Quick Expedition Takeo Murata Buho Santoku

First Impressions

The finish of the cutting edge is excellent for such an affordable knife and it’s obvious from the first use that the skill of Murata san has created a quality blade.

Beauty

The Buho is a classic Japanese knife, a blue #1 steel core clad in soft iron with a magnolia or dark pakka wood handle is about as traditional as it gets. It has a rustic charm and over time the cutting edge darkens and develops a patina.

In Hand

Light and comfortable, the balance point on most of the buho knives tends to be somewhere between the heel and the kanji on the blade.

Durability

Blue #1 is a durable carbon steel and we’ve had many happy years of use from our own buho nakiri and find the edge retention is impressive for a knife range at this price point.

Ease of Care

This is a very reactive knife, the core steel develops a patina and the soft iron cladding can be prone to rusting if left undried.

We would certainly recommend following our carbon steel care tipsand if purchasing a buho knife, we’d suggest including a carbon steel care kitin your basket to help with longer term care.

Our Verdict

The buho is exceptional value for money.

It’s got the looks, it’s got many of the properties and a great level of sharpness on the cutting edge but gives those who are considering investing in a carbon steel knife a real chance to do so without breaking the bank.