Takayuki AS Hammered Santoku 165mm

For cooks who sharpen seriously, Aogami Super is one of the most rewarding steels in the Japanese knife tradition. It sits at the top of the Hitachi paper steel family - tungsten, chromium, and vanadium additions that give it the edge retention and sharpness potential that makes it the steel of choice in premium Japanese kitchen knives. Sakai Takayuki has been building on that potential in Sakai since 1946, within a city that has supplied the professional knife market for over 600 years. Stainless hammered cladding, kurouchi finish, octagonal maple handle.

The santoku - three virtues in Japanese, for slicing, dicing, and mincing - is the all-purpose kitchen knife for cooks who prefer a shorter, compact blade. At 165mm and 48mm height this is a well-proportioned santoku with a flatter edge profile suited to push-cutting through vegetables and proteins. One reviewer bought it as close to a mini version of his Takeda stainless-clad AS chef knife as he could find - and found himself reaching for it constantly after a session on quality whetstones. Weight: 4.7 oz (134g). Total: 310mm. Spine: 2mm. Blade height: 48mm. Even 50/50 double-bevel grind works equally well for right- and left-handed cooks. The hammered stainless cladding with kurouchi finish requires no special care beyond standard carbon steel maintenance.

What Customers Are Saying: One five-star review from a professional cook who bought it as a compact version of his Takeda stainless-clad AS chef knife for his daughter starting her first line cook job. Initially felt it performed only okay until he ran it on Shapton whetstones - after that it became the knife he reaches for constantly. He praises the edge retention, the fine tip for detail work, the maneuverability of the compact blade, and the cool look of the hammered kurouchi finish. Calls it great value for a stainless-clad Aogami Super knife.

Care Instructions: Aogami Super is a reactive carbon steel - the stainless cladding protects the flanks but the exposed carbon edge will patina naturally with use. Wipe and dry the blade immediately after every use. Avoid leaving acidic foods on the edge. Hand wash only, never dishwasher. Apply camellia oil for long-term storage. Sharpen on quality water stones - Aogami Super at high hardness rewards good sharpening technique and responds beautifully to stropping between sessions.

• Maker: Sakai Takayuki
• Location: Sakai, Japan
• Construction: San Mai
• Edge Steel: Aogami Super (Super Blue) Carbon Steel
• Cladding: Stainless Hammered
• Finish: Kurouchi (Black Forge) with Tsuchime (Hammered) Cladding
• Edge Grind: Even 50/50 Double Bevel
• Handle: Octagonal Maple
• Weight: 4.7 oz (134g)
• Blade Length: 165mm
• Total Length: 310mm
• Spine Thickness at Heel: 2mm
• Blade Height: 48mm