The hammered face is not decoration. Each dimple breaks the flat surface of the blade so cut food has less steel to cling to, which means fewer slices sticking and less stopping to clear the blade. It also gives the knife the forged look of a hand-worked Japanese blade.
Underneath the texture it is the same construction that built TOJIRO's name: a VG10 cobalt alloy core clad either side in 13-chrome stainless steel, with a clear coating over the outer layers to hold off rust. The handle is Japanese magnolia, chosen for its smooth surface and water resistance, with a resin ferrule at the join, in the traditional D shape that sits naturally in a pinch grip.
Santoku means three virtues: meat fish and vegetables. The hammered face earns its keep here more than anywhere, since santoku work is mostly wet vegetables that want to stick.
This range was sold as TOJIRO DP Hammered until TOJIRO renamed its lines in 2025. The knife is unchanged.
- Hammered blade face releases food and reduces sticking
- VG10 cobalt alloy core clad in 13-chrome stainless steel
- Clear coating over the outer layers for rust resistance
- Japanese magnolia D-shape handle is smooth and water resistant
- Light in the hand compared to a Western knife of the same length
- Made in Niigata Japan
- Blade hardness approximately 60 HRC (average rating and may vary by plus or minus 1)