Hatsukokoro Hikari SLD Damascus Bunka 170mm with Olive Handle
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Overview
The Hatsukokoro Hikari SLD Damascus Bunka 170mm with mono olivewood handle is a compact, high-performance Japanese kitchen knife built for cooks who want laser-like agility without giving up versatility. This bunka profile is especially useful when you want the flat cutting feel of a santoku but with a more aggressive k-tip for finer tip work, detail cuts, and fast line prep. In practical use, that means it handles vegetables, boneless proteins, herbs, garlic, shallots, and everyday board work with speed and control.
At the core is SLD semi-stainless steel, a favorite for users who want excellent edge retention and a sharper-for-longer feel without the higher reactivity of more traditional carbon steels. The stainless Damascus cladding adds visual depth and a bit more day-to-day ease, while the mono olivewood handle gives this version a warmer, more organic look than the more common ebony-handled variants. For home cooks asking, “Is this a good all-around Japanese knife?” the answer is yes—especially if you want something more nimble than a gyuto and more pointed than a santoku.
The Hikari line is known for thin, performance-focused geometry, and this 170mm bunka fits that idea well. It is long enough to cover most daily prep, yet short enough to feel controlled in smaller kitchens or for users who prefer a more precise knife. Pair it with a soft, knife-friendly board like a Hasegawa Pro Cutting Board to help preserve the edge, and hand wash and dry it after use for the best long-term performance.
Common Questions
Q: What is this knife best used for?
A: This bunka is an excellent daily prep knife for vegetables, boneless meats, herbs, fruit, and general kitchen work. The k-tip gives it a little more precision than a santoku, so it feels especially good for fine cuts, trimming, and detail work.
Q: Is this knife suitable for home cooks?
A: Absolutely. SLD is a smart choice for home cooks because it offers strong edge retention with easier maintenance than many fully reactive carbon steels. If you want a Japanese knife that feels refined and high performing without being overly fussy, this is a very safe choice.
Q: How do I care for a high-end Japanese knife like this?
A: Hand wash only, dry it promptly, and avoid dishwashers, bones, frozen foods, glass, granite, or very hard cutting surfaces. A light touch-up on a leather strop like our Tokushu Knife Premium XL Buffalo Strop can help maintain bite between sharpenings. For longer-term care, professional edge service is available through our knife sharpening service.
Specifications
- Brand: Hatsukokoro
- Line: Hikari
- Knife Type: Bunka
- Core Steel: SLD semi-stainless
- Cladding Type: Stainless Damascus cladding
- Construction: San Mai
- Finish: Damascus
- Blade Length: 177 mm actual edge length (170 mm listed size)
- Overall Length: 317 mm
- Blade Height at Heel: 46 mm
- Spine Thickness (Heel): 2.0 mm
- Weight: 142 g
- Handle Material: Mono olivewood wa handle
- Edge Grind: Even 50/50
Shipping, returns and order protection
US shipping: Free on orders over $99. Orders are normally fulfilled within 2 business days, and UPS Ground transit is typically 1–5 business days after fulfillment. Custom handle installation or sharpening may add 1–2 business days.
Returns: Eligible purchases may be returned within 180 days with a free prepaid return label. Knives sharpened by Tokushu Knife or fitted with a custom handle remain eligible if they are otherwise new, unused, undamaged, and returned in their original packaging with all included components. The same refund terms apply.
Order protection: Every order is insured. If a package is lost or damaged, contact us at Tony@TokushuKnife.com and we will handle the claim.
Outside the US: Supported international orders from TokushuKnife.com typically ship via FedEx Delivered Duty Paid (DDP). Tokushu Knife pays all applicable import duties and taxes on the customer's behalf. Customers are not responsible for paying duties or taxes. Available destinations, shipping charges and delivery estimates are shown at checkout. Customers may also shop at TokushuKnife.eu for regional inventory and options.
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Steel, Construction and Care
Our catalog includes stainless, semi-stainless and carbon steels selected for edge performance and durability. Carbon steels may develop a patina, while stainless steels are designed to resist discoloration. Follow the care guidance on each product page, hand wash only and dry the knife promptly after use.
Gorgeous knife with excellent fit and finish. The Damascus cladding and olivewood handle look and feel great, and the SLD edge is genuinely sharp. It glides through potatoes, softer vegetables, herbs, and proteins beautifully, and the steel takes a keen edge and holds it well.
My one honest issue is wedging in dense round vegetables. Cutting into an onion or a hard carrot, the blade goes in about an inch, then sticks and won't push through without a forceful sawing motion, even with a proper forward push-cut. The very edge is sharp; the problem is that it's ground fairly thick behind the edge, so dense food grips the blade instead of releasing off it. For comparison, a much cheaper knife I own (my $80 yaxell hana) cuts onions with no trouble, which was surprising at this price point.
I've budgeted to have a one-time thinning by a sharpener to slim the area behind the edge, and I'm hoping this will let it cut dense vegetables as well as everything else. Buyers should just know it isn't tuned for that out of the box, so budget for a thinning if you want it to be a true do-everything workhorse. A well-made, sharp blade that needs a small tune to reach its full potential.
I had been using a very inexpensive albeit very good and sharp Thai KIWI knife for years. Being retired and spending more time in the kitchen preparing meals, decided to upgrade to a Japanese Damascus blade. This Kiritsuki Bunka fits my size requirement and needs perfectly and the sharpness makes it easy to use. Combined with my Kiritsuke Petty, they are the perfect pair for general kitchen work.