Blue #2 carbon steel, also called Aogami #2, is a long trusted choice in Japanese cutlery for its sharpness and edge retention, and this 165mm bunka from Kousuke Muneishi puts it to work in a compact, versatile shape. The blade is thin with a nice profile, slicing and dicing with ease while the angled tip handles detail work.
The core is laminated with stainless steel through the san mai method, finished with a nashiji, or pear skin, texture from sand blasting the blade face. The handle is an octagonal oak with an urushi finish. Kousuke is a third generation blacksmith from Tosa, Japan, whose family business started in 1955 making farming and forestry tools before his father specialized in Aogami #2 cutting tools, and Kousuke himself has now branched into kitchen cutlery under the Yusaku name, meaning roughly the work of Kousuke.
Care Instructions:Blue #2 is a reactive carbon steel, so wipe and dry the blade immediately after each use rather than letting it sit. Avoid leaving acidic foods against the blade for long stretches, and apply a light coat of camellia oil for longer term storage. Hand wash only, and sharpen on quality water stones when the edge needs attention.
The core is laminated with stainless steel through the san mai method, finished with a nashiji, or pear skin, texture from sand blasting the blade face. The handle is an octagonal oak with an urushi finish. Kousuke is a third generation blacksmith from Tosa, Japan, whose family business started in 1955 making farming and forestry tools before his father specialized in Aogami #2 cutting tools, and Kousuke himself has now branched into kitchen cutlery under the Yusaku name, meaning roughly the work of Kousuke.
Care Instructions:Blue #2 is a reactive carbon steel, so wipe and dry the blade immediately after each use rather than letting it sit. Avoid leaving acidic foods against the blade for long stretches, and apply a light coat of camellia oil for longer term storage. Hand wash only, and sharpen on quality water stones when the edge needs attention.
- Brand: Yusaku
- Blacksmith: Kousuke Muneishi
- Location: Tosa, Japan
- Construction: Hammer Forged, San Mai
- Edge Steel: Blue #2 (Aogami #2)
- Cladding: Stainless Steel
- Finish: Nashiji
- Edge Grind: Even
- Handle: Oak Urushi Octagonal
- Weight: 5.5 oz (156 g)
- Blade Length: 170 mm
- Total Length: 322 mm
- Spine Thickness at Heel: 3.3 mm
- Blade Height at Heel: 44 mm
