Nigara Hamono has a reputation for the absolute highest quality and the level of expertise and skill these craftsmen posses is not often found. The company is led by the master blacksmith by the name of Tsuyoshi Yoshizawa and every knife they make is forged by hand with the utmost care and attention to detail and quality. This combined, helps create knives made to last for years to come. Hand-crafted using SG2/R2 powder stainless steel and with perfectly crafted custom wood handles the fit and finish of Nigara knives are second to none.

The Santoku is a versatile, all-purpose knife that excels in precision cutting, making it a staple in both professional and home kitchens. The name “Santoku” translates to “three virtues,” referring to its ability to handle slicing, dicing, and chopping with ease. With its shorter, wider blade and a flat cutting edge, the Santoku is designed for a more up-and-down chopping motion, making it an excellent alternative to the Gyuto, especially for those who prefer a more compact knife.

Unlike a Gyuto, which has a pronounced curve for rocking cuts, the Santoku features a straighter edge, allowing for clean, precise cuts with minimal horizontal movement. The sheep’s foot tip provides extra control for delicate slicing, while the wide blade makes it easy to scoop up chopped ingredients.

SG2 (R2) is a high speed powder stainless steel made by Takefu special steel Co Ltd. For some knife makers, this is an ideal steel for knife making as it has a great hardiness of greater than 63HR. This steel has great edge retention, high wear resistance and is stainless. The grains are so fine and uniform that the hammer forging is not necessary.