Takayuki Shibata works in Fukuyama, Japan and has built a strong following among cooks who care most about cutting feel. His Koutetsu line is known for clean design, excellent heat treatment, precise sharpening, and extremely thin grinds that move through food with very little resistance.
The Shibata Koutetsu R-2 Boss Bunka 225mm is a big, tall, high-performance bunka made for serious prep work. At 225mm long and 59mm tall, it has the board presence of a tall nakiri with the added reach and pointed k-tip of a bunka. It works well for vegetables, herbs, proteins, and detail cuts where a sharper tip is useful.
The SG2, also known as R2, powdered stainless steel core is hammer forged in san mai construction and hardened to approximately 62-63 HRC. The blade has stainless cladding, a kasumi finish, and a thin laser grind that helps reduce wedging through dense produce. The octagonal rosewood handle keeps the knife comfortable, controlled, and well balanced for extended prep sessions.
Care Instructions: SG2 is stainless and low maintenance, but this knife is thin and hard, so it should be used with care. Hand wash and dry immediately. Do not put it in the dishwasher. Use wood or soft rubber cutting boards and avoid bones, frozen foods, hard squash stems, and twisting through dense ingredients. Strop regularly between sharpenings to maintain the edge. We do not currently carry a wooden saya that fits this knife.
The Shibata Koutetsu R-2 Boss Bunka 225mm is a big, tall, high-performance bunka made for serious prep work. At 225mm long and 59mm tall, it has the board presence of a tall nakiri with the added reach and pointed k-tip of a bunka. It works well for vegetables, herbs, proteins, and detail cuts where a sharper tip is useful.
The SG2, also known as R2, powdered stainless steel core is hammer forged in san mai construction and hardened to approximately 62-63 HRC. The blade has stainless cladding, a kasumi finish, and a thin laser grind that helps reduce wedging through dense produce. The octagonal rosewood handle keeps the knife comfortable, controlled, and well balanced for extended prep sessions.
Care Instructions: SG2 is stainless and low maintenance, but this knife is thin and hard, so it should be used with care. Hand wash and dry immediately. Do not put it in the dishwasher. Use wood or soft rubber cutting boards and avoid bones, frozen foods, hard squash stems, and twisting through dense ingredients. Strop regularly between sharpenings to maintain the edge. We do not currently carry a wooden saya that fits this knife.
- Maker: Takayuki Shibata
- Location: Fukuyama, Japan
- Type: Boss Bunka
- Construction: San Mai, Hammer Forged
- Core Steel: SG2, Also Known as R2
- Cladding: Stainless
- Blade Finish: Kasumi
- HRC: 62-63
- Edge Grind: Even Double Bevel
- Bevel: 50/50
- Handle: Octagonal Rosewood
- Weight: 6.2 oz (178 g)
- Blade Length: 225 mm
- Total Length: 380 mm
- Spine Thickness at Heel: 2 mm
- Blade Height at Heel: 59 mm
- Storage Note: We Do Not Currently Carry a Wooden Saya That Fits This Knife
