The 165 mm santoku is the all-purpose knife of Japanese cuisine: its high profile offers a large cutting surface and ample finger clearance, while its rounded tip naturally guides the knife toward a clean push cut. At this length, it handles vegetables, meats, and fish with an everyday ease that longer sizes cannot match.
The blade features a tsuchime finish on the body, with irregular hammer marks that give the jigane a forged appearance. The cutting edge is polished, contrasting with the textured body.
Shirogami #2 (White Steel #2) is a benchmark steel for handcrafted Japanese knives. Its pure carbon composition, free of chromium and tungsten, allows it to be sharpened to a very fine edge in just a few passes on a whetstone. The trade-off is immediate: without alloying elements to slow oxidation, the blade reacts quickly to moisture and acids. A patina develops from the very first uses, which is normal and expected. The hardness ranges between 60 and 63 HRC, offering good edge retention without excessive brittleness.
Care
Wipe the blade dry immediately after each use. Never leave acidic residue on the steel. A light coat of camellia oil protects the blade during storage. Never put in the dishwasher.