The 180mm Hairline bunka is the larger and more visually distinctive sibling to the standard 170mm HAP40 bunka from Katsuto Tanaka of Tanaka Kama Kogyo in Omura City, Nagasaki Prefecture. Where the 170mm carries a polished migaki (polished) finish and a rosewood western handle, this version steps up with a hairline-finished stainless cladding - a fine linear texture that sits between the full polish of migaki and the more rustic nashiji (pear skin) - and a walnut octagonal wa handle. The result is a knife that has both more blade size and more visual character than the standard model.
The extra 17mm in blade length and the additional height - 54mm versus 46.5mm - give this bunka more board presence, better knuckle clearance, and more authority through denser vegetables and larger prep tasks. The flat heel-to-gentle-belly profile handles push-cutting cleanly, and the sword tip remains precise for detail work. The HAP40 core runs at 65-66 HRC in san mai construction - the same Voodoo Steel edge retention that defines the rest of the Matsubara HAP40 line - with the hairline stainless cladding keeping maintenance low. The walnut octagonal handle is a lighter, more elegant choice than a western handle at this blade size. At 4.9 oz this is a knife with real presence in the hand.
Care Instructions: HAP40 is semi-stainless - hand wash and dry after use. Avoid the dishwasher. Use wood or rubber boards; keep the edge away from bones and frozen foods at this hardness. Sharpen on quality water stones and strop regularly to maintain the edge between sessions.
The extra 17mm in blade length and the additional height - 54mm versus 46.5mm - give this bunka more board presence, better knuckle clearance, and more authority through denser vegetables and larger prep tasks. The flat heel-to-gentle-belly profile handles push-cutting cleanly, and the sword tip remains precise for detail work. The HAP40 core runs at 65-66 HRC in san mai construction - the same Voodoo Steel edge retention that defines the rest of the Matsubara HAP40 line - with the hairline stainless cladding keeping maintenance low. The walnut octagonal handle is a lighter, more elegant choice than a western handle at this blade size. At 4.9 oz this is a knife with real presence in the hand.
Care Instructions: HAP40 is semi-stainless - hand wash and dry after use. Avoid the dishwasher. Use wood or rubber boards; keep the edge away from bones and frozen foods at this hardness. Sharpen on quality water stones and strop regularly to maintain the edge between sessions.
- Brand: Matsubara
- Blacksmith: Katsuto Tanaka, Tanaka Kama Kogyo
- Location: Omura City, Nagasaki, Japan
- Construction: San Mai
- Steel: HAP40 Semi-Stainless
- Cladding: Stainless Hairline
- HRC: 65-66
- Edge Grind: Even 50/50
- Handle: Walnut Octagonal
- Weight: 4.9 oz (140 g)
- Blade Length: 188mm
- Spine Thickness at Heel: 2.3mm
- Blade Height: 54mm
