Santoku 180mm (7")
The Santoku is the most popular knife in the Japanese home and considered to be an all rounder in the kitchen. The meaning of Santoku is the “three virtues” in Japanese and is a reference to its multi purpose and versatility. It can be used to prepare fish, chicken and most fruits and vegetables but is too small for large food items like watermelons and bigger cuts of meat. The Santoku is great as an alternative if you have a larger chef’s knife as most Santokus come in at around 165mm to 180mm its easy to handle and has a snubbed nose to it.
VG5 is a lesser-known steel from the same VG series. It is a martensitic stainless steel with good hardness, corrosion resistance, and edge retention. Compared to VG10, VG5 has slightly less vanadium, making it a bit easier to sharpen but offering slightly less wear resistance. VG5 Good sharpness and corrosion resistance, easier to sharpen than VG10, but slightly lower edge retention.
Hatsukokoro’s VG5 series, known as the “Hayabusa” line, offers a range of high-quality kitchen knives crafted in Seki City, Japan—a renowned hub for knife production. These knives feature a core of VG5 stainless steel, recognized for its excellent wear resistance and ease of sharpening, making them suitable for both professional chefs and home cooks. The blades are of san-mai construction, meaning a VG5 core is sandwiched between layers of stainless steel cladding. This design enhances durability and corrosion resistance.
Weight: 170g
Handle Material: Black pakka wood
Handle Length: 115mm (4.5")
Blade Length: 180mm (7")
Blade Depth: 47mm
Thickness at spine: 1.5mm
Thickness at tip: 0.2mm
Cutting Edge: Double 50/50
Blade Material: VG5 core with stainless cladding
Hardness (Rockwell scale): 59 - 60