Bunka San-Mai Collection - 2-Piece Starter Set: 2 Knives

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Bunka San-Mai Starter Set, 2 pieces, including:

1. 9 cm paring knife

2. 17 cm Santoku knife

* Handmade

* Japanese three-layer AUS-10 stainless steel

* Full tang

* ebony handle

* HRC hardness: 61 +/- 1

* Perfectly balanced

* Bamboo Saya (sheath) included with each knife

* Lifetime warranty

The 15-degree sharpening angle (compared with 20 to 25 degrees for an ordinary knife) allows you to slice and finely chop without ever crushing even the most delicate ingredients, so that they retain all their flavour.

All KOTAI San-Mai knives are forged from AUS-10 steel, a premium three-layer steel that combines high carbon content for hardness and long-lasting sharpness with the optimal amount of chromium to prevent oxidation.

The hidden full tang – a single piece of steel running from the blade tip to the end of the handle – gives the knives ideal balance and exceptional durability.

Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the “Tsuchime” (槌目) hammering of the blade creates small air pockets between the blade and the food slices.

This ancestral Japanese method prevents food from sticking to the blade, for pleasant and quick cutting.

San-Mai - KOTAI’s new collection

“San Mai” means “three layers” in Japanese and refers to a traditional technique of forging together three steels with complementary properties.

At its core, a high-carbon AUS-10 steel core – hardened to reach an HRC hardness of 61 – gives the blade an exceptionally fine cutting edge and excellent long-lasting performance.

On either side of the cutting edge, two layers of softer steel protect this hard core, reinforcing the blade’s resistance to impacts and oxidation.

Both precise and durable, the San-Mai blade offers an ideal balance between cutting performance, ease of maintenance and durability. Its clean aesthetic subtly reveals the join line between the steels, the unique signature of its construction.

Bunka San-Mai range

Elegance and tradition are the watchwords of the Bunka collection, inspired by Japanese culture (文化 “bunka”), particularly traditional cuisine.

Embodying the authenticity and essence of Japanese culture, the collection includes exceptional knives to elevate your culinary experience: Kiritsuke, Santoku, Petty utility knife and paring knife. The blades in this range stand out for their angular, reverse blade profile (commonly called a “reverse Tanto profile” or “K-tip”), giving them unrivalled precision and enabling meticulous cuts compared with classic rounded blade profiles.

Bunka knives are also characterised by their hand-polished octagonal ebony wood handle, a material renowned and highly valued for its hardness and resistance to moisture.

Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the “Tsuchime” (槌目) hammering of the blade creates small air pockets between the blade and the food slices.

This ancestral Japanese method prevents food from sticking to the blade, for pleasant and quick cutting.