• Bunka 163mm Nickel Damascus SanMai 1.2210
  • Bunka 163mm Nickel Damascus SanMai 1.2210 – detail view
  • Bunka 163mm Nickel Damascus SanMai 1.2210 – side profile
  • Bunka 163mm Nickel Damascus SanMai 1.2210 – handle detail
  • Bunka 163mm Nickel Damascus SanMai 1.2210 – blade close-up
  • Bunka 163mm Nickel Damascus SanMai 1.2210 – view 6
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Bunka 163mm Nickel Damascus SanMai 1.2210

Bunka 163mm Nickel Damascus SanMai 1.2210

By Simon Krichbaum

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Simon Krichbaum

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A beautiful Bunka from Austrian Blacksmith, Simon Krichbaum. A classic profile, tapered spine, and consistent, stone ready convex bevels. This is a fantastic little utility knife that is guaranteed to satisfy. The knife has a smooth action on the board and a satisfying weight and balance to it.

Clad in a beautiful Damascus and with a 1.2210 core the knife will not only perform exceptionally well, but it also looks stunning. The dark etching provides contrast and pairs beautifully with the stunning Koa and Bog Oak handle. 

Simon is an exceptional artisan, passionate about his craft, focused on forging exceptional kitchen knives with unquestionably high standards. This is a lovely knife and will certainly elevate your cooking experience and bring many years of joy.

Product Specification
  • Blade Type:
  • Edge Length: 163mm
  • Spine Heel: 4.12mm
  • Spine Mid: 2.15mm
  • Spine Tip (20mm before): 0.76mm
  • Blade Height: 54mm
  • Weight: 152g
  • Cutting Edge Steel:
  • Steel class: Carbon
  • HRC: 65
  • Blade Construction:
  • Blade Finish: Brut de Forge, Satin Polish, Acid Etched (Forced Patina)
  • Grind:
  • Handle Construction:
  • Handle Materials: Koa, Bog Oak
  • Handedness: Ambidextrous

Blade type

Bunka

文化

A close cousin of the santoku, distinguished by its reverse-tanto tip — an angular k-tip where the spine drops sharply to meet a mostly flat edge. The flat profile excels at push cutting, and the aggressive tip gives back the fine point work a santoku's rounded nose gives up, making the bunka a versatile mid-length all-rounder with a distinctive silhouette.

The bunka's appeal is as much geometry as style: the angular tip is excellent for detail and scoring but asks for a little respect, since the point sits lower and sharper than on a curved blade. Performance otherwise tracks the santoku closely, so the choice between them usually comes down to tip preference and how the knife feels in the hand.

View full knife type guide →

Cutting edge steel

1.2210

Plain high-carbon chromium-vanadium steel

Typical HRC
62–65
Corrosion class
Carbon
Production
Conventional
Origin
Germany (DIN 115CrV3); historically known as "Silver Steel" in the UK

1.2210 — 115CrV3, "Silver Steel" — is one of the most common European low-alloy carbon steels used in kitchen knifemaking and small-tool work. About 1.15 percent carbon, half a percent of chromium, and a small vanadium addition put it at the edge of the simple-carbon family, with just enough alloying to refine the grain.

For the cook it is a clean, predictable steel: 62–63 HRC in a careful heat treat, easy to sharpen, takes a fine edge, holds it longer than 1084 but less than 52100. It is occasionally sold in precision-ground rod form (the "silver steel" of UK clockmaking), and bladesmiths sometimes start with that stock; it is also widely available as flat bar.

You see 1.2210 across the European maker community as a default "good carbon" — including in some of the lesser-known German workshops where it is the everyday stock. Among the makers Modern Cooking carries, Simon Krichbaum works in 1.2210. Functionally it sits squarely between O1 and W2.

Also known as:115CrV3

View full steel guide →

Blade construction

Laminated Steel

A category covering knives built from multiple layers of different steels forge-welded together. The hard cutting steel is sandwiched between softer outer layers (cladding) that protect the core, add toughness, and often contribute visual contrast.

The most common laminated constructions in the Modern Cooking catalogue are:

SanMai (三枚) — three layers: hard cutting steel in the centre, softer cladding on both sides. The traditional and most common form.

GoMai (五枚) — five layers: a hard core, two intermediate layers, and two outer layers. Adds visual depth and structural complexity.

KuMai (九枚) — nine layers: similar logic, with more cladding layers for additional pattern and structural variation.

GoMai and KuMai are often chosen not only for the additional layers and visual depth, but also because the intermediate layers can act as a nickel diffusion barrier — limiting carbon migration out of the core into the cladding during forge welding, and protecting the core's intended carbon content through the heat of the forging process.

In all cases the cutting performance is determined by the core steel; the outer layers are cosmetic and structural. The lamination contributes corrosion protection (when a stainless jacket clads a carbon core), reduced reactivity, and the visible boundary between core and cladding that gives the knife its character.

View full construction guide →

Grind

Convex

A grind whose faces curve outward in a continuous arc rather than falling in a straight line. The practical consequence is that it has no shoulder — no abrupt step where a bevel meets the blade face. Food release improves for the same reason: a curved face touches the cut surface along a narrow band instead of a full flat plane, so slices break away rather than clinging. Drag behaves differently too. A convex blade carries more steel than a flat grind of the same spine thickness, so it is not the lowest-drag geometry available, but the resistance it does create builds smoothly through the cut instead of arriving all at once as the food meets a bevel transition. The feel is progressive rather than sudden.

The curve also supports the edge. Steel thickens quickly behind the apex, which raises edge stability at a given sharpening angle — the apex is less prone to rolling or chipping under lateral load. How much of that you get depends on where the convexity sits. A face can be curved the whole way from spine to edge, or the curve can be confined to the last millimetre or two as a convex "appleseed" edge on an otherwise flat blade. The first shapes how the knife moves through food; the second is felt almost entirely at the edge.

View full grind guide →

Handle construction

Hidden Tang

A construction in which the tang runs into the handle but stays concealed inside it, rather than showing between two scales. A narrower tang — a full-length stick or a shorter projection — is set into a drilled or burned channel in a one-piece handle and secured with adhesive, a friction fit, or a threaded fitting drawn up against the blade. This is the traditional construction of Japanese wa-handles and many European hidden-tang knives.

The design puts the handle material in charge of the look and feel: a single piece of wood, horn, or composite — often with a ferrule or spacers at the front — is shaped into any cross-section the maker wants, from the classic octagonal and D-shaped wa profiles to fully rounded Western forms. With no steel showing along the grip, the handle can be slim and light, and is frequently made to be removed and replaced, with the balance sitting toward the blade.

View full construction guide →

Shipping & Returns

Shipping

We process orders 5 days a week (Monday - Friday) and ship from our shop in Sydney, Australia. We ship with FedEx, UPS and DHL.

We are happy to offer free international shipping on a variety of orders depending on location and order value.

Free Shipping Regions and Minimum Order Values

For Australia and New Zealand the minimum is $500AUD. For the rest of the world it is approximately €1000EUR. The discount is applied automatically when you reach the minimum cart value at checkout.

Returns

If you're not entirely happy with your purchase, you can return it within 14 days of delivery for a refund. The item must be in its original condition with all original packaging.

  • Returns are accepted for 14 days
  • The customer is responsible for return shipping costs
  • A 15% restocking fee may be applied to change-of-mind returns
  • We do not accept returns on second-hand items for change of mind

Faulty or Damaged Items

You must notify us within 5 business days of receiving your order. Photographic evidence of damage is required. Once approved, Modern Cooking will cover return shipping costs.

Product Care

Cleaning: Clean by hand with warm water. Avoid wetting the handle when possible.

Sharpening: We advise using whetstones to sharpen your knives and a honing rod or steel to maintain the burr between sharpening sessions.

Reactive Steels: Reactive steels like Aogami Super, Apex Ultra or premium reactive German and Swedish steels are susceptible to rust if not properly cared for. Keep the knife dry between uses and when storing for longer periods, wiping the blade with Tsubaki oil or another food-safe oil is a wise choice. A patina can be a beautiful personal feature on your knife and helps to stop rust forming.

Handle Care: For non-stabilised wooden handles, apply Tsubaki oil or another food-safe oil from time to time. Food-safe wax can be applied to both stabilised and non-stabilised wooden handles. Never apply hot wax or oil as you risk warping or damaging the handle.

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