This 180mm santoku carries the Swedish Warikomi Damascus construction Kikuichi is known for, a method where a core of AEB-L stainless steel is inserted into a slot cut into a softer outer cladding rather than simply wrapped around it. The result is a beautiful layered pattern with real strength behind it.
AEB-L was originally developed for the razor blade industry for its ability to take an extremely fine edge, and Kikuichi hardens it to about 60 HRC here. Each side of the blade carries 22 layers of nickel and stainless steel, creating a striking Damascus pattern while keeping the knife easy to maintain. The handle is an octagonal rosewood, and the whole knife is handmade in Sakai with excellent fit and finish.
What Customers Are Saying:Reviewers consistently praise this santoku as an excellent all around workhorse, with one professional cook using it as their daily go to in a high volume restaurant and noting good edge retention for a lower HRC steel along with how easy it is to sharpen back up. Another buyer switched from a longtime set of German knives after trying this line and has not looked back since.
Care Instructions:AEB-L is a low maintenance stainless steel with strong corrosion resistance, so hand wash and dry the blade after use rather than running it through a dishwasher. Avoid cutting through bones or frozen foods, and sharpen on quality water stones, since AEB-L responds well to honing and comes back to a sharp edge with relatively little effort.
AEB-L was originally developed for the razor blade industry for its ability to take an extremely fine edge, and Kikuichi hardens it to about 60 HRC here. Each side of the blade carries 22 layers of nickel and stainless steel, creating a striking Damascus pattern while keeping the knife easy to maintain. The handle is an octagonal rosewood, and the whole knife is handmade in Sakai with excellent fit and finish.
What Customers Are Saying:Reviewers consistently praise this santoku as an excellent all around workhorse, with one professional cook using it as their daily go to in a high volume restaurant and noting good edge retention for a lower HRC steel along with how easy it is to sharpen back up. Another buyer switched from a longtime set of German knives after trying this line and has not looked back since.
Care Instructions:AEB-L is a low maintenance stainless steel with strong corrosion resistance, so hand wash and dry the blade after use rather than running it through a dishwasher. Avoid cutting through bones or frozen foods, and sharpen on quality water stones, since AEB-L responds well to honing and comes back to a sharp edge with relatively little effort.
- Brand: Kikuichi
- Location: Sakai, Japan
- Construction: San Mai, Warikomi
- Edge Steel: AEB-L (Swedish Stainless)
- Cladding: Stainless Damascus, 45 Layer
- HRC: 60
- Handle: Rosewood Octagonal
- Weight: 4.2 oz (118 g)
- Blade Length: 186 mm
- Total Length: 320 mm
- Spine Thickness at Base: 2 mm
- Blade Height: 45 mm
Reviews
3 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) Great knifePosted By: Taylor E.
8 people found this review helpful
I purchased this knife elsewhere, but have made many purchases with CKTG and love the website, so I figured I'd review this knife. Excellent all around workhorse on the line! Used this as my go to day to day at a high volume, well acclaimed restaurant with great success. Good edge retention for the lower HRC and a breeze to sharpen.
8 people found this review helpful
I purchased this knife elsewhere, but have made many purchases with CKTG and love the website, so I figured I'd review this knife. Excellent all around workhorse on the line! Used this as my go to day to day at a high volume, well acclaimed restaurant with great success. Good edge retention for the lower HRC and a breeze to sharpen.
Love it!Posted By: NOT-U - verified customer
8 people found this review helpful
First time using a Japanese knive so can't give much of a review....but she loves them enough to kick her once beloved Wusthof knives in the drawer (properly sheathed) and these now sit proudly on the magnetic wood knife holder for all to see.
8 people found this review helpful
First time using a Japanese knive so can't give much of a review....but she loves them enough to kick her once beloved Wusthof knives in the drawer (properly sheathed) and these now sit proudly on the magnetic wood knife holder for all to see.
