Ikenami Hamono HSS Bunka-bocho 140mm

The bunka-bōcho is a short, general purpose cooking knife for vegetables, meat and fish.

The Ikenami Hamono bunka has a lot going for it. The high-quality sculpted sandalwood handle is comfortable and durable. Stainless cladding means low maintenance. The blade is HAP40 high speed 'tool' steel, designed to maintain its integrity even when red hot; granted you'd be a busy cook to have smoke coming off your knife but it translates to high wear resistance and superior edge retention. In the hands of Ikenami Hamono it means traditional Japanese cutting feel in a western-style knife. In a family setting it will need sharpening perhaps just once a year, even with daily use. 

At 140mm blade length this is a compact knife. Blade thickness is only 1.5mm where spine and handle meet which weight-wise compares well with Japanese-style knives, if you like a light knife. 

The light weight - 92 grams - also qualifies it as a good choice for older users with smaller workspaces who would benefit from the compelling combination of low-maintenance, modest size, balance, lightness and true sharpness (it will be sharp out of the box, but it can be made razor sharp). 

Which brings us to sharpening - the steel is so hard that it is very slow to sharpen. Ordinary home-standard sharpening setups just won't cut it. A diamond hone will offer a head start and skilled or at the very least very patient sharpening is required. Just not very often.