The word santoku translates to "three virtues," which refers to the cutting of meat, fish, and vegetables, or the three following types of cuts: chopping, slicing, and dicing. Highly versatile, the santoku is one of the knife types we recommend as a first or main knife in the kitchen.
Simply put, Aogami #2, developed by Hitachi Metals, is a steel made from Shirogami #2 with a small amount of chromium and tungsten added for improved durability and corrosion resistance. In addition, the steel's higher carbon content allows for better edge retention. Objectively, Aogami #2 is an improvement over Shirogami #2. For patina enthusiasts, however, Shirogami steel is more reactive to oxidation and could be an advantage.
The town of Sanjo in Niigata Prefecture has been famous for its blacksmithing since the 1600s. In the early years, nails were mainly forged by hand. Then, starting in 1660, different blacksmithing techniques were introduced by blacksmiths from Aizu. Thanks to this, the town's blacksmiths began to diversify their production. The quality of Sanjo tools and knives then enjoyed a strong reputation in Japan, which remains the case today.