Kuwahara Kaji Kobo・Nagasaki Gunkanjima Bunka-bocho 120mm・ Stainless

Long-lasting Japanese sharpness in a compact western-style kitchen knife.

It's not long in the blade but it's a seriously useful little knife. A very good supplementary tool at the board and a great size for use at the table, we think this is a good choice for singles working in a small prep space and an excellent choice for elderly users - especially small ones - who are still preparing meals for themselves. It's light but doesn't require strength in the wrist to slice through red meat fat, chicken skins or calamari. Ease of use counts.

One thing we'd like to highlight is the tight fit and finish. It's not always the way with a hand-sharpened, hand-assembled knife in this style - in our time we've seen pins that were gappy, tangs that looked ill-matched, but not on these knives. It's easy to tell Kuwahara san has an eye for detail and presentation that respects the item and the customer who'll be using it. The grippy laminated ply and resin handle feels secure in hand. This material is said to have bactericidal properties and the half-tang construction means it's there for the life of the knife.

About the name: Nagasaki Gunkanjima Bunka-bocho. What's that all about?

'Bunka' is the Japanese word for culture and its use for knives dates back to the Meiji era in the late 19th century, when Japanese food culture began to embrace western proteins and western styles of food preparation. More meat in the everyday diet led to wider adoption of less specialized kitchen knives.

The Gunkanjima link is interesting. The township of Kayaki-cho in Nagasaki city (you've heard of Nagasaki) has a long association with the nearby island of Hashima, commonly called Gunkanjima. Kayaki-cho and Gunkanjima shared the local stage in Japan's Meiji-era industrial development and knife makers in the area long utilized the high-grade coking coal extracted from Mitsubishi's undersea Hashima mine. It's an appropriate marketing association, hence 'Nagasaki Gunkanjima Bunka-bocho'.