Shigeki Tanaka is the blacksmith responsible for these sweet blades. Shigeki resides and works in Miki, Japan, and we started purchasing knives from his father many years ago. He is known for good heat treatment, nice grinds, and reasonable prices.
Tanaka is a brand that has a broad reach in terms of the knives they offer. They use a wide variety of steels and forging and finishing techniques, as well as building products for many price points. Tanaka is headed by blacksmith Shikegi Tanaka, who, together with a small group of artisans, runs a blacksmith shop in Miki City, one of the centers of knife making in Japan. They use the old techniques to make some of the nicest knives we carry.
The knife is made with VG-10 stainless steel and is wrapped in a soft stainless steel, Damascus cladding using the san-mai method of awase).
This is a super mid-length knife capable of taking on most ingredients while being appropriate for most cutting styles. It has a really comfortable urushi octagonal handle that is beautiful and very water resistant. The Tanaka VG-10 damascus bunka is a great looking and performing knife at a really attractive price.
Blacksmith: Shigeki Tanaka
Location: Miki, Japan
Construction: San Mai, Hammer Forged
Cladding: Stainless Damascus
Edge Steel: VG-10 Stainless Steel
Finish: Damascus
Edge Grind: Even
Handle: Urushi Green Octagonal
Weight: 6.0 ounces
Blade Length: 186 mm
Total Length: 327 mm
Spine Thickness at Base: 2.7 mm
Blade Height: 49.4 mm