Honyaki Chef's Knife (Bunka) with Maple Burl, Mammoth Ivory and Fordite

Product Description for Honyaki Chef's Knife (Bunka) with Maple Burl, Mammoth Ivory and Fordite

Maker: Tre' Hill (click to see more by this maker)
Price: $850.00
Item num: 110012
** This is handmade and one-of-a-kind **
Blade length: 7.50 in.
Cutting edge length: 7.50 in.
Total length: 12.90 in.
Blade height (at heel): 2.04 in.
Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.09 in.
Blade thickness (at midpoint): 0.09 in.
Blade thickness (near tip): 0.07 in.
Item weight: 5.60 oz.
Blade: W2 carbon steel wth a honyaki clay zone heat treatment
Bolster: Fordite
Handle: Double dyed and stabilized maple burl with a mammoth ivory spacer
Description: A bunka is a traditional Japanese general purpose chef's knife that many cooks today have added to their kitchen favorites. A knife of many talents, a bunka easily handles all the basic kitchen cutting tasks. In fact, many people even prefer it to a European-style chef’s knife. This 7-1/2 inch bunka is light, agile, and very easy to maneuver. Whether chopping, slicing, dicing, or mincing, this long santoku will be a perfect choice.
This elegant bunka is the creation of Tre' Hill of 3rdhillcustoms. Tre' (b. 1982) hails from Powder Springs, GA, where he and his wife (a part time potter), live on a 10 acre Muscovy duck farm. For the past four years, when not raising ducks, he has been hidden in his forge, honing his skills. He has always enjoyed working with his hands -- whether working on cars or building things -- and developing the skills to make knives seemed to come naturally. He specializes in chef's knives and folders.
The broad W2 carbon steel blade was hand ground and differentially heat treated. Tre' borrowed his heat treatment technique from the world of Japanese swords. The spine was coated with clay prior to quenching. This acts as a heat sink and ensures a super-hard, long lasting cutting edge with a softer, more resilient spine. Honyaki knives have some of the best edge holding of any knives but are slightly more fragile than a san mai blade. Both the spine and choil are nicely rounded for a comfortable grip with no hot spots. The blade features a convex grind to help release food from the side of the knife when slicing.
The elegant maple burl handle is inspired by traditional Japanese handles. The base is rounded while the top is faceted. The front of the handle is sealed with a dramatic section of Fordite. Spacers created from ancient mammoth ivory, Micarta, and G10 add contrast and assist the handle to adjust to temperature and humidity changes.
This elegant chef's knife is sure to become a kitchen favorite.


Availability: In stock. Usually ships in 1-2 business days