Japanese Santoku - Maple Burl Handle - Hand Forged Damascus 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 Damascus Steel Blade, and a handle made from Manitoba Maple Burl. 

My Santoku features a wide profile with a gently curving edge, forged from 250 layers of premium Damascus Steel for optimal performance. The blade has a very thin grind which allows for superior slicing both on hard and soft ingredients. This steel holds an excellent edge and resharpens with ease, and as it is a carbon Damascus the steel will etch and patina with use, adding blue, gold, and purple hues to the existing Damascus pattern with age and use. 

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. Besides the comfortable grip, my favourite part of this handle is the wood choice. I've featured some locally sourced Manitoba Maple Burl and infused it under vacuum with a specialty stabilizing resin to ensure for a lifetime of durability. I chose a piece of burl that had the bark on it, and removed the bark while filling the end with blue epoxy to create a feature where you can see where the bark attached to the tree. The bolster features blue Stabilized Maple Burl, with a piece of Moose Antler and polished Rams horn to add some extra uniqueness.

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

Blade Specifications:

Blade Length: 6.5" (170mm)

OAL: 12.25" (310 mm)

Weight:  130 grams

Blade Thickness: 1/16" (1.5mm)

Steel: 250 Layer Damascus Steel 62 HRC

Handle Material: Stabilized Manitoba Maple Burl, Moose Antler, Rams Horn, Brass accents