- Brand new before being used
Me: I'm not a professional cook or a trained chef by any means. I'm just a dude who really likes Japanese knives and loves to cook for friends and family. I've been cooking ever since I was in middle school, learning as much as I could from my mom and grandma. On average, I spend about 4-6 hours on the weekend prepping ingredients or making food for the week since my wife and I usually don't have time throughout the week cook everyday. I usually like to push cut, pull cut, with the occasional chopping action from time to time. I am not a big rocker although I like knives to have a bit of belly. For some reason, I don't get along with flat knives. Typical pinch grip. I'm not an expert sharpener but I feel that I am competent to get a really good edge on my knives.
- After a few months of using it and with a coffee patina!!
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/yohiwh2bu17.html
Blacksmith: Yoshimi Kato
Location: Echizan, Japan
Construction: Hammer Forged, San Mai
Edge Steel: White #2
HRC: 61
Cladding: Stainless Steel (edge is exposed)
Finish: Basket Weave
Brand Name: Yoshimi Hino
Handle: Sandalwood D Shape
Ferrule: Black Pakkawood
Edge Grind: Even 50/50 Double Bevel
Engraving: Laser
Weight: 4.6 oz/ 130 g
Blade Length: 173mm
Overall Length: 313 mm
Spine Thickness at Heel: 2.9 mm
Blade Height at Heel: 46.9mm
Initial Thoughts:
This Bunka from Yoshimi Kato is phenomenal! It's very light and nimble yet very precise. The white #2 steel is very reactive and started to patina after one use. It was very sharp out of the box and has held its sharpness even after for a few meal preps. Handle is a D shape handle and feels great in hand. For the price, you are getting a lot of knife. Edges are nicely rounded and the fit and finish is great. The texture on it is very unique and I found that it provided extra texture for a pinch grip. You can see on the spine that the stainless doesn't completely cover the reactive steel so be careful with the spine being exposed to reactive liquids . Yoshimi Kato definitely put out a banger with this knife! Highly recommend it.
- That choil!
The initial edge was great. It wasn't the sharpest knife out of the box but it definitely was good enough to go. The edge felt great on the first few items but I can tell that it would need a sharpening session to really bring it out. OOTB: 6/10. White Steel is great to sharpen. After one session of sharpening, it just became a whole different knife. It just flies through veggie prep. Edge retention has been great as well. I usually just hone and strop on leather with no compound for regular maintenance. On re-sharpening, I took it to 5000 on a Shapton Pro.
How does it cut?:
Fantastic! It's a Bunka that is great for push and pull cuts. It's light and nimble. Using it for draw tips has been one of my favorite things with it. It also has a really nice texture that helps with food release and additional grip. I don't think the pattern was intended for this purpose but it definitely helps with food release. Potatoes and squash would just fall of. It was ok with Proteins. Where this really shines are on veggies. This thing just flies through it. Due to the tip, I think you can rock chop a bit if that is your jam, though due to the tip, I'd avoid it. Push and pull cuts really are your best friends here.
Here is a list of items that I was able to test it on and my score:
Raw Chicken Breast: It does glide chicken but I feel like there are other Bunks that I feel excel slightly better for some reason. 7/10
Onions: Cutting onions are just fun with this: 10/10.
Garlic: Same as onions: 9/10.
Tomatoes: Same as onion: 9/10
Potatoes: As mentioned above, the awesome unique texture of the basket weave helps with food not sticking as much: 8/10
Cabbage: Since this knife is really thin and low, it really struggled with a large cabbage. It was possible, but damn...was it scary. 3/10
Squash: Handled it like a champ: 9/10
Mushrooms: didn't stand a chance: 10/10
Mint and Basil: Chiffonade both with ease: 10/10
Comfort under extended use : I own several knives from Yoshimi Kato. One thing he does very well is the the fit and finish of his knives. They are always excellent. Edges have always been rounded and smooth. Choil is nicely polished and rounded. You can tell that a lot of detail and care are put into his knives. The knife is definitely ergonomic. I've held and own knives that cost more than his knives and aren't at the level of his fit and finish. I can go all day with the knife and not feel tired or discomfort. The handle is unique and I did not have any issues with it. Though, if you are left handed, it could be an issue. Handle quality was great as well!
Durability :
I did not find any chips or microchips with the knife before and after using for a few months. In fact, the knife felt very confident with anything that I was able to throw at (except for that large cabbage). Edge retention was phenomenal. If I felt that the edge life was slowing down, I would just take it to the honing rod and leather strop and it will get disgustingly sharp again. I only had to sharpen this knife once but it was more for me to test how sharp it could get. Factory sharpness was just fine, but it can really get scary sharp. This is my first white paper knife and I am a big fan of the steel now. I never had any issues with the knife rusting, though I always wash and dry when I am not using it. As with carbon knives, it's a good habit to wipe often with wet towel.
- Edges are exposed but it's ok!
So what do I think? I really, really, really like this knife. The texture and design is great. Fit and Finish is excellent. In fact, if you are on the fence of trying out a carbon knife for the first time, I would highly recommend this. It was in fact my first reactive knife and I think it's a good gateway to carbon knives. I was actually scared of trying a reactive carbon knife based on what I have seen with others and with the rust problems they have. I did however add a coffee patina and it's been holding up well and I think it does add a bit more character. The value you get, is excellent in my opinion based on the quality of knife you are getting and also the performance. It's versatile and I think it could definitely act as a workhorse and compliment a larger knife in your arsenal. It's light and nimble that I feel I could still do small tasks that a Petty can do. A thing to note, the stainless cladding does not cover the spine. Not a big deal but I did not realize it until I did the forced coffee patina.
