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.

The 45 layer has been one of the most popular knives in the Sakai Takayuki range, it has a very classic Japanese look and is very light in the hand due to the Wa handle it has a AUS - 10 steel core with 45 layers of hammered damascus steel layered over the top on both sides. Like all Sakai Takayuki knives this is absolute value for money and would be a work horse in any chef’s knife case.