Kurosaki HAP40

[Miles]

Well here’s something interesting. No bling.

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/kuhagy21.html

[d_rap]

Leapt out at me too. Lot of belly, but some nice flat as well. And that tip.

Tempting...

[Bensbites]

Very cool. I saw something on IG, and wondered where it was going. The profile isn’t quite right for me

[d_rap]

Once I saw the bunka pop up it was just a matter thinking about it for a couple hours. It seems to be almost exactly what I was looking for and I just ordered it. The bunka looks, from the photos and specs, to be comparable to Shiba's R2 Kotetsu. A bit shorter, less height, but 3.8 oz at 172 mm with 1.7 mm at the heel seemed like the small laser bunka I want to add to my collection. Something my wife will like at home, and something I can take on the road and use camping on my smaller boards. Obviously it's going to be delicate for use in the field, I'll have to be careful, but for prep for one or two, yeah, it should be great. And I've got nothing even semi-stainless yet, so I'm really looking forward to experiencing HAP-40, especially in this maker's hands.

[Bob Z]

I noticed a similarity in the Gihei Hap40 210, maybe the hap 40 blanks are all the same, they are both 40mm tall and within 1mm length. For me this is just a bit too short.
Gihei 210 Hap 40
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/gihagy211.html

[Miles]

I noticed a similarity in the Gihei Hap40 210, maybe the hap 40 blanks are all the same, they are both 40mm tall and within 1mm length. For me this is just a bit too short.
Gihei 210 Hap 40
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/gihagy211.html

Im with you in that they all seem a bit short in height. I’d expect the kurosaki super thin behind the edge grind. The 210 fits into that sort of suji/petty/gyuto which depending on what your looking for could be sweet. Kurosaki knives typically have so much aesthetically going on it’s weird there’s no hammering going on.

[d_rap]

Yeah that would be a little low for me too.

The bunka on the other hand, which I received yesterday and spent an hour's prep with, is close to ideal. I get the same numbers as Mark: height at the heel is just short of 46mm for 172mm of blade length. 1.75 at the spine, and as you would expect from Kurosaki-san the grind starts almost immediately, and gets down to one millimeter an inch above the edge. Whisper thin behind the edge. No distal taper to speak of, of course, and a tip almost identical to a Shibata. I cut big carrots side-by-side, Shibata AS 240 and this new bunka, and controlling for significantly less leverage in the bunka the feel through product was very similar, hard to call a winner.

It's not going to take any prizes in the food release department but through onions, celery, mushrooms asparagus, strawberries-- just extremely satisfying and fun.

I'm a teacher with the summer off and I'm going to travel and camp and visit the whole 9 weeks and this is going to be the one J knife I bring.

[silylanjie]

Just saw on IG that Kurosaki-san is working on a new batch of HAP40 for November.

[silylanjie]

Mark, will you be getting any of these

[riton]

Mark, will you be getting any of these

250499988_3112038332453238_5539038367600456770_n.jpg

The profile looks different compared with the blade-only!

[taz575]

I think it is the angle of the pictures that makes them look different. There is a dip from the handle down to the start of the spine in the curve, which I don't particularly care for?

[d_rap]

I think it is the angle of the pictures that makes them look different. There is a dip from the handle down to the start of the spine in the curve, which I don't particularly care for?

As I posted above I bought the bunka when Mark had it in stock in June. The spine comes straight out of the (oak) handle and is almost dead flat until it angles down at the K tip. The knives in the picture above look different, even accounting for photo angle, although it's hard to be sure.

[taz575]

I though you mean the difference between the 2 pictures of the HAP40 series...lol! Yeah, don't care for the new profile as much.

[silylanjie]

He probably changed the profile from last batch. The previous batch that Mark had I think the spine are all straight but this new batch Kurosaki-san posted on Instagram has a curve (except for the Nakiri).

[d_rap]

[riton]

I think it is the angle of the pictures that makes them look different. There is a dip from the handle down to the start of the spine in the curve, which I don't particularly care for?

The curve may be useful to place the index finger on the spine for dedicated works? Or just a new look. .Just my guess.

[Jeff B]

I was pretty excited about a Kurosaki Hap40 but the profiles just turn me off.

[d_rap]

I was pretty excited about a Kurosaki Hap40 but the profiles just turn me off.

Yeah I was glad to get in on that first small batch. The bunka has been a nice addition to my line-up.