The word santoku translates as “three virtues”, referring to the cutting of meat, fish and vegetables, or the following three types of cut: chopping, slicing and dicing. Highly versatile, the santoku is one of the types of knife we recommend as a first or main knife in the kitchen. It is important that the blade is straight on impact with the cutting board to avoid damage to the cutting edge.
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, from 1660, different forging techniques were introduced by blacksmiths from Aizu. As a result, the town's blacksmiths began to diversify their production. The quality of Sanjo's tools and knives then enjoyed a strong reputation in Japan, and continues to do so today.
Simply explained, the Aogami #2 developed by Hitachi Metals is a steel made from Shirogami #2 to which a little chromium and tungsten are added for greater durability and corrosion resistance. On top of this, the steel's higher carbon content results in better cutting retention. Objectively speaking, Aogami #2 is an improvement on Shirogami #2. For patina enthusiasts, on the other hand, Shirogami steel is more reactive to oxidation and could be an advantage.