The santoku - three virtues in Japanese, for slicing, dicing, and mincing - is the all-purpose kitchen knife that suits cooks who prefer a shorter, more compact blade over a full gyuto. At 170mm blade length and 151g the Hamon Damascus santoku from Aoki Hamono is light and nimble in hand, with the center-balanced feel that makes extended prep sessions comfortable rather than fatiguing. The 45-layer hammered stainless Damascus cladding wraps a Swedish Bohler N685 stainless core - each knife hand sharpened before leaving the factory in Sakai, Japan.
Sakai has been the center of professional Japanese knife production for over 600 years, supplying roughly 90 percent of the professional market through a specialist system where blacksmiths, grinders, and handle fitters each contribute their individual expertise. Aoki Hamono sits squarely in that tradition. N685 from Bohler-Uddeholm is a high-quality European stainless alloy at 60 HRC - precise, edge-retentive, and responsive to quality water stones. The hammered Damascus finish across the blade road gives each knife a layered, shifting appearance that no two knives replicate exactly. The half-rounded octagonal rosewood handle with ebony ferrule is warm and traditional in hand, finished to a professional standard.
Care Instructions: N685 is a fully stainless steel - hand wash and dry after each use. Avoid the dishwasher, bones, and frozen foods to protect the edge at 60 HRC. Sharpen on quality water stones and strop regularly between sessions. Use wood or rubber cutting boards only.
Sakai has been the center of professional Japanese knife production for over 600 years, supplying roughly 90 percent of the professional market through a specialist system where blacksmiths, grinders, and handle fitters each contribute their individual expertise. Aoki Hamono sits squarely in that tradition. N685 from Bohler-Uddeholm is a high-quality European stainless alloy at 60 HRC - precise, edge-retentive, and responsive to quality water stones. The hammered Damascus finish across the blade road gives each knife a layered, shifting appearance that no two knives replicate exactly. The half-rounded octagonal rosewood handle with ebony ferrule is warm and traditional in hand, finished to a professional standard.
Care Instructions: N685 is a fully stainless steel - hand wash and dry after each use. Avoid the dishwasher, bones, and frozen foods to protect the edge at 60 HRC. Sharpen on quality water stones and strop regularly between sessions. Use wood or rubber cutting boards only.
- Brand: Sakai Takayuki
- Maker: Aoki Hamono
- Location: Sakai, Japan
- Construction: San Mai, Hammer Forged
- Edge Steel: Bohler N685 Stainless
- Cladding: 45-Layer Hammered Stainless Damascus
- HRC: 60 +/- 1
- Finish: Hammered Damascus
- Edge Grind: Double Bevel - Even
- Handle: Half-Rounded Octagonal Rosewood
- Ferrule: Ebony
- Weight: 5.3 oz (151g)
- Blade Length: 170mm
- Total Length: 315mm
- Item Code: ST-10608
