The very popular Santoku utility knife has its roots in Japan, where it was developed in the mid-20th century. Its name in Japanese means “three virtues” or “three uses.” The three virtues could be considered slicing, cutting, and chopping, while the three uses are preparing meat, fish, and vegetables. Japanese cuisine required a special knife for each ingredient, and the Santoku became the universal solution.
And why is the Santoku so popular not only in Japan but around the world? There are many reasons. Unlike a standard chef’s knife, it has a slightly different blade geometry. While a European chef’s knife has a blade that curves slightly toward the tip—requiring a rocking motion to finish the cut—the Santoku has a straight blade, allowing the cut to be completed with a single downward stroke. Although many chefs who use European knives prefer the rocking motion, cutting with a Santoku is faster and more efficient.
The Santoku also has a thinner blade than a standard knife, so it cuts through ingredients more cleanly and crushes them less. This is especially appreciated when slicing onions, for example, as it doesn’t squeeze out as much juice and spares you the typical tears. A classic Santoku is typically sharpened on one side only, but since cutting with a knife sharpened this way requires considerable skill, we sell knives with a double-edged blade—albeit at a sharper angle (10–15 degrees) than Western knives. The advantage over a single-bevel knife is that it can be used by both right- and left-handed people.
Santoku chefs also appreciate that it works great as a spatula, allowing them to easily scoop up sliced ingredients and transfer them to a pan or pot.
We offer two Santoku knives. The first Santoku is part of the exclusive Ruby kitchen set. The handle is made of a wood composite, and the blade is made of martensitic stainless steel DIN 1.4116 with small bevels on the sides, which help when slicing thin slices of meat or cheese. The second Santoku knife is made of 420 steel, has a plastic handle, and is part of the Klasik kitchen knife set. Both knives are rightfully among our best-selling products.