Skip to product information
NEW
8.5" Bunka Knife - Uliassi Series (X03)
The X03 series — Xinzuo's collaboration with three-Michelin-star chef Mauro Uliassi. 73-layer Damascus over a 14Cr14MoVNb powder-steel core, hardened to 62 HRC. Includes a matching wooden sheath.
$329.95
or 4 interest-free payments of $82.49 with
30-day returns
Free shipping over $100
Lifetime warranty
FAST SHIPPING
IN STOCK
15° Per Side
Razor Sharp
62±2 HRC
Powder Steel Core
73 Layers
Forged Damascus
DESCRIPTION
This is the knife you pick up when you want something lighter and more nimble than a 10-inch but need a blade that still handles real prep - not just garnish work. The 8.5-inch Bunka gives you a flat belly for clean push cuts through daikon and leeks and a sharp reverse-tanto tip that's built for the kind of detail work a curved chef knife makes awkward. It sits right at the crossover between a daily driver and a specialist.
The Bunka Advantage
Where a Western chef knife curves up toward the tip, a Bunka runs flat along the belly and then drops sharply at the spine to meet that reverse-tanto point. The flat section is what makes it fast for push-cutting thin slices of courgette or ribbons of leek. The tip is what makes it useful for scoring skin, trimming artichokes, or working around bones without swapping blades. You'll reach for it first on most Japanese-style prep and many Western tasks too.
73-Layer Damascus, Powder Steel Core
The core is 14Cr14MoVNb powder steel, vacuum heat-treated to 62 HRC. It's the same steel used in the Lan Series (B37) - a fine-grained powder metallurgy alloy that gets very sharp and stays sharp through full prep sessions. The 73-layer Damascus cladding wraps the core for chip resistance and the flowing wave pattern that runs across the full blade face. Rosewood handle, hidden tang, sized for comfortable pinch-grip use over long periods.
Specifications
- Blade Steel: 73-layer Damascus with 14Cr14MoVNb powder steel core
- Hardness: 62 HRC (Vacuum Heat Treated)
- Blade Profile: 8.5-inch Bunka (reverse-tanto tip, flat belly push-cut profile)
- Handle: Rosewood, hidden tang
- Use: Everyday push-cut prep, thin vegetable slicing, tip detail work on herbs and small produce.
- Series: Uliassi Series (X03)
- Model: X03-8QF
Complete Your Set
Pair it with the Uliassi Series 7.5" Santoku (X03-RS) when you want a shorter, lighter option for faster switching, and the 10" Bread Knife (X03-MB) for the loaves you're slicing after the prep is done.
READY TO GIFT
Arrives in a premium gift box engraved Xinzuo for Mauro Uliassi, with a matching wooden sheath. Ready to give — or to keep.
THE NERDY BITS
Blade: 73-layer Damascus, 14Cr14MoVNb powder-steel core
Hardness: 62±2 HRC
Edge: 15° per side, double bevel
Blade length: ~8.5" (~216 mm)
Weight: ~269 g
Heat treatment: Vacuum + deep-freeze cryo
Handle: Rosewood with brass mosaic pin
Made: By hand in Yangjiang, China
Includes: Matching wooden sheath
The X03 Series — Xinzuo × Mauro Uliassi
Designed for a three-Michelin-star kitchen
A collaboration with Mauro Uliassi — the Italian chef whose restaurant held three Michelin stars from 2019 to 2025 — co-designed with Steve Cheng. The wavy Damascus is forged, not laser-etched. Made by hand in Yangjiang, China — the city of knives, with roughly 1,400 years of blade-making heritage.
Add to cart — $329.95
In stock. Ships from Australia. Hand-wash only.
Bunka · K-tip
The bunka: a k-tip all-rounder.
An 8.5-inch all-purpose Japanese blade with a flat profile and an angled k-tip (kiritsuke) point. The flat edge push-cuts vegetables cleanly while the precise tip handles fine work — one knife for most of the board.
- 8.5 in blade
- 15° per side
- 62±2 HRC
73-layer Damascus
73 layers. One edge that lasts.
A 14Cr14MoVNb powder-steel core — the Chinese equivalent of SG2/R2 — hardened to 62±2 HRC with vacuum heat treatment and a deep-freeze cryo cycle, then folded into 73 layers of Damascus. A true double bevel, forged, not laser-etched.
Specification
The numbers.
TypeBunka · k-tip (kiritsuke)
Blade length~8.5" (~216 mm)
Weight~269 g
Edge15°/side double bevel
Core steel14Cr14MoVNb powder
Construction73-layer Damascus
Hardness62±2 HRC
HandleRosewood · brass mosaic pin
TangHidden
Hand-wash only — not dishwasher safe.
Rosewood · Brass
Built for real prep.
A rosewood handle with a brass mosaic pin, on a hidden-tang Damascus blade — balanced for control through a long prep session.
The difference
Why this knife.
Bunka (k-tip)
- Flat edge for clean push-cuts
- Angled tip for precise fine work
- One knife for most of the board
A curved Western chef's knife
- Belly favours rocking, not push-cuts
- Rounded tip is less precise
- Leaves uncut ends on dense veg
In the box
Everything it comes with.
- The X03 Bunka, 8.5"
- A matching wooden saya (sheath)
- Premium gift box engraved Xinzuo for Mauro Uliassi, with the Italian flag
Arrives ready to give. Optional engraving available above.
X03 Bunka · 8.5"
Ready when you are.
73-layer Damascus · 62±2 HRC · 15° edge · matching saya · gift box.
Add to cart — $329.95- 30-day returns
- Free shipping over $100
- Lifetime warranty
Care & questions
How do I clean and care for it?
Hand-wash with warm soapy water and dry it straight away. Not dishwasher safe. Store it in the included wooden saya or on a magnetic strip to protect the edge.
Will the edge chip?
The 14Cr14MoVNb powder-steel core at 62±2 HRC holds a fine edge. Like any hard Japanese-style blade, keep it to food — avoid bone, frozen food and twisting.
Is it made in Japan?
No. It's hand-made in Yangjiang, China — the traditional Chinese city of knives — using a 14Cr14MoVNb powder steel equivalent to SG2/R2, as part of the Xinzuo × Mauro Uliassi collaboration.
What is a bunka for?
An all-round Japanese knife. The flat edge push-cuts vegetables cleanly and the angled k-tip (kiritsuke) handles precise tip work — a versatile main knife for most board tasks.
Does it include a sheath?
Yes — a matching wooden saya is included in the gift box.
Can I have it engraved?
Yes — choose the engraving option in the buy box above before adding to cart.
From the journal
Guides to help you get the most from your knife
