLD works well for other techniques by using the profile to your advantage. This knife also gets top marks for value and fit & finish, with nice grinds and a cool aesthetic.
Make this your go-to knifePosted By: David - verified customer
9 people found this review helpful
If there is to be but one knife in your kitchen...this should be it.Fir and finish? ExcellentSharpness? Oh, yeahWeight and balance? Like an extension of your fingersOverall esthetics? Crazy good lookingI have a Nakiri, a Gyuoto and a Deba and they weren't cheap. The Kohetsu SLP Bunka 170mm is the most versatile of them all...sort of like combining their best features.
9 people found this review helpful
If there is to be but one knife in your kitchen...this should be it.Fir and finish? ExcellentSharpness? Oh, yeahWeight and balance? Like an extension of your fingersOverall esthetics? Crazy good lookingI have a Nakiri, a Gyuoto and a Deba and they weren't cheap. The Kohetsu SLP Bunka 170mm is the most versatile of them all...sort of like combining their best features.
Totally satisfied...Posted By: Amritraj Matthew - verified customer
10 people found this review helpful
totally worth the money, I could slice a sheet of paper straight vertically. Please use only for veg and fruits, I say that because I did a mistake of cutting a seared rack of lamb, sliced though a lil bone which chipped the blade a tiny bit. After freaking out a little bit and a some strokes on a stone the blade looked like nothing ever happened. A must buy for chefs. If you're bored of usual mac gyotos and shun santokus, go for this Bunka.
10 people found this review helpful
totally worth the money, I could slice a sheet of paper straight vertically. Please use only for veg and fruits, I say that because I did a mistake of cutting a seared rack of lamb, sliced though a lil bone which chipped the blade a tiny bit. After freaking out a little bit and a some strokes on a stone the blade looked like nothing ever happened. A must buy for chefs. If you're bored of usual mac gyotos and shun santokus, go for this Bunka.
Awesome Line Knife Posted By: Alec R - verified customer
10 people found this review helpful
Very stiff, confident feeling knife. It is very thick coming out of the ferrule but don't let that fool you... this knife is very thin behind the edge, a laser like performer, and super sharp OOTB. The large blade road is ground very thin so the knife performs very smooth and the lattice work on the blade face aids in food release. Glides through soft ingredients and no wedging through harder ingredients like carrots and cabbage. The SLD core and the softer outer core are very stain and corrosion resistant so it makes a great line knife. I've been using it for prep and line service for a month and only had to do some minor honing. The core steel is very hard and the weight is well balanced. This is a great knife in a professional environment.
10 people found this review helpful
Very stiff, confident feeling knife. It is very thick coming out of the ferrule but don't let that fool you... this knife is very thin behind the edge, a laser like performer, and super sharp OOTB. The large blade road is ground very thin so the knife performs very smooth and the lattice work on the blade face aids in food release. Glides through soft ingredients and no wedging through harder ingredients like carrots and cabbage. The SLD core and the softer outer core are very stain and corrosion resistant so it makes a great line knife. I've been using it for prep and line service for a month and only had to do some minor honing. The core steel is very hard and the weight is well balanced. This is a great knife in a professional environment.
