Joe Black Apex Ultra Katana Bunka Set: Custom Steel That Lives Up to the Hype

Introduction

Sometimes a steel that looks too good on paper turns out to be even better in the hand. That was the surprise here. After a first experience with an Apex Ultra gyuto from Birch and Bevel, the decision was made to order not one but two custom knives from Joe Black, a blacksmith based in the United Kingdom who works in the same steel. The result is this Katana and Bunka set, and it delivered one of the sharpest out-of-the-box edges we have used outside of a Japanese knife maker.

What Makes Apex Ultra Interesting

The charts for Apex Ultra looked almost too good to be true, and there was reasonable skepticism at first. Steel charts can flatter a composition on paper while telling you nothing about how a knife actually feels in daily use. Real-world cutting is what matters, and in practice Apex Ultra held up extremely well. That first hands-on impression with the Birch and Bevel iron-clad gyuto was convincing enough to justify commissioning custom work, which says a lot on its own.

Choosing Joe Black for the custom order came down to style. His blades carry small stamped emblems on the steel, and one particular knife spotted months earlier set the template for exactly what was wanted, including the Katana. Sometimes everything lines up.

The Birch and Bevel Apex Ultra Gyuto

The Birch and Bevel iron-clad gyuto was the first introduction to Apex Ultra and the reason this whole story unfolded. It combines the steel’s cutting performance with a rustic iron cladding that gives it real character in the hand. For anyone curious about this steel but not ready to commission a custom piece, a production gyuto like this is the more approachable entry point.

The Katana and Bunka Set from Joe Black

The custom set arrived as two pieces: a Bunka with a K-tip, and a Katana-style knife with a notably straight profile. The Bunka is the everyday workhorse of the pair, slicing through tomato skin with zero effort and handling typical kitchen prep with ease. The Katana is the conversation piece, and it is genuinely fun to use, particularly for push cuts and pull cuts through radish and cucumber, where it produced impressively consistent slices.

The Katana’s straight geometry is its defining trait. The handle and blade sit essentially parallel at the same height, which makes the grip unusual compared with most kitchen knives. Holding it was, if anything, the hardest part of using it for food prep. Once adapted, it rewarded the effort with cuts that feel remarkable when the knife is this sharp.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The Katana is thick. At 9.5 millimeters thick at the handle and 7 millimeters at the heel, with a very flat profile, it is not a knife for rocking cuts or delicate lateral work. On a large dense carrot, the thickness showed: the blade wedged and even split the vegetable, as any knife this size would. It still got the job done, just with more effort, and the taper toward the edge helps it feel less slab-like than the numbers suggest.

The Bunka has a smaller quirk. The K-tip is built for precision, but the belly height on this particular knife made trimming the inside of a bell pepper harder than expected. Neither issue is a dealbreaker, but both are worth knowing about before ordering.

Overall Buying Advice

If you want a proven entry into Apex Ultra without the wait of a custom order, the Birch and Bevel iron-clad gyuto is the sensible first step. If you already know you love the steel and want something with genuine character, a custom commission from Joe Black is where things get special. Just go in with realistic expectations about the Katana’s geometry.

Conclusion

Apex Ultra earned its reputation in practice, not just on paper. The Birch and Bevel gyuto makes the steel accessible, and the Joe Black Katana Bunka set shows what a talented smith can do with it, sharpness included.