Shimomura – Chuka Bocho / Chinese Cleaver 165 mm (420J2 Stainless Steel)

Brand & Heritage
Founded in 1874 in Sanjo City, a historic hub for Japan’s cutlery production, Shimomura has built a reputation for producing durable, sharp, and easy-to-maintain cutting tools. Initially a maker of sickles and hoes, the company later expanded into stainless steel knives, scissors, and slicers, combining traditional blacksmithing expertise with modern technology.

Each Shimomura knife undergoes about 35 production steps from forging to finishing. The blades are sharpened using the advanced wet grinding method, in which water is applied continuously during sharpening. This creates the Hamaguri edge, polished to a mirror-like finish for smooth cutting performance, precision, and longer-lasting sharpness compared to conventional blades.

Specifications

• Type: Chuka Bocho / Chinese Cleaver (Golok Serbaguna)

• Edge Length: 165 mm

• Total Length: 260 mm

• Core Steel (Hagane): 420J2 Japanese Stainless Steel

• Cladding (Jigane): Stainless Steel

• Handle: Pakka Wood

• Weight: ~200 g

• Spine Thickness: 2.0 mm

• Height at Heel: 70 mm

• Hardness: 54–56 HRC

• Origin: Made in Japan

Features & Use
This 165 mm Chuka Bocho is a lighter and more versatile style of Chinese cleaver, suitable for daily kitchen tasks such as slicing, chopping vegetables, cutting boneless meat, and mincing garlic or herbs. Unlike the heavy-duty bone cleavers, this model is thinner and significantly lighter (200 g), offering excellent control and agility for precision cutting.