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.

The Takeshi Saji Aogami #2 Rainbow Damascus is a striking handmade Japanese kitchen knife that combines traditional blacksmithing with exceptional visual artistry. Its Aogami #2 (Blue Paper Steel) core is renowned for its excellent edge retention, sharpness and ease of sharpening, while the distinctive Rainbow Damascus cladding features shimmering layers of copper, brass and bronze, creating a vibrant, multi-coloured pattern across the blade. Finished with a durable Corian handle, offering a smooth, comfortable and low-maintenance grip, this knife brings together outstanding cutting performance, innovative materials and Saji-san’s unmistakable craftsmanship.

Weight: 248g

Handle Material: Acrylic

Handle Length: 115mm (4.5")

Blade Length: 177mm (6.9")

Blade Depth: 50mm

Thickness at spine: 1.9mm

Thickness at tip: 0.2mm

Cutting Edge: Double 50/50

Blade Material: Aogami 2 rainbow damascus (blue 2) Iron clad-reactive

Hardness (Rockwell scale): 61 - 62