Nakiri vs bunka vs usuba. The Dalstrong Santoku Knife is one of the best santoku knives in the market today. Discover nakiri, bunka, and usubo knives from top Japanese knife makers in our collection above. It all depends on the maker and the particular line of knife. While both pretty similar knives they do have their pros and cons and while … What I find is that for the tasks a santoku is good at, other knives are just as good or better. I have all four of these in my knife block but the santoku never gets used. At this point I am really looking for excellent steel (R2/SG2), craftsmanship good enough to last a lifetime and true beauty and comfort. Their reverse tanto profile gives the knives a dexterous and delicate tip and a unique and eye catching aesthetic. Other than that, in my opinion the debate as to whether a santoku or gyuto is better really depends on whether or not you are going to get additional knives. So what is your favorite veggie knife? But, the santoku has all but replaced this in design and efficiency. A small bunka or tall petty of high-tech steel is very handy if you do a lot of fine slicing of smallish product like cellery, garlic, shallots, broccoli stalks, etc. Consider these knives, their uses, and lengths: gyuto: dicing, mincing, slicing, and everything else, 240mm, petty: smaller tasks or detailed work, 165mm. It lets you cut more product at once and offers a more versatile tip. The blade of the knife needs to be very sharp and durable. It can cut most things but aren't recommended to cut frozen thing and cut vegetables like squash. view_comfy view_list view_headline; Filter There are 112 products. I get a lot of questions and interest on bunka knives but when I suggest that they try a santoku it's met with lukewarm response. A previous eBay listing for the knife shows it sold for $247 . You probably don't want an usuba since they have very limited utility and different care concerns. A gyuto is your good all purpose type of knife. It’s worth considering but I wonder if it might be a bit unwieldy. 11K. Its blade is typically between 13 and 20 cm (5 and 8 in) long, and has a flat edge and a sheepsfoot blade that curves down an angle approaching 60 degrees at the point. Japanese kiritsuke santoku Knife - Miura - HAP40 - Walnut Handle - Size:17cm. Edge Guard 180mm (For Gyuto, Nakiri, Santoku, Bunka) $11.70 USD. The Japanese word Santoku … A good tip is worth a lot to me. A very, very slight rocking motion will help with that. If you're working on a small line crammed in a tiny kitchen and you're still breaking down produce with any frequency, a shorter santoku is going to be easier to use without damaging it or stabbing your coworkers and will still manage almost all vegetables well. If you're in a tiny, sweaty NYC kitchen and your nightly duties include a bag of onions, you'd be crazy not to own a good santoku. I am a self-trained home cook and knife enthusiast in the slow process of overhauling my collection with better pieces. This multi-purpose kitchen knife is great for dicing, slicing or mincing. Santoku vs Nakiri – Santoku Knife Review. Yes this is what I was thinking. Press J to jump to the feed. (Note that if you don't know you need a usuba, you don't need a usuba.). While not a popular knife, the bunka can still be found. Well, at least by me. In all seriousness, while someone certainly could argue a long santoku is a gyuto with a particularly flat profile, calling them santoku does have at least a little merit. It's actually not a great knife unless you're trained to use it. There generally aren't a lot of long bunkas that are 8in or longer. The Santoku is a knife used primarily for veggies but it is a multipurpose knife in the kitchen. New. Bunka Vs Santoku. I can see the Nakiri being a good pickup for exactly what you're describing. At home I mostly use a Santoku, since it's comfortable to use, fits nicely in my small kitchen, and I'm not going to be doing much fine detail work or mass production making dinner for myself. YOU GUYS KNOW THAT THIS IS THE SAME KNIFE RIGHT? They are suck for any general prep like a chef knife or gyuto, they simply exist in shorter lengths than gyutos and chefs. Santoku and “standard” chefs or gyuto have various thicknesses. ¥19,800. A previous eBay listing for the knife shows it sold for $247 . The sharpness and detail capability of the usuba looks very attractive as well, but may be beyond my skill level (something to grow into)? We supply a wide range of top quality Japanese Chef's knives at lower than Japanese Retail Prices direct from Seki City; the Japanese cutlery capital where fine knives are produced using over 800 years of Samurai sword-making tradition and history. If you mostly do vegetable prep a bunka is probably a good idea or even a santoku. For 100ish I'll suggest the Gesshin Gyuto from JKI or Suisin Western Inox from Korin. A real cool customer… Bunka damascus steel. Bunka knives have a very santoku-like edge but I don't see much disdain for those. Size: Eight inches (most used by home cooks) or 10 inches (popular with pros) are the most common lengths, but it can range from six to 14 inches. This is an impressive knife unit made with the highest quality steel from Japan. $299.00 USD. Other then that it's generally a shorter knife then gyutos but does most thing a gyuto can do. Most of my prep time is spent chopping and dicing vegetables I am not satisfied with the chef’s knife or utility knife across all tasks. The bunka just has a k-tip. Some of the stupidly flat knives on the market lack the delicate tips that are a mark of a gyuto, which definitely limits their ability to rock. My CCK replaced all other knives i have. That's pretty much what I was going to write. Previous article Choosing The Best Induction Cookware for 2019. On the r/chefknives sub-Reddit, fans posted screenshots of the knife, hoping to identify it more precisely and buy one of their own. On the line I favor a shorter gyuto or even petty over a santoku. “Bunka” translates to “culture". This is maybe a weird example, but when dicing an onion I do the whole slice towards the root, horizontal cut, cross cut method like how Gordon Ramsay demonstrates here.What I've found is that I mess it up a bit if I can't do the horizontal cut in one clean … As mentioned at the beginning, Santoku, translated from Japanese, means “three uses”, a common understanding of these words, that this knife covers three cutting tasks: slicing, dicing and mincing. The Bunka is a bonafide badass, like a kitchen knife in a leather jacket. Both are good knife designs. I’d say that if you want a knife solely for chopping veggies, get a nakiri. HAHAHAHAH A santoku knife is similar but can create air pockets with those groves. 10 Tatara Santoku Knife – 7 Inch Japanese Sushi Knife VG10 Damascus. Perhaps I should really be exploring nakiri vs cleaver, Suggest you start your overhaul with a solid gyuto - it can do anything in the kitchen, including any veg tasks. Lastly, usuba are single-edged and designed for the extreme precision required for preparing vegetables in the Japanese culinary tradition. The Japanese word Santoku means The knife of three virtues or knife to solve three problems. About Us. Post Jan 26, 2016 #1 2016-01-26T16:55. The Best Mid-Level Santoku Knife: Tojiro DP Santoku. Since the role of the santoku is to be the primary knife for most kitchen tasks, anybody looking at santokus should also consider other general purpose, multi-task knives such as gyutos and chef’s knives, but also banno bunkas and funayukis. Nothing to add. Personally, I’m looking at changing my bunka for a gyuto and nakiri in the long term. Yusaku Blue #2 Bunka 170mm Custom ; Karaku Blue #1 Gyuto 210mm Custom; Karaku Blue #1 Gyuto 210mm Custom; Sukenari Aogami Super Kiritsuke 210mm Custom; Tsunehisa SRS15 Gyuto 240mm; Takayuki VG-10 Hammered Damascus Cleaver 195mm; Takayuki Kurokage VG10 Hammered Teflon Coated Santoku 170mm; Shop All New Arrivals The Bunka... is generally just a santoku with a K-tip. Bunka knives are general purpose knives tackling a wide range of common kitchen tasks. Size: Eight inches (most used by home cooks) or 10 inches (popular with pros) are the most common lengths, but it can range from six to 14 inches. I would almost always take a gyuto over a comparably priced santoku, likely sacrificing steel and grind performance, to get that extra length. I am a self-trained home cook and knife enthusiast in the slow process of overhauling my collection with better pieces. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Bunka is a general purpose kitchen knife as Santoku and it used to be just as popular as the Santoku, but has become less commonplace in recent years. Bunka is a general purpose kitchen knife as Santoku and it used to be just as popular as the Santoku, but has become less commonplace in recent years. A place to talk about the use, maintenance, and acquisition of any bladed kitchen instrument as well as whetstones, cutting boards, and more! Prefer lighter weights that can work delicately. I don’t want to just pay for a name, but I’m after true excellence. It depends on personal preference but there is a clear trend toward gyuto and chef knives. I have a Wusthof chef’s knife with a profile not too different from a Gyuto, so that probably covers my curved knife needs. In todays video were going to compare the santoku and the bunka. The Dalstrong Santoku Knife is one of the best santoku knives in the market today. Sold Out. Looking to get a good Japanese knife for use at work. A nakiri is a lovely thin-bladed tool that will make short work of a wide variety of vegetables (and, though perhaps a heresy, it also works well on meat). What I've found is that I mess it up a bit if I can't do the horizontal cut in one clean pull. These can be used any time a gyuto or santoku might be called for. I find you can go much faster with the small knife, and when you're chopping super-thin on the board your knife receives lots of wacks, so speed and edge-retention are key. But even in a pro kitchen, the santoku has a place. Santoku Bunka. Can be much longer than a santoku(up to 360mm), Always has a pointed tip which can prove useful for a number of things, Slightly curved profile that's nice for slicing and rock chopping, Flat profile which allows it to connect with the board completely, making it easier to make clean cuts of vegetables. Santoku vs Bunka? You can use the back half of it as a stand-in for a nakiri and it will work OK, but not perfectly. Afaik the term never specifically included a Kiritsuke tip. It was love at first sight when I saw one of his masterworks. Think of a nakiri as the first 5-6" of a gyuto with no tip. Press J to jump to the feed. I’ve just heard it’s the right tool for the job, mostly on this sub. If you're doing a lot of prep in a big kitchen with room to spread out, there are precious few reasons to not to use a 24cm+ knife for most of your work. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. Why santoku translates to "three virtues." Gyuto is going to be the most versatile knife for restaurant work. You don't provide a price range you're looking at, if you'll include that you'll get recommendations that meet your requirements. Your comments and suggestions greatly anticipated. JapaneseChefsKnife.Com (JCK, Established in 2003) is the direct internet sales division of The Kencrest Corporation. Their reverse tanto profile gives the knives a dexterous and delicate tip and a unique and eye catching aesthetic. FWIW when I picked up a Nakiri, switching from a tradition chef knife it took a bit of getting used to since I was a rocker. I can’t decide. The Santoku bōchō (Japanese: 三徳包丁; "three virtues" or "three uses") or Bunka bōchō (文化包丁) is a general-purpose kitchen knife originating in Japan. On the r/chefknives sub-Reddit, fans posted screenshots of the knife, hoping to identify it more precisely and buy one of their own. But, the santoku has all but replaced this in design and … Cookies help us deliver our Services. With its wider blade, the Bunka knife is suitable for cutting vegetables, while the triangle-shaped tip area is particularly useful when cutting fish and meats. It feels a little chunkier in the hand than our top pick, and it cracked one slice of carrot before sailing through a dozen more slices without any problems. This Japanese kitchen knife can handle a wide variety of tasks in the home and on the job. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. You have a perfectly acceptable chef's knife that you can use if you need a point. Tojiro's santoku knife held its own throughout the testing, butchering a chicken without trouble and filleting a fish perfectly, too. As for accidentally leaving veg skins connected, that's more of a function of your cutting technique than the blade itself. QUICK VIEW. Tojiro's santoku knife held its own throughout the testing, butchering a chicken without trouble and filleting a fish perfectly, too. If I was only going to get just one of these then a santoku would make more sense but having all of them has shown me that I don't really need one. Wonder what the difference between the two really is and what people would recommend. Bunka Knives. I use a bunka for all my cooking. Well worth the adjustment I’d bet. Like a santoku, it's a cross between the nakiri and a gyuto, just a little more badass loo Bunka knives are general purpose knives tackling a wide range of common kitchen tasks. Click image for the Top Rated Bunka Knife on Amazon. Don't get a single bevel kiritsuke. Santoku Vs Chef's Knife Vs Japanese Nakiri Knife; Best Knives from a Chef's Perspective What Knife Should I Buy? A real cool customer… Yu Kurosaki Fujin Blue Super Hammered Bunka Japanese Knife 165mm with Keyaki (Japanese Elm) Handle. $13.00 USD. Sold Out. Usubas are also used a lot for in-hand cutting techniques, which most home cooks will rarely do. It lets the knife double as a slicer more easily, too. Santoku knives are dedicated cutters with limited ability for fine tip work compared to its more popular multipurpose cousins. ... ReddIt. Maybe Chinese Cleaver instead? When choosing the best Santoku knife for professional chefs, it is all about the blade. With its wider blade, the Bunka knife is suitable for cutting vegetables, while the triangle-shaped tip area is particularly useful when cutting fish and meats. Some of his Gyutos are very inspiring to look at and hold. Advice. Just extremely little. In the rare case where I need a smaller blade I just pick up the petty. Hey all, I wanted to thank this subreddit first and foremost for helping me decide on the Tojiro DP 210mm gyuto as my first Japanese knife ever. A santoku isn't long enough for that pull stroke but a gyuto is. However, it should also be slightly flexible to make it easy to produce very precise and thin cuts. Would a good Gyuto offer much more or something much different? The full name for the knife is Santoku Bocho or Bunkabocho. The Enso HD prep 5.5" in VG10 ($80) or SG2 ($160) checks all my boxes while looking really nice but after some digging doesn't seem to come well recommend in this sub. Hey folks, thanks for tuning in! Bunka Knives. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, send me pms until i review a ryky video while drunk, my knife is sharper than your honor student. JAPANESE KNIFE - Bunka VS. Santoku. I have been very struck by the work of Takeshi Saji. Currently still using a russums chef knife from my college days and a io shen utility I got a month ago. Once you know what you like about it and where you might need another knife then go for the nakiri / bunka / other as knife #2. Highly recommended. However, it should also be slightly flexible to make it easy to produce very precise and thin cuts. Not suitable for rock chopping, Can have a slight point or completely rounded tip(usually found in more western made Santoku), Often much cheaper than an equivalent gyuto. Most of my prep time is spent chopping and dicing vegetables I am not satisfied with the chef’s knife or utility knife across all tasks. The Santoku is a knife used primarily for veggies but it is a multipurpose knife in the kitchen. It is made following the standard santoku knife construction which ensures its extended lifespan and efficiency. The CCK is a great knife worth a horrible ghetto handle, but it cuts like a dream. The blade of the knife needs to be very sharp and durable. Santoku, properly santoku-bocho: "santoku" means "three virtues," in reference to the Buddhist notion of three principal virtues (parallel to the Christian 7, etc.). I had been thinking Nakiri due to its flat blade profile (won’t accidentally leave veg skins connected), but I am very attracted to the look and versatility of the bunka. A place for all things chef knives. The primary thing to consider is differences in length. WhatsApp. It feels a little chunkier in the hand than our top pick, and it cracked one slice of carrot before sailing through a dozen more slices without any problems. ... AKA: Cook’s knife, French knife Origin: Germany or France Composition: A chef’s knife can be made of a number of materials including carbon steel and ceramic, but stainless steel is the most common. Bunka is just another name for santoku. 10 Tatara Santoku Knife – 7 Inch Japanese Sushi Knife VG10 Damascus. Is it capable of any delicate work? But I worry about how curved the bunka might be as a veg tool. Yes I expect it will be. I find the extra length of a gyutomakes it more versatile than a santoku. Although ideal for precise vegetable cuts, bunka can also be used as an all-purpose knife. A place to talk about the use, maintenance, and acquisition of any bladed kitchen instrument as well as whetstones, cutting boards, and more! Bunka is a general purpose kitchen knife as Santoku and it used to be just as popular as the Santoku, but has become less commonplace in recent years. Don't get me wrong, I have a wide array of blades (yanagiba, petty, usuba, santoku, gyuto, nakiri, paring, etc. I was thinking to start with a Gyuto, though my Wusthof Classic Ikon 8” chef’s knife is pretty good. It is a multi-purpose knife akin to the Santoku. THE SANTOKU (PREP KNIFE) ... BUNKA KNIFE. I keep it there as a guest knife since its a cheap Tojiro DP which is of course stainless. ... AKA: Cook’s knife, French knife Origin: Germany or France Composition: A chef’s knife can be made of a number of materials including carbon steel and ceramic, but stainless steel is the most common. A small bunka or tall petty of high-tech steel is very handy if you do a lot of fine slicing of smallish product like cellery, garlic, shallots, broccoli stalks, etc. For a single knife though, the bunka was the right choice for me. Japanese knives are distinguished by their superior steel and long-lasting, smooth sharpness. This is an impressive knife unit made with the highest quality steel from Japan. Good but only with vegetables vs more multi purpose but also a little silly vs no. The single bevel and extra care requirements make it less suitable. This is maybe a weird example, but when dicing an onion I do the whole slice towards the root, horizontal cut, cross cut method like how Gordon Ramsay demonstrates here. chefknivestogo. Well I do need one for people who don't care to treat my knives as well as I do. Think of a bunka like a short santoku with a fancy tip. In todays video were going to compare the santoku and the bunka. When choosing the best Santoku knife for professional chefs, it is all about the blade. For the times when you don't need a point, nakiri beats bunka. Sort by: Relevance Name, A to Z Name, Z to A Price, low to high Price, high to low View. While both pretty similar knives they do have their pros and cons and while they both can do all the tasks we discuss in this video they will both excel at different things. Some dude in sakai said that the term bunka was basically coined after the influx of western knives. Of the common western style Japanese knives, most have some bit of overlap but the santoku has the most overlap. So it makes it easier to cut some vegetables like potatoes. A knife is the single most important tool in your kitchen. If you want an all-rounder that’s better than average for veggies, the bunka is a good choice. Bunka is a general purpose kitchen knife as Santoku and it used to be just as popular as the Santoku, but has become less commonplace in recent years. Generally I'll want to have one knife out that I use for 95% of my prep, and I'll break into other specialized knives only if necessary. With its wider blade, the Bunka knife is suitable for cutting vegetables, while the triangle-shaped tip area is particularly useful when cutting fish and meats. For price, I would say a few hundred per blade. The nakiri powers through vegetables better than a santoku and at the same time the gyuto is better for a lot of other things mostly because of the length. The Best Inexpensive Santoku Knife: Victorinox Fibrox Pro. Or maybe I'm just bad at dicing onions. I have also been struck by some k-tip Gyutos, but wonder if aesthetics is leading me astray there. As for the santoku and bunka, they are the exact same thing. I would say the CCK 1303 or a Nakiri get pulled out when it's time to push through a lot of veg at home. Even a Nakiri has SOME sort of curvature. Easier to find with a granton edge than gyuto, if that's your thing. Why santoku translates to "three virtues." $269.10 USD. Last items in stock. Another interesting Japanese kitchen knife is the bunka. chefknivestogo. I find you can go much faster with the small knife, and when you're chopping super-thin on the board your knife receives lots of wacks, so speed and edge-retention are key. Sometimes it doesn’t cut all the way through because of the slight bevel at the back, you kinda have to rock it a bit as you chop through. I wouldn't say that either of them have a flat profile though. If it's 70/30 or 60/40 I would look at a k-tip gyuto, and if it's closer to 50/50 vegetable prep and anything else a gyuto is your best option. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. These can be used any time a gyuto or santoku might be called for. Either way my advice would be to not sacrifice quality for price. I like it a lot aesthetically, but it's not any better or worse than a shortish (6-7in) gyuto or santoku. Edit: I should qualify this by saying that I’ve never used a nakiri. I would say no to the Usuba. Cookies help us deliver our Services. The Best Mid-Level Santoku Knife: Tojiro DP Santoku. I think it depends on what you'll use it for. Bunka also come in longer more “standard” sizes so are also a popular general-purpose knife type. Site Admin. With its wider blade, the Bunka knife is suitable for cutting vegetables, while the triangle-shaped tip area is particularly useful when cutting fish and meats. Fun fact: Bunka knives are basically santoku knives with a point. I am thinking it will have to be a bunka or santoku to get the height I'm looking for, and I have a preference for a bunka just for the cool look. You're somewhat limited by your budget, but you're most limited by your work load and the room on your station. With the butchering of all things Japanese it somehow came to mean Kiritsuke tipped santoku, though. Gordon saws the onion with his knife at 0:35 but when I do it there's always some pieces falling out. Those are most of the traits of both I can think of off the top of my head...People with smaller hands tend to favor the Santoku but neither is necessarily a bad choice, its mostly preference and what you like.