• Masakage Koishi AS Bunka 170mm from Masakage
  • Masakage Koishi AS Bunka 170mm from Masakage
  • Masakage Koishi AS Bunka 170mm from Masakage
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Masakage Koishi AS Bunka 170mm

Masakage Koishi AS Bunka 170mm

£241.00 GBP
£241.00 GBP
Sale Sold out

£10 Shipping on orders over £150 to the UK.

TLDR ⓘ - Too long; didn't read - A quick summary that cuts to the chase.
If you want it all—this knife is for you. Looks, romance, and performance come together in any Koishi. Perfect for a high level chef, not afraid to keep their knife clean and dry!

About Masakage Koishi -  These blades are thin and lightweight but substantial enough to fly through vegetables with ease. I love how most of the weight is focused on the business end of the knife, which is made from some truly remarkable steel. Kato-san forged this knife from Aogami Super, which gets shockingly sharp and keeps an edge for longer than most. The undisputed king of knife steel in my opinion.

The ‘tsuchime’ (meaning ‘hammered’) and ‘kurouchi’ (meaning ‘black hammered’) finish gives the impression of river pebbles, inspiring the name Koishi (meaning ‘small rocks’). A true culinary badass, like Jason Momoa in kitchen knife form.

Yoshimi Kato is the son-in-law and successor of Hiroshi Kato, one of the founders of Takefu Knife Village. The transition from apprentice to master blacksmith and company head has been seamless for Yoshimi-san. He tells me that he strives to continuously improve his skill day-by-day, and I look forward to working with the next generation of Kato for decades to come! 

Yoshimi-san is a quiet man, calmly pushing forward at a steady pace and speaking more through his knives than his words. And boy, do they speak! Yoshimi-san’s knives are among the most gorgeous, laser-like blades I’ve ever handled.

About the Shape - The Bunka looks like a bonafide badass. It is a multi purpose knife akin to the Santoku. “Bunka” translates to “culture.” A cross between the Nakiri and Gyuto, Bunkas can do it all. It’s the best of both worlds with the volume cranked to 11.

 

 

Shape Bunka
Also know as? You could also call it a depending on what part of Japan you are in.
Maintenance Level Medium - Part of the blade can rust
Rust Prone ⓘ This knife can rust, click to learn more.
Blade Length 170 mm |
Blade Height 47.6 mm
Thickness 2.8 mm
Weight 133 g
Steel Type Aogami Super (Blue Carbon Steel) with Stainless Steel Cladding
Rockwell Hardness 63 - 64
Edge/Bevel Double (50/50)
Handle Wa (Japanese) Handle - Octagon Cherrywood Black Pakkawood Collar
Knife Line Masakage Koishi AS
Blacksmith Yoshimi Kato
Made in Echizen, Fukui, Japan
Brand Masakage

A note about measurements: Handmade Japanese knives can vary in their dimensions, so these measurements are only an example.


Carbon steel gets crazy sharp and holds an edge very well, but can rust. Stainless steel has the benefit of being less prone to rust but isn’t quite as sharp. Luckily, Japan has the solution. They make lots of kitchen knives by sandwiching 3 layers of steel together. In the case of kitchen knives the softer, outside layer is stainless and the hard core is carbon steel. The best of both worlds, super sharp — with low hassle. These are some of the most popular knives we sell. The exposed core steel can rust, and you have to wipe it dry to keep that from happening, but this is only a small part of the knife. Over time, the edge will oxidize from from shiny to a dull grey, this oxide layer slows down rust.

USE  

• Only cut food you can bite through with this knife. Hard foods can chip the blade. No olive pits, bones,  lobster shells, woody stems or parmesan rinds. Cutting frozen food is especially bad  because the cold will make hard steel even more brittle. If you wouldn’t chew it with  your own teeth, don’t cut it.  

• Your cutting surface is the biggest culprit of dulling your knife. Use wood. End  grain wood is especially good. Plastic can be fine too, but certainly not glass,  granite or bamboo. 

• The edge of your knife works best sliding forwards or backwards. Scraping the  knife edge sideways will dull or damage the edge. Instead, use the spine of the knife to move foods across the cutting board. Do not twist the edge or pry with the edge, this is the worst screwdriver you ever bought and these motions will certainly  damage the edge. Listen to the knife! If you can hear the edge making a “tink”  sound on the cutting board, change what you are doing.  

CLEANING  

• After use, wash the knife by hand with regular dish soap, rinse with hot water  and dry by hand immediately. Dishwashers are very bad for knives.  

• Wood handles may dry out over time and exposure to water. Simply treat them  with some food safe mineral oil or beeswax.  

• If you see orange rust, remove it. The scrubby side of a sponge can do the trick.  If it’s still not coming off try baking soda and water mixed into a paste or a product  called Barkeeper’s Friend.  

STORING  

• Protect the edge; for your safety and to avoid edge damage. A simple blade cover  will do the trick if you keep knives in a drawer or travel case. 

• A convenient wall magnet made with wood is a great way to show off your knives.  Be sure to put it back spine first, then roll it onto the blade face. This will keep the  edge from contacting the wood first.  

• The good-ol’ counter top block can keep knives at the ready and protected. So can  drawer inserts. Whatever the method, keep the edge from touching anything else. 

Shipping and Returns

We aim to ship your order within 1 business day at Knifewear, if there is a hold up, we'll aim to let you know and give you a timeline.

We offer $3 shipping on orders over $100* anywhere in Canada and $200* to customers in the USA. We ship worldwide, and offer up to the minute rates from our shipping partner DHL.

*Konro Grills and some other larger items are excluded from the free shipping offer.

How do I make a return on an online order?
No worries, we've got you sorted. Head over to https://knifewear.mom/returns and follow the prompts. 

Can I pick up my order Curbside / At the store?
Absolutely, as long as all the items you are looking for are in stock at the location you want to pickup from, you'll be able to select that at the checkout. If one or more items aren't at your preferred location we are happy to ship it to you. 

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Overall rating: 4.972603 / 5 from 146 reviews.

AI Generated Review Summary

The Masakage Koishi AS Bunka 170mm knife is celebrated for its wicked sharp tip, perfect size for vegetable cutting, and superb handle craftsmanship. Customers rave about its incredible sharpness, outstanding fit and finish, and the fantastic edge that remains silky smooth. The excellent customer service and knowledgeable staff at Knifewear further enhance the overall experience.

Summary topics

  • Cutting Tip: 7%
  • Blade Size: 7%
  • Handle Craftsmanship: 7%
  • Customer Service: 7%
  • Fit and Finish: 10%

Review topics: [size, weight, fit, handle, quality, light, shipping, edge, looks, finish, design, gift, craftsmanship, value, shape, feels, staff, performance, maintenance, service, balance, pleasure, works, knife, blade, tip, bunka, knifewear, patina, tasks].

Review highlights

  • "I couldn't be happier with this little blade, great nimble size with a wicked edge." — Jason K.
  • "The cutting edge quickly developed a beautiful deep bluish patina." — Cory W.
  • "The fit and finish are fantastic and the level of sharpness out of the box is unparalleled." — Brian

Reviews

Medium laser

"Beautiful light and nimble. Cuts like a laser. I don’t want to put it down. Easy on the eyes too!"

— Alex B. (5/5)

Beautiful knife

"Beautiful knife that I only kept on display. Havnt use it yet, feels light."

— Brian N. (5/5)

One of the best knives

"One of the best knives I’ve ever owned"

— Anselmo M. (5/5)

Insanely SHARP!

"Bought this to take the next step in trying out a higher quality knife. No BS, this knife didn’t disappoint AT ALL. Straight out of the box I could see and feel the craftsmanship! Using it to finely mince shallots was shocking how effortless it was to cut through them. Still getting use to the shape and wiping off care but will soon be my go to knife. Definitely going to purchase some others from the same line!"

— Fernando A. (5/5)

More and more

"OK, my second Japanese carbon knife; more in love and so on. A thing of beauty, which I will explore the uses and techniques associated with Bunka, as I have with my Gyoto. Good time 'acomin' for sure!"

— Kenneth F. (5/5)

Highly recommend!

"My delivery was timely and well packaged. The knife is of course very high quality, as to be expected from Masakage. It came RAZER sharp and unblemished. Highly recommend."

— jeffy m. (5/5)

Well balanced and sharp

"Excellent craftsmanship. Handle is sized and shaped for a good grip. Glides through with minimal effort. Cool design on blade."

— Patrick D. (5/5)

Fantastic kitchen tool!

"I recently took advantage of the trade-up sale and picked up this Masakage Koishi Bunka - wow! I really love it, and the dark hammer tone finish is great to look at too. Holds an edge like no body’s business and has made cutting through veggies a super easy task. Highly recommend."

— Anthony J. (5/5)

Sharpest thing I’ve ever owned

"This knife is incredible! Super light weight handle, insanely sharp blade. I only want to cook food that requires lots of knife prep work now!"

— Nate F. (5/5)

Strong Performer

"Excellent knife for all around prep work for your favorite meal. Very sharp out of the box, just tuned it up a bit on a strop and went to work. This knife glides through vegetables, a real pleasure to use. I live in Florida and the shipping time from Canada was only two days! Remarkable! Great service Knifewear, I applaud you…"

— Jack R. (5/5)

Q&A

Do you have plans to restock this soon?
Hey there Erin! That's a great question. The Masakage Koishi is a line that we carry regularly and this will come back into stock. We typically get a shipment every month or 2. The best way to be notified of when a knife is back in stock is to choose the "notify me when available" function on our website on the product page. They are very popular and go fast so keep an eye out for that email!
Is this knife ever stocked in a longer length?
Hey there, sadly not at this time! Is it the shape you like? As maybe a Kiritsuke is more what you are looking for? You can find some of the ones we carry here: https://knifewear.mom/collections/kiritsuke - Ellie
I also asked this question about the respective santoku from this line of knives: Is the posted blade height of 41mm correct?
Hey there, your correct here as well it is closer to 47mm tall! - Ellie
Dose the MASAKAGE KOISHI AS BUNKA 170MM perform well at rocking style of cutting?
Totally, it has a nice curve on the bottom of the blade and will work for those of us who like to rock-chop!
If you have to choose between the Masakage Koishi Bunka made by Yoshimi Kato or the same Kurouchi AS Bunka made by Yu Kurosaki. With which one would you go and why? Both blacksmiths have been apprentice to the master Hiroshi Kato. Any thoughts?
Hey there, they are going to be both great knives and have very similar characteristics, we sell knives from both blacksmiths and find the quality of work that provide to be exceptional in both cases. Both are going to be evenly matched in terms of performance. It really comes down to which one do you like the look of most, in my experience, you are only going to buy a few knives of this quality in your life, so get ones you really rocks your boat. - Ellie

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