Fukamizu Bunka-bocho Black 165mm Japanese kitchen knife

One of the most famous and revered Japanese knives in the kitchen is Santoku (Santoku-Bocho or Bunka-bocho). Bunka-bocho is a variation of Santoku with a sharp, at an angle, descent of the butt - a kind of intermediate version of the knife between Santoku and Yusuba (knife for cutting vegetables). Bunka-bocho Black from Fukamizu Hamono is an exceptionally beautiful and ergonomic Japanese handmade forged knife. With a sharper point and at the same time a large bare surface that can be used as a spatula to move sliced ​​products, the Bunka-bocho Black knife from Fukamizu Hamono certainly claims the widest functionality and ease of use in the kitchen.

The blade of the Bunka-bocho Black knife is three-layered and, which is important for a Japanese kitchen worker, it has a double-sided sharpening. The central, extremely thin and strong layer, hardened to a hardness of 61-62 HRC, is made of Blue Paper Steel (or in the Japanese version Aogami), which has established itself as one of the best Japanese carbon blade steels. It naturally rusts - the Japanese traditionally do not use chromium steels, since carbon gives a much more aggressive cut and is more resistant to dulling. The outer layers are also made of steel, only softer, which prevents damage to the central core. Prolonged use of the knife will result in a slight darkening of the approach area around the cutting edge. This will not damage the knife or detract from its performance, but it will give a nice visual contrast with the outer layers, showing the seam lines - the uneven pattern of which will resemble the line of the yanangiba, as on Japanese katanas.

A little about the company that produces Bunka-bocho Black knives. Fukamizu Hamono (Kagoshima Prefecture) is one of the largest manufacturers of traditional Japanese knives and cutting tools in the south of Japan (Kyushu). The enterprise originated in 1919, when 20 of the most famous blacksmiths of the island united under the leadership of Koji Fukamizu to educate young blacksmiths, exchange experience, knowledge and skills accumulated over centuries of knife production. Today, Fukamizu Hamono is a state-of-the-art facility, equipped with the latest equipment, producing both beautiful traditional Japanese black-forged knives using time-tested craft techniques, and cutting tools made from the most advanced materials. Every Fukamizu Hamono product, like everything truly Japanese, is an amazing interweaving of innovative technology with a deep traditional Japanese aesthetic in the form of beautifully crafted carbon steel wa-bocho kitchen knives.

Now the most important thing about the Bunka-bocho Black knife manufactured by Fukamizu Hamono is what is called blade action among specialists. The blade structure is called the geometry of the blade in all dimensions, which, as a result, to a greater extent determines for any knife - everything from cutting ability to its cost. This knife has a so-called blade in the system. double wedge. Those. the blade blade gradually becomes thinner both from the heel to the tip and from the butt to the cutting edge, having an isosceles triangle in two planes, in any transverse and longitudinal section. This is a technologically rather difficult configuration of the blade to be implemented in the manufacture, but it is extremely effective in operation. It is not for nothing that they say it is not steel that cuts - it is geometry that cuts. First of all, you should pay attention to the blade system when choosing a knife, at least looking at its butt - a wedge on the butt immediately gives out a high-quality and expensive knife.

About the knife handle. The handle of Japanese knives used in the domestic market of Japan, as a rule, is made, as if deliberately casually. With its nondescript appearance, it should not set off the importance of the blade, since, according to the Japanese, the blade is the most important thing in a knife. The handle of the Bunka-bocho Black Fukamizu knife is made in the traditional style for modern Japanese knives. Oval cross-section of the handle, plastic fitting and mounting on a thermocompound. Walnut wood is chosen as the material for the handle. Unlike most traditional Japanese knives, the handle of the Bunka-bocho Black Fukamizu knife is treated with polymer impregnation, which makes it extremely durable and resistant to external influences (mechanical, chemical, and ultraviolet), i.e. it does not require additional processing.

When operating and caring for the Bunka-bocho Black Fukamizu knife, it must be taken into account that the blade, both the facing part and the solid core, are subject to corrosion. Although most of the golemen is protected by blackening, it still does not completely protect against rust. Therefore, after each use, the Bunka-bocho Black Fukamizu knife must be washed and wiped dry. It is better to store it on an open magnetic suspension. If you do not intend to use the knife for a long time, it is advisable to lubricate the rusting parts of the blade with oil. The Japanese use butt oil for this. You also need to take into account that the central layer of the blade is very thin and hard, and the sharpening angle has a critically small. It is necessary to avoid shock loads on the cutting edge, contact of the knife with something very hard (bones, frozen foods, etc.). Also, due to the fact that the central layer is very thin, with prolonged exposure to an aggressive environment, rust can completely destroy it.