The santoku (three virtues) is Japan all-purpose chef knife - built for meat, fish, and vegetables with a shorter, flatter profile that suits a wide range of cooks and kitchen sizes. The Harukaze AS Santoku 170mm pairs that accessible format with an Aogami Super core that most santokus at this price cannot offer - a steel that reaches 63 HRC, holds an acute edge with genuine conviction, and sharpens on water stones with a responsiveness that stainless alloys rarely match. Made exclusively for CKTG by a factory in Tosa, Japan, Harukaze means windy spring - and this knife delivers on that name.
The stainless cladding protects the reactive AS core across the blade road while the migaki (polished) finish keeps the surface clean and bright. At 170mm with a dropped tip and flat-to-slightly-curved profile, this santoku is immediately approachable for home cooks and capable enough for professional close-quarters work. The rosewood oval handle with pakka ferrule is comfortable in both pinch and handle grips, and the hand-engraved kanji on the blade adds a mark of craft that is unusual at this price point.
What Customers Are Saying: A home cook new to Japanese knives describes the AS Santoku as immediately impressive - razor sharp with the CKTG sharpening service added to the order, and tested across a wide variety of vegetables with excellent results throughout. The combination of accessible format and serious steel makes this a consistent recommendation for cooks making their first move into Japanese cutlery.
Care Instructions: Aogami Super carbon steel with stainless cladding means the edge is reactive - the cladding protects the blade road but the edge itself will patina and can rust if neglected. Wipe and dry the knife promptly after use, especially after contact with acidic ingredients. Hand wash only - never the dishwasher. Apply a light coat of camellia oil for long-term storage. Sharpen on quality water stones to maintain the edge the AS core is capable of delivering. Free shipping over $100.
The stainless cladding protects the reactive AS core across the blade road while the migaki (polished) finish keeps the surface clean and bright. At 170mm with a dropped tip and flat-to-slightly-curved profile, this santoku is immediately approachable for home cooks and capable enough for professional close-quarters work. The rosewood oval handle with pakka ferrule is comfortable in both pinch and handle grips, and the hand-engraved kanji on the blade adds a mark of craft that is unusual at this price point.
What Customers Are Saying: A home cook new to Japanese knives describes the AS Santoku as immediately impressive - razor sharp with the CKTG sharpening service added to the order, and tested across a wide variety of vegetables with excellent results throughout. The combination of accessible format and serious steel makes this a consistent recommendation for cooks making their first move into Japanese cutlery.
Care Instructions: Aogami Super carbon steel with stainless cladding means the edge is reactive - the cladding protects the blade road but the edge itself will patina and can rust if neglected. Wipe and dry the knife promptly after use, especially after contact with acidic ingredients. Hand wash only - never the dishwasher. Apply a light coat of camellia oil for long-term storage. Sharpen on quality water stones to maintain the edge the AS core is capable of delivering. Free shipping over $100.
- Maker: Harukaze
- Location: Tosa, Japan
- Construction: Hammer Forged, San Mai
- Edge Steel: Aogami Super (Blue Paper Steel)
- HRC: 63
- Cladding: Stainless
- Finish: Migaki (Polished)
- Edge Grind: Even (50/50)
- Handle: Rosewood Oval
- Ferrule: Pakka Wood
- Engraving: Hand Engraved Kanji
- Blade Length: 170 mm
Reviews
2 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval)
Highly recommendPosted By: Phil
45 people found this review helpful
I'm a home cook and relatively new to Japanese knives but even a novice like me can tell an awesome knife when I use it. I bought CKTG's sharpening service with this knife, so the thing is razor sharp. I have tested this knife on a variety of vegetables and preteens, and it chops and slices like a dream. I very highly recommend this knife!
45 people found this review helpful
I'm a home cook and relatively new to Japanese knives but even a novice like me can tell an awesome knife when I use it. I bought CKTG's sharpening service with this knife, so the thing is razor sharp. I have tested this knife on a variety of vegetables and preteens, and it chops and slices like a dream. I very highly recommend this knife!
Beautiful Knife But Has One FlawPosted By: Mike
16 people found this review helpful
I really love this knife. It is beautiful, light, comfortable, super sharp out of the box, and it is holding an edge. But the shiny cladding is very soft. It gets scratches like crazy, just from normal use. None of my other knives do this. I've only had it about a week, but after some time I'm not sure how this will fare. We'll see. Anyway, if you want a great super sharp super light performer, this is it. But if you want something to hold a beautiful appearance, this might not be it. Oh the reactive area on the bottom looks super cool once it gets some patina.
16 people found this review helpful
I really love this knife. It is beautiful, light, comfortable, super sharp out of the box, and it is holding an edge. But the shiny cladding is very soft. It gets scratches like crazy, just from normal use. None of my other knives do this. I've only had it about a week, but after some time I'm not sure how this will fare. We'll see. Anyway, if you want a great super sharp super light performer, this is it. But if you want something to hold a beautiful appearance, this might not be it. Oh the reactive area on the bottom looks super cool once it gets some patina.
