Takeshi Saji is a renowned third-generation Japanese blacksmith from Takefu, a city with over 700 years of knife-making history. He is widely recognized as one of Japan's most distinguished master craftsmen, celebrated for his visually stunning and technically precise hand-forged knives.

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.

Aogami 2 (also known as Blue Paper Steel #2) is a high carbon steel known for exceptional hardness and long lasting edge with ease of sharpening, It is a versatile steel with a carbon content around 1-1.2%. A key characteristic of this high-carbon steel is its tendency to oxidize and develop a patina over time, which is a normal part of its use and is often mitigated by the dark kurouchi finish left on after forging

Weight: 223g

Handle Material: Desert Ironwood western (Yo) handle 

Handle Length: 115mm (4.5")

Blade Length: 170mm (6.5") Cutting edge

Blade Depth: 51mm

Thickness at spine: 2mm

Thickness at tip: 0.2mm

Cutting Edge: Double 50/50

Blade Material: Aogami 2 rainbow Damascus (Blue 2) Iron clad-Reactive