VG-10 has earned its reputation as one of the most dependable stainless steels in Japanese cutlery, and this 165mm santoku from the Masakage Kiri line puts it to good use. The core is hardened to 61 to 62 HRC and wrapped in a stainless Damascus cladding finished with a soft, hazy pattern, the inspiration behind the Kiri name, since kiri means mist in Japanese.
Care for this santoku stays simple since both the core and cladding layers are stainless. The blade carries a symmetrical 50/50 edge, hand engraved kanji along the spine, and the kind of grind and fit and finish Masakage knives are known for. The handle is an oval magnolia wood with a striking red dyed pakka wood ferrule, and the knife is handmade at Takefu Knife Village in Echizen by Yoshimi Kato.
What Customers Are Saying:One reviewer praised the fit and finish, light and nimble feel, and a sharp factory edge, noting one small section with a minor burr that was quickly fixed at home, and confirming the blade lived up to its advertised 61 plus HRC hardness once touched up. That same buyer flagged the tip as quite thin, offering excellent control for fine work but worth handling with a bit of extra care around harder ingredients, and also noted that food release was not one of its strengths. A second reviewer simply called it an extremely comfortable, sharp, and beautiful santoku straight out of the box.
Care Instructions:Because the VG-10 core and Damascus cladding are both stainless, this santoku asks for relatively little upkeep. Hand wash and dry the blade after use, keep it out of the dishwasher, and avoid bones and frozen foods, taking extra care around the thinner area near the tip. Routine sharpening on quality water stones will keep the edge performing the way it did out of the box.
Care for this santoku stays simple since both the core and cladding layers are stainless. The blade carries a symmetrical 50/50 edge, hand engraved kanji along the spine, and the kind of grind and fit and finish Masakage knives are known for. The handle is an oval magnolia wood with a striking red dyed pakka wood ferrule, and the knife is handmade at Takefu Knife Village in Echizen by Yoshimi Kato.
What Customers Are Saying:One reviewer praised the fit and finish, light and nimble feel, and a sharp factory edge, noting one small section with a minor burr that was quickly fixed at home, and confirming the blade lived up to its advertised 61 plus HRC hardness once touched up. That same buyer flagged the tip as quite thin, offering excellent control for fine work but worth handling with a bit of extra care around harder ingredients, and also noted that food release was not one of its strengths. A second reviewer simply called it an extremely comfortable, sharp, and beautiful santoku straight out of the box.
Care Instructions:Because the VG-10 core and Damascus cladding are both stainless, this santoku asks for relatively little upkeep. Hand wash and dry the blade after use, keep it out of the dishwasher, and avoid bones and frozen foods, taking extra care around the thinner area near the tip. Routine sharpening on quality water stones will keep the edge performing the way it did out of the box.
- Brand: Masakage
- Blacksmith: Yoshimi Kato
- Location: Echizen, Japan
- Workshop: Takefu Knife Village
- Construction: San Mai, Hammer Forged
- Core Steel: VG-10
- Cladding: 49-layer Stainless Damascus
- HRC: 61-62
- Edge Grind: 50/50
- Handle: Magnolia Wood Oval
- Ferrule: Red Dyed Pakka Wood
- Engraving: Hand Engraved
- Weight: 4.0 oz (112 g)
- Blade Length: 172 mm
- Total Length: 313 mm
- Spine Thickness at Heel: 3 mm
- Blade Height: 47 mm
Reviews
2 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) Beautiful aesthetics and performancePosted By: Ryan R
11 people found this review helpful
This knife is not only beautiful but it performs extremely well. The fit and finish are excellent, it is very light and nimble and came with a pretty nice edge. I say pretty nice because one section had a slight burr left on it. That was easily fixed however and I don't consider that a big deal in any way. After touching it up I can say with confidence this knife is taken to the 61+ HRC it's advertised at. It is extremely thin behind the edge and the tip on my example is insanely thin, so thin that I would think twice before putting much stress on it going through harder materials. That being said it handled a butternut squash just fine and man did that beautiful convex grind fly right through that thing. Food release isn't the best but I knew that going in. Overall I'm quite impressed and wouldn't hesitate to buy another Masakage or any knife made by Kato-San. The only thing that gives me slight concern is how thin the tip is, while giving excellent potential for fine work I feel it's a little on the fragile side.
11 people found this review helpful
This knife is not only beautiful but it performs extremely well. The fit and finish are excellent, it is very light and nimble and came with a pretty nice edge. I say pretty nice because one section had a slight burr left on it. That was easily fixed however and I don't consider that a big deal in any way. After touching it up I can say with confidence this knife is taken to the 61+ HRC it's advertised at. It is extremely thin behind the edge and the tip on my example is insanely thin, so thin that I would think twice before putting much stress on it going through harder materials. That being said it handled a butternut squash just fine and man did that beautiful convex grind fly right through that thing. Food release isn't the best but I knew that going in. Overall I'm quite impressed and wouldn't hesitate to buy another Masakage or any knife made by Kato-San. The only thing that gives me slight concern is how thin the tip is, while giving excellent potential for fine work I feel it's a little on the fragile side.
Superb Santoku!
