Bunka San-Mai Collection - Paring Knife - 9 cm

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9 cm paring knife - Bunka San-Mai collection

The paring knife is the second most used knife, just after the chef’s knife. It is extremely useful for precision tasks away from the chopping board. The paring knife can also be used to peel food.

The KOTAI Bunka San-Mai paring knife has an ideal hybrid shape, combining an almost flat blade edge for maximum precision with a very fine tip for detailed work.

“Bunka” knives are recognisable by their angular blade profile (reverse Tanto profile); this distinctive geometry gives them greater precision than a classic rounded profile.

The thin blade of the Bunka Damascus paring knife allows you to slice and finely chop even the most delicate ingredients without ever crushing them, so they retain all their flavour. In addition, the hammered blade reduces friction between the knife and the food being cut, preventing it from sticking to the blade.

The blade is forged from three-layer AUS-10 steel, a premium steel that combines a 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 paring knife ideal balance and exceptional durability.

Japanese precision, Western robustness.

The best of both worlds.

* Handmade

* Three-layer Japanese AUS-10 stainless steel

* Full tang

* ebony handle

* HRC hardness: 61 +/- 1

* Weight: 85g

* 9 cm blade, 21 cm overall length

* Perfectly balanced

* Bamboo saya (sheath) included with every knife

* Lifetime warranty

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 refined 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 enhance 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 known as a “reverse Tanto profile” or “K-tip”), giving them unrivalled precision and enabling careful 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 ancient Japanese method prevents food from sticking to the blade for pleasant, quick cutting.