Hatsukokoro Hayabusa VG-10 Damascus Chuka

This is a great addition to the already popular Hayabusa(隼) series by Hatsukokoro, providing another budget friendly choice for those who are interested in the Chuka/Chinese Cleaver profile.

The Chuka is a rather uncommon profile when it comes to the knives made in Japan, and often people will have Sugimoto as their only option, at a much higher price. This Hayabusa VG10 Chuka provides us a far more affordable option, for a knife with decent core steel, stainless across the entire blade and a subtle damascus pattern. Remember, that is a lot of steel you get over other profiles.

There are few drawbacks for these knives, as the result of simplifying the production. Dispite bearing the name of Hayabusa(Peregrine Falcon), the blade is not a fast and nimble one, the stamping process brings no taper to the blade, leads to a higher overall weight. The choil and spine are polished, but the absence of rounding can hurt the finger when pressures are applied. If these two main drawbacks are acceptable, there aren't much to be picky about this entry level Japanese Chuka.