Kisuke Aogami #2 Warikomi Kurouchi Tsuchime 165mm Bunka

Kisuke Aogami #2 Warikomi Kurouchi Tsuchime 165mm BunkaThis Bunka is handcrafted by Kisuke Manaka with Aogami #2 steel core and SUS stainless steel cladding using Warikomi construction. Heat treated to 63 HRC, the blade features a characterful kurouchi and hand hammered Tsuchime finish. The blade is not exceptionally thin, but the perfect edge geometry and distal tapering ensure a sleek cutting performance. Spec: Origin (Made in): Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture, Japan Brand: Manaka Hamono Craftsman: Kisuke

This Bunka is handcrafted by Kisuke Manaka with Aogami #2 steel core and SUS stainless steel cladding using Warikomi construction. Heat-treated to 63 HRC, the blade features a characterful kurouchi and hand-hammered Tsuchime finish. The blade is not exceptionally thin, but the perfect edge geometry and distal tapering ensure a sleek cutting performance.

Spec:

• Origin (Made in): Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
• Brand: Manaka Hamono
• Craftsman: Kisuke Manaka
  
• Knife Type: Bunka
• Blade
• Construction: Warikomi
• Grind: Double-edged Blade (50/50 Grind)
• Hagane (Core Steel): Aogami #2 (Blue #2)
• Jigane (Cladding): SUS Stainless Steel
• Hardness: 63 HRC
  
• Hand-forged, hand-grind, hand-sharpened
• Blade Finishes:
• Tsuchime (Hammered)
  
• Kurouchi
• Blade Length: 165mm (6.5") 
• Blade Height (at heel): 52mm
• Spine Thickness
• Above heel: 3.3mm
• Middle: 2.6mm
• Handle
• Shape: Hachikaku (Octagonal)
• Material: Walnut
• Kuchiwa: Black Pakkawood
  
• Length: 127mm
• Overall Length: 313mm 
• Weight: 173g (6.10oz)
• Engraved Mark: In Japanese Kanji "Kisuke" (貴輔)

About Kisuke 貴輔 / Manaka Hamono 間中刃物鍛錬所

Kisuke Manaka is the 5th generation blacksmith at Manaka Hamono, a workshop founded in 1872 in Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture of Japan. Kisuke Manaka did not inherit the workshop from his own family, instead he was married into the Manaka family, and eventually became a full-time, professional blacksmith. Since his father-in-law (the 4th generation Manaka) was more a retailer, he was not capable of teaching Kisuke Manaka any blacksmithing skills. Luckily, Kisuke Manaka’s grand-father-in-law (the 3rd generation Manaka) had left a lot of tools and equipment, as well as books and notes on blacksmithing, he was able to teach himself during the process, and had master Tsukasa Hinoura as his mentor.

Care:

Aogami #2 (Blue #2) steel is a premium Japanese high carbon steel for knife making. It is not stainless, therefore you must wipe your knife dry after each use, in particular the core steel not covered by the stainless cladding. Patina will develop over time, which will appear as “discoloration” on the cutting edge, but that is the nature of carbon steel - not a defect. The stainless cladding covers a large part of the blade, making maintenance easier but still preserving the cutting and sharpening pleasure of the Aogami #2 core. Avoid cutting into bones, frozen foods, hard fruit pits.

Cutting Surface:

Recommended cutting surface: wood, rubberized boards and high-end composites, and quality plastics such as polyethene make acceptable cutting surfaces, and will help protect and prolong knife’s edge. AVOID glass, metal, countertops, and other rigid, non-forgiving surfaces.

Sharpening:

We recommend sharpening all quality Japanese knives on whetstones, as we believe they yield the best results for your knives.