Japanese Santoku - Forged High Carbon Steel

A Santoku is a staple blade in any kitchen. This Japanese blade is roughly akin to a European chef knife, which makes it an excellent general purpose kitchen knife that excels at meat prep, hard or soft vegetables, and chopping herbs. My take on the traditional Santoku includes some features such as a traditional High Carbon Steel blade, and a Wa style handle made from Paduk, a beautiful naturally red wood.

My Santoku features a wide profile with a gently curving edge, forged from 15N20 High Carbon steel. I've intentionally left the forging marks on the flats of the blade to pay homage to the Kurochi finish - a Japanese style where the forged section of the blade remains raw and unpolished. This style offers enhanced food release, as well as slightly higher rigidity in very thin blade stock. The blade has a very thin grind which allows for superior slicing both on hard and soft ingredients. 15N20 is my choice of blade steel for these blades, as it performs very similar to a traditional Japanese high grade carbon steel, albeit with added toughness to reduce chipping. I heat treat these blades in house to a hardness of 62 HRC to allow for optimal edge retention, while still offering ease of resharpening. 

The handle style of this blade is inspired by a traditional octagonal Wa style handle. I've taken inspiration and slightly adjusted some angles of the handle to make the handle taper down towards the blade to allow for slightly better indexing. 

The polish on this blade is a satin belt finish, which allows for smooth slicing. With time the high carbon steel will begin to etch and patina, forming blue and gold colours on the  blade. Since this is a traditional carbon steel care must be taken to avoid rust, such as immediately wiping the blade after use, and storing in a dry location. Check out the blade care page on my website to determine if high carbon steel is best for your kitchen!

Note: This is a one of a kind piece - if you place an order, you will receive the exact blade pictured. 

Blade Specifications:

Blade Length: 6.75 (170 mm)

OAL: 12" (300 mm)

Weight: 140 grams

Blade Thickness: 1/16" (1.5mm)

Steel: AEB-L Stainless 62 HRC

Handle Material: Paduk, Wenge bolster, Brass accents