The santoku 180 mm covers the three uses its name refers to: vegetables, meat, fish. Its tall profile provides a generous working surface and good knuckle clearance, while the rounded tip naturally favors push cutting over rocking. At 180 mm, this format sits at the upper end of the typical santoku range, adding versatility without giving up everyday maneuverability.
The wooden handle follows the wa tradition: lightweight, partial tang, with balance shifted toward the blade. Wood provides a firm grip and a warmth that synthetic materials do not replicate in the same way. The overall aesthetic is understated.
VG10 has been produced by Takefu Special Steel since the early 1960s, a steel designed from the start for knifemaking. Its 15% chromium provides strong corrosion resistance under normal use, with no patina and no reactivity to acidic foods. The addition of cobalt (1.5%) allows it to reach 60,61 HRC, a notable hardness for a stainless steel. The trade-off is that high chromium content makes VG10 less responsive on the whetstone than lower-alloy steels: it takes more passes to return to a fine edge, and quality stones make a meaningful difference.
Care
Rinse and dry after each use. Do not put in the dishwasher. Sharpen on water stones.
