Sekiryu Santoku Japanese Knife 7" Blade Review

Average Reviews:
3.0 out of 5 stars

(More customer reviews)I bought my 'Santoku' knife made by Sekiryu at an Asian foods store.It is a real Japanese-made knife - at least, I see no made-in-China labels.The package instructions are all in Japanese, but there are some helpful pictograms on blade-sharpening profiles and knife care.No dishwashing machines, OK?

While listed as a 7-inch blade, the Sekiryu Santoku knife actually has a 165mm stainless steel blade (6.75 in.).It uses a thinner blade stock than most santoku knives, about like that you find on the Forstner/Victorinox slicing knife.So it flexes a bit more, though not to an excessive degree, in part due to its limited length.Steel appears to be some form of 440 stainless - at least it acts that way.Instead of the flat ground blade profile (progressive taper from spine to edge) of most santoku designs, the Sekiryu Santoku's blade has a hollow-ground edge machined along its length about one-third of the way across.The handle is of lightweight wood instead of heavier Ho wood, and it has a plastic bolster instead of horn, so its balance is a bit blade-heavy, and not at the rear of the blade as with most full-tang santoku knives.This does not impair its general performance, and the symmetrical handle allows it to be used by both right and left-hand users (not always the case with traditional designs).Overall fit and finish are good and the knife has held up well after a year of use.

Once sharpened and honed to improve the factory edge, the Sekiryu Santoku still cuts and slices very well, much like a short slicing knife, again probably due to its rather thin blade.You will want to restrict it to lighter veggies, fish, and chicken - it's definitely not for tough-rinded vegetables, or thick or bone-in meats.Overall fit and finish are good and the knife has held up well after a year of use.

While it's certainly no Hattori, I would certainly recommend this budget stamped-blade 'Santoku' over some of the cheap Chinese-made, bargain U.S.-brand copies of the Santoku that use thicker (but softer and poorer quality) stainless steels.

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Product Description:
Prepare your own fresh sashimi with this high quality knife made by the Japanese masters. Each knife is carefully balanced to achieve the maximum in performance. This knife's razor sharp edge will help you prepare the "days catch" right in your own home.