Silver 3 stainless steel is one of the best-kept secrets in Japanese knife making - low maintenance, responsive on the stones, and capable of an edge that rivals reactive carbon steels. Nigara Hamono in Hirosaki has been forging since the early Edo period, when the city was a castle town home to more than a hundred active blacksmiths. That lineage is still present in the way these knives are made, in the traditional Tsugaru techniques that have defined the region for centuries.
This 170mm bunka is constructed san mai - Silver 3 core wrapped in layered Damascus cladding and acid-etched to produce a deeply textured surface that shifts with the light. The grind is where Nigara earns its reputation: the spine starts thick and tapers aggressively through the blade, with additional thinning toward the tip that makes the geometry genuinely exceptional. Blade height sits at 50mm, giving solid knuckle clearance through prep tasks. The ebony octagonal handle is fitted cleanly and balanced well through a pinch grip.
What Customers Are Saying: The single review for this knife comes from a buyer who already owned the Nigara kiritsuke and returned specifically for this bunka. They praise the grind geometry and food release, describe out-of-the-box sharpness comparable to top-tier production knives, and note that the distal taper toward the tip adds both visual drama and real cutting performance. Fit and finish are called out as perfect, with comfortable spine and choil rounding and a handle that seats exactly right at the balance point.
Care Instructions: Silver 3 is a stainless steel and very resistant to rust. Hand wash and dry after use. Avoid the dishwasher. Sharpen on quality water stones - the steel responds extremely well and holds a sharp edge at 62 HRC.
This 170mm bunka is constructed san mai - Silver 3 core wrapped in layered Damascus cladding and acid-etched to produce a deeply textured surface that shifts with the light. The grind is where Nigara earns its reputation: the spine starts thick and tapers aggressively through the blade, with additional thinning toward the tip that makes the geometry genuinely exceptional. Blade height sits at 50mm, giving solid knuckle clearance through prep tasks. The ebony octagonal handle is fitted cleanly and balanced well through a pinch grip.
What Customers Are Saying: The single review for this knife comes from a buyer who already owned the Nigara kiritsuke and returned specifically for this bunka. They praise the grind geometry and food release, describe out-of-the-box sharpness comparable to top-tier production knives, and note that the distal taper toward the tip adds both visual drama and real cutting performance. Fit and finish are called out as perfect, with comfortable spine and choil rounding and a handle that seats exactly right at the balance point.
Care Instructions: Silver 3 is a stainless steel and very resistant to rust. Hand wash and dry after use. Avoid the dishwasher. Sharpen on quality water stones - the steel responds extremely well and holds a sharp edge at 62 HRC.
- Maker: Nigara Hamono
- Location: Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan
- Construction: San Mai
- Cladding: Damascus (Acid-Etched)
- Edge Steel: Silver 3 (Ginsan) Stainless
- HRC: 62+
- Weight: 6.8 oz (194 g)
- Blade Length: 169mm
- Total Length: 311mm
- Spine Thickness at Heel: 4mm
- Blade Height: 50mm
- Handle: Ebony Octagonal
Reviews
1 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) Absolutely stunning workhorsePosted By: Jordan
29 people found this review helpful
I originally picked up the Nigara Silver 3 Kiritsuke and loved it so much I had to get this to compliment it.
This knife is an absolute workhorse. It’s got good weight and a thick spine where it meets the handle but tapers to a shockingly thin tip and edge.
The grind geometry, like with all Nigara’s is superb! Great food release and it glides through ingredients like they’re nothing. The out of the box sharpness was stellar, most comparable to a Kei Kobayashi, seriously sharp.
Fit and finish are also top notch. Super comfortable rounding on the spine and choil, a great fit into the handle with a full seal, and the pattering has a wonderful rustic quality that catches the eye at every angle. The additional tapering towards the tip brings out an additional perspective to the pattern and really highlights the Nigara history, since the day of the samurai. It really has a sword maker motif to it.
Like with the Kiritsuke, I’ve been running this knife hard and it’s held up to everything. I gave it a quick sharpen on an 5000 grit and strop after a full day of production and it cut all the way through a paper towel with absolute ease. I then free handed a grape all the way to the cutting board, ever slice came out paper thin allowing you to see the beautiful patterning on the blade as it glided through with ease. The heat treat on this Nigara line is phenomenal. Silver 3 is a great steel that holds a seriously sharp edge and is resistant to almost all rust. You’d have to really put in an effort to get this thing to rust.
This knife is pretty balanced, I would prefer a little more weight towards the blade, balance point is just behind my pinch grip but it still feels super nimble in the hand. I’ll probably bring in the sides of the handle just a hair to bring the balance point a little further up.
Without question this is one of the nicest line of knives I’ve ever handled. If this is one you’re considering you won’t be disappointed!
29 people found this review helpful
I originally picked up the Nigara Silver 3 Kiritsuke and loved it so much I had to get this to compliment it.
This knife is an absolute workhorse. It’s got good weight and a thick spine where it meets the handle but tapers to a shockingly thin tip and edge.
The grind geometry, like with all Nigara’s is superb! Great food release and it glides through ingredients like they’re nothing. The out of the box sharpness was stellar, most comparable to a Kei Kobayashi, seriously sharp.
Fit and finish are also top notch. Super comfortable rounding on the spine and choil, a great fit into the handle with a full seal, and the pattering has a wonderful rustic quality that catches the eye at every angle. The additional tapering towards the tip brings out an additional perspective to the pattern and really highlights the Nigara history, since the day of the samurai. It really has a sword maker motif to it.
Like with the Kiritsuke, I’ve been running this knife hard and it’s held up to everything. I gave it a quick sharpen on an 5000 grit and strop after a full day of production and it cut all the way through a paper towel with absolute ease. I then free handed a grape all the way to the cutting board, ever slice came out paper thin allowing you to see the beautiful patterning on the blade as it glided through with ease. The heat treat on this Nigara line is phenomenal. Silver 3 is a great steel that holds a seriously sharp edge and is resistant to almost all rust. You’d have to really put in an effort to get this thing to rust.
This knife is pretty balanced, I would prefer a little more weight towards the blade, balance point is just behind my pinch grip but it still feels super nimble in the hand. I’ll probably bring in the sides of the handle just a hair to bring the balance point a little further up.
Without question this is one of the nicest line of knives I’ve ever handled. If this is one you’re considering you won’t be disappointed!
