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. Many Santoku knives also feature a granton edge (hollow grooves), which helps reduce food from sticking to the blade, improving efficiency.

With its balanced weight, sharp edge, and ergonomic design, the Santoku is an ideal choice for those who want a lightweight, efficient, and easy-to-handle knife for everyday kitchen tasks. Whether you’re chopping vegetables, slicing meat, or mincing herbs, the Santoku delivers precision and versatility in every cut.

Sakai Takayuki non-stick coating VG10 “Kurokage” knives are finished with fluorine resin giving a mate black finish to the blade. In addition to this the blade has been hammered to give it texture that prevents further foods sticking to the blade and encourages the no stick function. The core blade is VG10 with a rockwell hardness of around 60 -61 which is typical in most Sakai Takayuki VG10 ranges. Handles are more traditional Japanese Octagonal Wenge wood with a Buffalo horn ferrule and give these knives a very light feel in the hand.

Weight: 147g

Handle Material: Octagonal wenge handle, water buffalo horn ferrule

Handle Length: 136mm (5.3")

Blade Length: 172mm (6.7")

Blade Depth: 49mm

Thickness at spine: 1.9mm

Thickness at tip: 0.2mm

Cutting Edge: Double 50/50

Blade Material: VG10 core with non-stick coating cladding and Hammered (tsuchime) finish

Hardness (Rockwell scale): 60 - 61