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All purpose knife (Santoku & Bunka)

The art of cooking depends on the quality of the tools you use, and Japanese knives have long earned a reputation for excellence in the culinary world. Among these knives, the Santoku and Bunka stand out as versatile all-purpose Japanese knives. Learn more about the characteristics and history of these two iconic knives, as well as their advantages in the modern kitchen.

Japanese all-purpose knives, such as the Santoku and Bunka, embody the art and tradition of Japanese cuisine, while meeting the modern needs of cooks the world over. Santoku is the epitome of versatility, while Bunka shines for its precision. Choosing between these two knives will depend on your personal preferences and the tasks you perform most often in the kitchen. In any case, investing in a quality Japanese knife is a wise choice to enhance your culinary skills and your pleasure in the kitchen.

The Santoku

The Santoku

The Santoku, whose name means "three virtues" or "three uses", takes its name from its versatility. It was developed in Japan in the 20th century as a response to the growing popularity of Western chef's knives. Designed to meet the needs of Japanese cooks while adopting elements of Western cuisine, the Santoku quickly became a staple in kitchens around the world.

The Santoku features a wide, rectangular blade with a “Kamagata” shape points, generally 15 to 18 cm long. The blade is sharpened on both sides, making it ideally suited to a multitude of kitchen tasks. The tip of the blade is slightly curved, allowing smooth rocking movements when cutting, and the width of the blade makes it easy to collect cut food.

The Santoku excels at preparing meat, fish, vegetables and even fruit. It is ideal for chopping, slicing, mincing and fine-cutting. Its versatility makes it the preferred tool of amateur and professional chefs worldwide.

You can find our Santoku selection here.

The Bunka

The Bunka

The Bunka is a versatile Japanese knife with its roots in Japanese tradition. Unlike the Santoku, the Bunka is more recent and less well known outside Japan, but it is rapidly gaining in popularity thanks to its exceptional capabilities in the kitchen.

The Bunka is distinguished by its elegant, pointed and slightly curved blade. The blade size generally varies between 150 mm and 180 mm, making it as handy as the Santoku.

The Bunka is a true Japanese all-purpose knife. Its shape allows great precision, making it ideal for cutting fine vegetables and herbs, as well as boning meat or preparing sushi. The tip of the blade is also useful for making meticulous, artistic cuts.

You can find our Bunka selection here.

All purpose knife (Santoku & Bunka)

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  • Original price $300.00 - Original price $300.00
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    Hitohira Setsu VG-10 Damascus Santoku 165mm Walnut

    The word santoku translates as "three virtues", which refers to the cutting of meat, fish and vegetables or the following three types of cutting: c...

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  • Original price $230.00 - Original price $230.00
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    Hitohira TD Aogami #2 Kurouchi Bunka 170mm Ho

    The Bunka is a general purpose knife that has a straighter edge profile than a Santoku. This makes the rocking motion more difficult to perform. Ho...

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    Original price $230.00 - Original price $230.00
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  • Original price $250.00 - Original price $250.00
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    Hitohira MS Kurouchi Shirogami #2 Bunka 170mm Keyaki Zelkova

    The Bunka is a general purpose knife that has a straighter edge profile than a Santoku. This makes the rocking motion more difficult to perform. Ho...

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  • Original price $550.00 - Original price $550.00
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    Hatsukokoro Shinkiro Aogami Damascus Kurouchi Super Bunka Birch Wood

    Le Bunka est un couteau de type tout usage qui a un profil plus droit au niveau du tranchant qu’un Santoku. Cela rend le mouvement de coupe de bala...

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  • Original price $225.00 - Original price $225.00
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    Hitohira TD Aogami #2 Kurouchi Bunka 170mm Ho

    The Bunka is a general-purpose knife with a straighter edge profile than a santoku, which makes the rocking motion more difficult to perform. Howev...

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    Original price $225.00 - Original price $225.00
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  • Original price $305.00 - Original price $305.00
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    Nigara Hamono Aogami Super Tsuchime Migaki Santoku Stabilized Birch Wood

    The word santoku translates as "three virtues", which refers to the cutting of meat, fish and vegetables or the following three types of cutting: c...

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    Original price $305.00 - Original price $305.00
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  • Original price $270.00 - Original price $270.00
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    Nigara Hamono Aogami Super Migaki Tsuchime Flat Bunka Stabilized Birch Wood

    The Bunka is a general-purpose knife with a straighter edge profile than a santoku, which makes the rocking motion more difficult to perform. Howev...

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    Original price $270.00 - Original price $270.00
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  • Original price $225.00 - Original price $225.00
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    Hitohira TD SLD Tsuchime Bunka 170mm Lacquered Oak

    The Bunka is a general-purpose knife with a straighter edge profile than a santoku, which makes the rocking motion more difficult to perform. Howev...

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  • Original price $195.00 - Original price $195.00
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    Hitohira TD Aogami #2 Kurouchi Santoku 165mm Padauk

    The word santoku translates as "three virtues", which refers to the cutting of meat, fish and vegetables or the following three types of cutting: c...

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  • Original price $255.00 - Original price $255.00
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    Hitohira NM Tsuchime Santoku 170mm Purpleheart Handle

    The word Santoku translates as: three virtues, which can refer to the cutting of meat, fish and vegetables or to the following three types of cutti...

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    Original price $255.00 - Original price $255.00
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  • Original price $370.00 - Original price $370.00
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    Nigara Hamono SG2 Santoku Tsuchime Migaki Tagayasan 170mm

    The word Santoku translates as: three virtues, which can refer to the cutting of meat, fish and vegetables or to the following three types of cutti...

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    Original price $370.00 - Original price $370.00
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  • Original price $445.00 - Original price $445.00
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    Kouhei-Shinmatsu ZDP-189 Bunka Kurouchi

    Made in a very modern way from ZDP-189 powdered steel, this knife is made to last. Ideal for professional cooks, the blade will keep its sharpness ...

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    Original price $445.00 - Original price $445.00
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  • Original price $555.00 - Original price $555.00
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    Yoshida Hamono HAP 40 Santoku 180mm Kurouchi Maple Burl (Red)

    Yoshida Hamono is located in Saga Prefecture, a very rural area of Kyushu Island. Like many rural blacksmiths, they specialize in making agricultur...

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    Original price $555.00 - Original price $555.00
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  • Original price $460.00 - Original price $460.00
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    Hado Junpaku Shirogami #1 Stainless Clad Ko Bunka 135mm Lacquered Oak

    In Japanese, the kanji forming the word Hado (刃道) represent "the road of blades". Another Japanese word, also pronounced "Hado", means "moving wave...

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  • Original price $515.00 - Original price $515.00
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    Hado Ginsan Bunka 180mm Kijiro Lacquered

    The Bunka is a general purpose knife that has a straighter edge profile than a Santoku. This makes the rocking motion more difficult to perform. Ho...

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    Original price $515.00 - Original price $515.00
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  • Original price $285.00 - Original price $285.00
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    Hatsukokoro Shirahama Shirogami #2 Migaki Santoku 180mm Wenge

    Original price $285.00 - Original price $285.00
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  • Original price $105.00 - Original price $105.00
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    Hitohira Imojiya MZ VG-1 Kid's knife 135mm Pakka

    Manufactured by TAKEFU SPECIAL STEEL CO VG-1 is a stainless steel created for blade manufacture and known for its fine structure, high toughness an...

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    Original price $105.00 - Original price $105.00
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  • Original price $320.00 - Original price $320.00
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    Hitohira Gorobei Rikichi Aogami #2 Kasumi Santoku Ho

    Original price $320.00 - Original price $320.00
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  • Original price $215.00 - Original price $215.00
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    Hatsukokoro Aogami Super Kurosagi Bunka 180mm Tagayasan

    Original price $215.00 - Original price $215.00
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  • Original price $300.00 - Original price $300.00
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    Hitohira Kikuchiyo Ren Aogami #2 Santoku 180mm Ho

    Kikuchiyo: Au début des années 2000, Kikuchiyo fut invité par le maître artisan de Sakai à se joindre à eux en tant que forgeron. L’art de la forge...

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  • Original price $280.00 - Original price $280.00
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    Hitohira Gorobei Rikichi Shirogami #2 Kasumi Santoku Ho

    Original price $280.00 - Original price $280.00
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  • Original price $370.00 - Original price $370.00
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    Hatsukokoro Inazuma Aogami Super Damascus Kurouchi Santoku 170mm Noyer

    Original price $370.00 - Original price $370.00
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  • Original price $230.00 - Original price $230.00
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    Hitohira Kikuchiyo Ren White #2 Santoku 180mm Ho

    The word santoku translates as "three virtues", which refers to the cutting of meat, fish and vegetables or the following three types of cutting: c...

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  • Original price $245.00 - Original price $245.00
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    Makoto Kurosaki Sakura SG2 Santoku 165 mm Cherry wood

    The word Santoku translates as: three virtues, which can refer to the cutting of meat, fish and vegetables or to the following three types of cutti...

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    Original price $245.00 - Original price $245.00
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