Not all blacksmiths dreamt of being a blacksmith. Hokkaido born Kyohei Shindo however, dreamt of being a blacksmith from a young age and accomplished just that by opening up his own shop in Tosa city, in Kōchi prefecture by age 32.
His knives are characterized by having a tapering spine yet incredibly thin cutting edge, and a Tosa lacquered kurouchi finish. For the price, the out of box edge and performance of a knife like this is seldom beat.
Think of a bunka, like a flatter bellied santoku with a k-tip (reverse tanto). Typically available in all the same sizes as a santoku, the main difference comes from the pointed tip which is useful for precision cuts like scouring an onion or garlic and the flatter belly which suits push/pull cutting over rock chopping.
The 240mm Gyuto shape is very versatile, allowing for higher rocking, and a bit extra blade for long slices. What are the benefits of a blade from a top blacksmith? Any questions of which steel or grind is the best fade away to just... wow. His signature heat treat for VG10 brings the steel to its maximum potential, with a balance of toughness, easy care and excellent sharpness. The edge delivers right out of the box, and it is rare I am not tempted to touch them up on the stones even when brand new.
Add in the real deal forged Damascus, and you have an extremely high quality knife by an excellent blacksmith. This is a one time series for us, so when they are gone they are gone!
Blacksmith: Shigeki Tanaka
Construction: San Mai, Hammer Forged
Cladding: Stainless Damascus
Edge Steel: VG10
HRC: 62
Weight: 154g
Blade Length: 245 mm
Overall Length: 385 mm
Spine Thickness at Base: 2.5mm
Blade Height: 55mm
Kyohei Shindo Warikomi Blue #2 Kurouchi 165mm Bunka with Keyaki Wa Handle and Plastic Ferrule
Not all blacksmiths dreamt of being a blacksmith. Hokkaido born Kyohei Shindo however, dreamt of being a blacksmith from a young age and accomplished just that by opening up his own shop in Tosa city, in Kōchi prefecture by age 32.
His knives are characterized by having a tapering spine yet incredibly thin cutting edge, and a Tosa lacquered kurouchi finish. For the price, the out of box edge and performance of a knife like this is seldom beat.
Think of a bunka, like a flatter bellied santoku with a k-tip (reverse tanto). Typically available in all the same sizes as a santoku, the main difference comes from the pointed tip which is useful for precision cuts like scouring an onion or garlic and the flatter belly which suits push/pull cutting over rock chopping.
Construction: San Mai with Stainless Steel Cladding
Finish: Kurouchi
Core Steel: White #2
Spine at Heel 3.1mm
Spine mid 2.5mm
Height 50mm
Blade Length 165mm
Overall length 315mm
Weight 160g
HRC:60 -62
Tokushu Stainless Clad Blue #2 Nashiji 165mm Santoku with Japanese Zelkova and Padauk Octagonal Wa Handle
We are so excited to offer our new line of knives. Stainless clad Blue #2 is an excellent combination of low maintenance knife with a high performance traditional carbon steel. This is a perfect starter knife. A similar knife by Tadafusa was actually one of my first Japanese knives. It is a very easy shape and steel to sharpen, and years ago, I honed my skills on this exact knife. The only difference is the upgraded handcrafted octagonal handle made of Japanese red birch, with a wedge handle.
Blue #2 is one of my favorite steels, and if you are learning to sharpen, this is a great knife for that purpose alone, as well as a very competent cutter.
Cladding is stainless, however so you should dry the edge because the edge is reactive.
These all feature our "Tokushu Knife" Kanji, and high quality handles made by local craftsman in Sanjo, Japan. The handles are some of the best quality I have seen in this style.
A lifetime search to find an astonishingly sharp knife transformed into an obsession to find the best knives in the world, the sharpest knives, and understand how to maintain their performance. Along the journey we have develop relationships with some of the best blacksmiths and knife makers in the world.