The santoku is the Japanese answer to the Western chef's knife — a true all-rounder built for the three jobs that fill most of your prep time: slicing, dicing, and chopping. The name means "three virtues", and the shorter, flatter profile suits a chopping motion rather than the rocking action of a chef's knife. Easier on the wrist, faster through a board of vegetables, and at home with proteins and fruit too.
The Shun Classic line is one of the most recognised Japanese knife ranges in the world, and the santoku is the workhorse of the collection. The blade core is Shun's proprietary VG-MAX steel — high-carbon, high-performance, and engineered to hold a sharper edge for longer than standard stainless. It's clad in 32 layers of Damascus stainless steel, ground and bead-blasted to reveal the flowing pattern of the layered steel down the spine.
The edge is hand-sharpened to a 16° double bevel, considerably sharper than the 20-22° edge typical of European knives. You feel it the first time the blade hits a tomato.
The D-shaped handle is ebony PakkaWood, shaped to settle into the hand naturally and built to handle years of daily use without warping or cracking. Handmade in Seki, Japan.
Presented in a Shun gift box, making it a strong gift for a serious home cook or someone setting up their first proper kitchen.
Not suitable for cutting through bone or very thick-skinned vegetables. Hand wash only and dry immediately.