Bunmei was the first brand of knives manufactured and released by the Yoshikin factory, better known for producing the Global knife brand. Bunmei knives are traditional Japanese knives, reflecting over 150 years of Japanese cuisine. All Bunmei knives have a traditional Japanese single bevel and are made with Chromova18 steel ensuring good edge retention.
Bunmei knives were one of the first creations of Yoshikin which is the manufacturer of Global Knives. After a lot of testing and refining they created the Bunmei Gincho range in 1960, this was the first time they had created a stainless-steel blade using a processing technique that allowed them to not only make it hard to rust and easy to treat but also ensured it had the same sharpness as a carbon steel knife. What makes this range really special is that it still retains its traditional Japanese knife with its wooden handle and its one-sided sharpening, which the later series do not carry as they are more focused on a western audience.
This range of knives are ideal for Japanese cooking and so each knife is specifically created for different uses such as the Bunmei Deba for Meat, the Bunmei Oroshi which is for slicing or filleting fish, then the Bunmei Usuba which is for vegetables and then very specific knives for Japanese cuisine includes the Bunmei Yanagi knives which is used for cutting sashimi and the Bunmei Tako which is used for cutting octopus, the word Tako meaning octopus gives it away.
When using the knives, you will find that the one-sided edge makes it ideal for people that are right handed and that the balance is more towards the blade rather than being in the middle. The one-sided edge ensures that whatever you cut retains its freshness and in doing so provides a better taste for your food overall.
