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.
Shirogami #2 translates to: Shiro (white) and Gami (Steel) and thus; white steel #2. It is so named because of the color of the packaging in which it was wrapped at Hitachi Metals. The composition of this steel is very pure and contains almost only iron and carbon (1.05%-1.2%). It is in the hands of very experienced blacksmiths that one realizes the enormous potential of Shirogami #2. The quality of the heat treatment and the lower temperature forging are key elements that can allow Shirogami #2 to compete with, and even surpass, many modern steels. Try a Shiro #2 blade forged by Tanaka-san, Kisuke Manaka-san or Yoshikane's forge and you will see!
The Hitohira brand is a guarantee of excellence and assures you that every knife sold under this name meets rigorous quality standards.