The Santoku, whose name means “three virtues,” refers to its excellence at cutting meat, fish, and vegetables. A truly versatile knife in Japanese cuisine, it is distinguished by a high profile that provides excellent finger clearance and a good cutting edge length. Its rounded tip naturally encourages a clean push cut rather than a sawing motion. Compact, agile, and indispensable for everyday use.
Made in Hirosaki, Aomori, by Nigara Hamono, a forge with deep roots in sword-making for the Tsugaru clan, this santoku is built in sanmai construction: an SG2 (R2) core with soft stainless cladding. Nigara Hamono's signature etched pattern runs across the cladding, a visual mark specific to this forge.
SG2 (R2) is a powder metallurgy stainless steel with approximately 1.45% carbon content and a hardness of 62 to 65 HRC. Its fine, uniformly distributed carbides deliver edge retention well above that of conventionally forged steels. Sharpening on a whetstone requires more passes and quality stones, owing to the high vanadium carbide content. Rinsing and drying after each use is sufficient for routine maintenance.
Care
Rinse and dry after each use. Do not wash in the dishwasher. No oiling required.