The Katai Forged Santoku knife 18cm is the Japanese answer to the Western chef's knife. Santoku means three virtues: slicing, chopping and mincing. The blade is wide and almost straight, so you move through vegetables, fish and meat with short strokes instead of the rocking motion of a chef's knife.
The blade is forged from hardened steel and runs through to the handle. That gives the knife a calm feel in the hand and just enough weight to do its job without you having to push. At 18cm you have enough length for a whole cabbage or a large fish.
- 18cm blade, wide and ground straight
- Forged hardened steel that stays sharp for a long time
- Full tang for balance and sturdiness
- For vegetables, fish, meat and herbs
- The wide blade scoops up sliced vegetables easily
How to cut with a Santoku knife 18cm
Work with a straight, downward stroke and let the blade do the work. Unlike a chef's knife, you do not keep the tip on the board but lift the knife for each cut. Because the blade is tall, you keep your knuckles well away from the board and use the side of the blade to scoop up sliced vegetables.
Maintenance and keeping it sharp
Wash the knife by hand and dry it immediately, even if you only used it for vegetables. Never cut on glass, stone or metal. Touch up the edge regularly at a fixed angle, so you rarely need to sharpen heavily.
Looking for a shorter version for fine work? Take a look at the Katai Forged Santoku knife 14cm. Find the complete range at knives, and for keeping the edge sharp, see the Horl knife sharpeners.
