The Bunka is a general-purpose knife with a straighter edge profile than a santoku, which makes the rocking motion more difficult to perform. However, this knife is perfect for use with the push-cut or pull-cut method. The fine tip of the Bunka will give you precision and agility as it will pass through the food more easily when cutting.
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.
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 SLD tsuchime bunka knife earns its place in any serious kitchen through more than just its steel. The hand-hammered finish — characteristic of every tsuchime blade — reduces surface contact between the blade and food, letting thin slices fall away cleanly rather than sticking. Combined with SLD's semi-stainless cladding, this texture adds striking visual depth to the blade, making it as impressive on the counter as it is at the cutting board.
