Masahiro Bunka MC-80 10303 165mm Japanese kitchen knife

Main parameters of the Japanese kitchen knife Masahiro Bunka 10303 165mm:

Country of origin - Japan
Manufacturer - Masahiro Co., Ltd
Manufacturer series - 103XX (MS-80)
Hardness - 60HRC
Blade type - laminate
Blade shape - Bunka
Sharpening - double-sided
Total length - 285mm
Blade length - 165mm
Blade height - 45mm
Blade thickness - 1.8mm
Central layer steel grade - Shirogami2
Cladding steel grade - SUS410L
Handle material - pressed stabilized wood
Weight - 135g.

The company Masahiro Co., Ltd is focused mainly on the middle price segment of knives. However, the exceptionally high quality of Masahiro knives can compete with the premium class. Masahiro is so popular that 90% of all professional knives sold in Japan (chef's knives and those used in the food industry) are produced by this company. Carbon steel knives have significant advantages over stainless steel knives in most respects. However, their main disadvantage is low corrosion resistance. A compromise option is laminated blades, where the central layer is made of carbon and the facings are made of stainless steel. This greatly simplifies knife maintenance and allows you to partially combine the advantages of these competing solutions.
The blade of the Masahiro Bunka 10303 165mm knife is a three-layer laminate with double-sided sharpening. The central layer of the blade is made of popular Japanese carbon steel, which is called white paper or Shirogami (Shiro Kami, Shirogami). This is a traditional steel used for a wide range of different knives, capable of providing the best sharpening. Even more expensive types of carbon steel such as Aogami (Ao Kami or blue paper) cannot provide such sharpness characteristics. Various types of Aogami steel hold an edge better and resist blunting, but are inferior to Shirogami in the sharpness that can be achieved on the blade. The outer layers are made of SUS410L stainless steel, which makes it easier to maintain and prevents damage to the central core. The instability of the central steel layer to corrosion is partially compensated by the fact that it is perfectly polished and sharpened. However, long-term use of the knife will lead to a slight darkening of the area around the cutting edge. This will not damage the knife or worsen its characteristics, but will give a pleasant visual contrast with the outer layers of stainless steel, revealing the joint line - an uneven pattern of which will resemble the hamon line, as on Japanese katanas. Bunka-bocho is a variation of Santoku with a sharp, angled descent of the spine - a kind of intermediate version of the knife between Santoku and Nakiri (a knife for cutting vegetables). Masahiro Bunka 10303 165mm is an exceptionally beautiful and ergonomic Japanese knife. Having a sharper functional angle of the tip and at the same time a large plane of the blade, which can be used as a spatula for moving chopped products, the Masahiro Bunka 10303 165mm knife certainly claims to have the widest functionality and ease of use in the kitchen.