Bonito Pro Kitchen Knife Damascus Utility Knife 7 Inch Damascus Chef’s Knives Damascus Steel Sharp Paring Knife with Ergonomic Handle | BMK-715

Description

A seven inch utility blade fitted to an octagonal Japanese-style handle with a black ferrule at the collar.

Reach for it when: a chef’s knife is too tall and a paring knife is too short. Breaking down a chicken, slicing a cooked roast, portioning a squash, trimming a rack. It is the knife that covers the middle of the board.

Seven inches is a utility knife, not a paring knife

Worth stating plainly, because the name suggests otherwise. A paring knife is three to four inches and works in your hand, away from the board. This blade is seven inches, has a long flat section and a fine tip, and belongs on a cutting board. Use it as a petty or utility knife and it is excellent. Try to peel an apple in your palm with it and you will not enjoy the experience. Our blade shapes guide sets out which profile suits which job.

The octagonal handle

The handle is a wa-style octagon rather than a Western riveted scale. Two things follow. First, you always know the edge orientation without looking, because the flats index against your fingers. Second, it is symmetrical, so it suits either hand. The black ferrule at the front is there to close the joint where the tang enters the wood, and it takes the abuse that the end grain otherwise would.

Keeping the edge

The flat section is long, which makes this an easy knife to sharpen well and an easy one to sharpen badly. Lay the flat on the stone and keep your wrist locked so the angle does not roll as you move down toward the tip. The tip is fine and thin, so lighten the pressure over the last inch. Strop it on leather between sharpenings and you will go months without touching a stone at all. A thin blade loses very little metal each time it is worked, so it will outlast whoever is sharpening it as long as nobody gets aggressive with a coarse grit. If you want more blade for the same handling, the Fugu series runs eight inches; for the same length in a different grind, see the Unagi Pro utility knife.

Care: high-carbon Damascus, so it rusts if left wet. Hand wash, dry at once, and leave a trace of food-safe mineral oil on the steel between uses. The wa handle is bare wood at the back — do not let it sit in water, do not put it in a dishwasher, and rub in a little mineral oil a few times a year to stop the octagon flats from drying and going rough.

FAQs

Is the handle left-hand friendly? Yes. The octagonal wa handle is symmetrical and works either way round.

Can I put it in the dishwasher? No. It would rust the blade and split the handle.

Is anything included beyond the knife? A hand-stitched leather sheath, cut to this blade.

Model: Bmk-715