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. However, the Bunka is perfect for use with the push-cut or pull-cut method. Its fine tip provides precision and agility as it passes more easily through the food when cutting.
SLD steel is Hitachi steel co.'s version of SKD-11, which is a wear resistant and relatively easy to maintain steel. This makes it an ideal steel for workhorse knives. With a hardness of 60-62 HRC, SLD steel blades retain their edge for a long time and have the ability to be sharpened to a razor sharp edge. Basically, SLD is used in the factory to cut other steels and, over time, has made its way into high-end Japanese cutlery.
The city of Sanjo in Niigata Prefecture has been famous for its blacksmithing since the 1600s. In the early years, they mainly forged nails by hand. Then, from 1660, different forging techniques were introduced by blacksmiths from Aizu. Thanks to this, the blacksmiths of the city began to diversify their production. The quality of Sanjo's tools and knives enjoyed a strong reputation in Japan at that time, and it still does today.
The Hitohira brand is a guarantee of excellence and assures you that every knife sold under this name meets rigorous quality standards.