• Masakage Yuki Ko-Bunka 130mm from Masakage
  • Masakage Yuki Ko-Bunka 130mm from Masakage
  • Masakage Yuki Ko-Bunka 130mm from Masakage
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Masakage Yuki Ko-Bunka 130mm

Masakage Yuki Ko-Bunka 130mm

£173.00 GBP
£173.00 GBP
Sale Sold out

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

Frustrated? Learn more about why Japanese knives are frequently out of stock.

 

About Masakage Yuki - 

When you pick up the Yuki, you’ll notice just how light it is. The steel is hammered thinner than your average knife, which lets it fly through dense veggies with ease. Shirogami, or ‘white carbon’ in English, is a very traditional steel prized by blacksmiths and knife nerds alike for its great edge retention and legendary sharpness. Yuki knives are clad in softer stainless steel, so only the very edge has to be kept dry to prevent rust. This line is one of our most popular and a frequent gateway into the world of hand-hammered knives.

 The name Yuki (meaning ‘snow’ in Japanese) comes from the frosty looking ‘nashiji,’ or ‘pear skin,’ finish. 

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 Ko-Bunka is a smaller version of a Bunka. Any guesses on what “Ko” means in Japanese? You nailed it! It translates to “small.” This little knife is awesome because it still gives you knuckle clearance on the cutting board. Making sure you can mince garlic and comfortably chop veggies. A badass love child of the Bunka and Petty knife, it works for smaller jobs in the hand or as an all-purpose blade.

Shape Ko-Bunka
Maintenance Level Medium - Part of the blade can rust
Rust Prone ⓘ This knife can rust, click to learn more.
Blade Length 135 mm |
Blade Height 35 mm
Thickness 2 mm
Weight 64 g
Steel Type Shirogami #2 (White Carbon Steel) with Stainless Steel Cladding
Rockwell Hardness 62 - 63
Edge/Bevel Double (50/50)
Handle Wa (Japanese) Handle - Oval Magnolia Red Pakkawood Collar
Knife Line Masakage Yuki
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: 4.885246 / 5 from 61 reviews.

AI Generated Review Summary

The Masakage Yuki Ko-Bunka 130mm knife is praised for its perfect shape for small tasks, fantastic looks, and great value for money. Customers love its light weight, luxurious feel, and sharp edge. Opinions on the handle vary, with some finding it comfortable and others considering it cheap.

Summary topics

  • Knife Shape: 8%
  • Product Looks: 8%
  • Edge Retention: 12%
  • Blade Feel: 10%
  • Handle Comfort: 10%

Review topics: ["size","weight","fit","handle","looks","finish","craftsmanship","issues","shape","maintenance","edge","gift","feels","service","knife","blade","bunka","gyuto","wood","addition","tip","chopping","steel","coating"].

Review highlights

  • "Comfortable handle and light weight, and the sharp edge makes cutting vegetables almost effortless." — Norm Z.
  • "Great all round light weight utility knife" — Edward C.
  • "The handle feels good, but was a little rough out of the box." — Andrew R.

Reviews

Fantastic!

"Easily the most used knife in my collection. Sharp right out of the box and performs exceptionally well!"

— Marc-Andre L. (5/5)

Ko-bunka

"Great for smaller jobs like fruits, and garnish mincing."

— Winston P. (5/5)

Excellent Service & Product!

"I found the staff extremely friendly and knowledgeable about the merchandise. They were helpful when it came to any questions I had about adding to my collection. I highly recommend Knifewear!"

— Chad C. (5/5)

Masakage Ko-Bunka - Highly Recommended

"I've had the knife for a couple of months, and it's been a great knife. Being the Ko-Bunka it's smaller than a chef's knife but still handy for small everyday jobs in the kitchen. It's been a pleasure to use, and I really enjoy the light weight of the knife. It doesn't need the weight to get through tough foods because it's got such a sharp edge. Very happy with the purchase."

— Alan M. (5/5)

Fun little knife. Get a

"Fun little knife. Get a lot more use out of this than I thought I would."

— Joshua T. (5/5)

Great addition to the family!

"This is my 3rd knife from Knifewear and my first Masakage Yuki. Loving it so far! Happy to add something a bit smaller to the arsenal along with my Gyuto and Nakiri. Adam in Edmonton was a huge help with presenting a few options and helping me settle on this beauty of a knife."

— Anthony J. (5/5)

Great Little Knife

"This is my first authentic Japanese kitchen knife. I’ve gone from crappy no-name knives to Victorinox to Shun and this one blows them all away, even my Shun Premier. The edge sharpness out of the box is crazy, and the pear skin finish is gorgeous. No issues at all with the fit and finish of the steel. It should be noted that the handle is raw magnolia wood. I was happy that all the money went into the steel itself and the handle is left untreated because I could finish it myself. I lightly sanded the wood then applied paste wax with a rag and within 20 minutes had a nicely finished handle. It might need to be buffed in the future, but that’s rolled into the overall maintenance of the knife itself. I would recommend this knife only to people who take good care of their belongings. Carbon steel can rust easily if neglected and the handle issue noted above may need more care than other knives in this category. I enjoy maintaining things I own so it’s a positive aspect for me, but others may not have the same outlook. Overall I’m very happy with the knife. So much so that I bought the Nakiri version of the same line about a week later. Knifewear seems like a great company. I wish they had a physical location in Toronto, but that’s hopefully something to look forward to."

— Cameron S. (5/5)

Sexy little Beast!

"Such a sexy knife! This little work horse can do it all and very easy maintenance!"

— Davin R. (5/5)

Great all round light weight utility knife

"Great all round smaller knife, can do most slicing, chopping jobs, nice slim blade and very light. Balance is irrelevant as the whole knife is so light. Good edge, steel very easy to tune up and mostly maintenance free. (Stainless Steel layered around carbon steel. Handle is good but like all knives in this line it could use a better coating for cleaning purposes, the wood is well finished but lacks a sufficient coating in my opinion. Love the Bunka shape."

— Edward C. (5/5)

Good little chopper

"Fit and finish was a bit shoddy but the grind is good and the tip is thin. Prepare to finish your handle unless you like unfinished ho wood. The blade was set a bit crooked in the handle but not enough to be an issue. Ootb sharpness was on point tho. It's a little machine on a cutting board. Perfect knife if you want a petty with more knuckle clearance. Good knife for the price."

— Johnathan S. (4/5)

Q&A

Any idea when you’ll be receiving more stock of this knife?
Hey there, we don't have a firm timeline, but we receive knives from Masakage every other week. Are you on the back in stock list so you'll know when it shows up? - Ellie

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