A bunka blends a flat cutting profile with a sharp kiritsuke style tip, and this 170mm version from the Masakage Kiri line is built for cooks who favor push cutting over rocking. The blade is wrapped in a stainless Damascus cladding with a hazy, layered look, the inspiration for the Kiri name, since kiri means mist in Japanese.
The core steel is VG-10, hardened to roughly 61 to 62 HRC, and the blade is ground thin overall with extra attention just behind the edge. A symmetrical 50/50 edge comes very sharp right out of the box, and the bevel is set off by hand engraved kanji along the spine. The handle is an oval magnolia wood with a red dyed pakka wood ferrule, and the knife is made by Yoshimi Kato at Takefu Knife Village in Echizen.
What Customers Are Saying:Reviewers consistently describe the bunka as razor sharp straight out of the box, with several noting the edge held up well even after light use over weeks or months. More than one buyer pointed to the unfinished handle as something to treat with mineral oil for added water resistance, and the 3mm spine thickness was singled out as a good balance between an easy chopping feel and a blade that still feels sturdy. One customer bought it as a gift and reported it held its edge beautifully a month in.
Care Instructions:Both the core and cladding on this bunka are stainless, so day to day care stays simple. Hand wash and dry the blade after use, keep it out of the dishwasher, and avoid bones or frozen foods. Treating the magnolia handle with a food safe oil from time to time will help it resist moisture, and routine sharpening on quality water stones keeps the edge performing at its best.
The core steel is VG-10, hardened to roughly 61 to 62 HRC, and the blade is ground thin overall with extra attention just behind the edge. A symmetrical 50/50 edge comes very sharp right out of the box, and the bevel is set off by hand engraved kanji along the spine. The handle is an oval magnolia wood with a red dyed pakka wood ferrule, and the knife is made by Yoshimi Kato at Takefu Knife Village in Echizen.
What Customers Are Saying:Reviewers consistently describe the bunka as razor sharp straight out of the box, with several noting the edge held up well even after light use over weeks or months. More than one buyer pointed to the unfinished handle as something to treat with mineral oil for added water resistance, and the 3mm spine thickness was singled out as a good balance between an easy chopping feel and a blade that still feels sturdy. One customer bought it as a gift and reported it held its edge beautifully a month in.
Care Instructions:Both the core and cladding on this bunka are stainless, so day to day care stays simple. Hand wash and dry the blade after use, keep it out of the dishwasher, and avoid bones or frozen foods. Treating the magnolia handle with a food safe oil from time to time will help it resist moisture, and routine sharpening on quality water stones keeps the edge performing at its best.
- Brand: Masakage
- Blacksmith: Yoshimi Kato
- Location: Echizen, Japan
- Workshop: Takefu Knife Village
- Construction: San Mai, Hammer Forged
- Core Steel: VG-10
- Cladding: Stainless Damascus
- HRC: 61-62
- Edge Grind: 50/50
- Handle: Magnolia Wood Oval
- Ferrule: Red Dyed Pakka Wood
- Engraving: Hand Engraved
- Weight: 4.6 oz (132 g)
- Blade Length: 174 mm
- Total Length: 319 mm
- Spine Thickness at Base: 3 mm
- Blade Height: 48 mm
Reviews
5 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) Damn it's beautifulPosted By: Alex Chu - verified customer
5 people found this review helpful
Beautiful work of art. Note the knife handle is unfinished. I rubbed mineral oil on it for some water resistance. Knife came razor sharp, exactly as pictured, but even more beautiful in person. The bunka shape is interesting, and the tip is surprisingly useful. I liked the 3mm thickness at the spine, the perfect thickness between ease of chopping and still being robust. Sometimes even when I'm not cooking, I unsheath the knife just to look at it.
5 people found this review helpful
Beautiful work of art. Note the knife handle is unfinished. I rubbed mineral oil on it for some water resistance. Knife came razor sharp, exactly as pictured, but even more beautiful in person. The bunka shape is interesting, and the tip is surprisingly useful. I liked the 3mm thickness at the spine, the perfect thickness between ease of chopping and still being robust. Sometimes even when I'm not cooking, I unsheath the knife just to look at it.
Light and nimble knife Great gift!!! Posted By: Sarah - verified customer
5 people found this review helpful
My dad always complains that knives always go dull to quickly, so I got him this for Father's Day and he loved it! I have had it for a month now and it's still as sharp as it was when it came out of the box. Really pretty and has a nice weight to it.
5 people found this review helpful
My dad always complains that knives always go dull to quickly, so I got him this for Father's Day and he loved it! I have had it for a month now and it's still as sharp as it was when it came out of the box. Really pretty and has a nice weight to it.
Wonderful knife Posted By: Taan - verified customer
4 people found this review helpful
Firstly, delivery was really quick I'm really impressed. The knife is really good. Really really sharp out of the box and really really really sharp after a quick polish on the whetstone. All in all good service good product love it! Recommend this brand.
4 people found this review helpful
Firstly, delivery was really quick I'm really impressed. The knife is really good. Really really sharp out of the box and really really really sharp after a quick polish on the whetstone. All in all good service good product love it! Recommend this brand.
Masakage kiri bunka 
