Shape | Santoku |
---|---|
Blade Length | 165 mm |
Steel Type | Shirogami #2 (White Carbon Steel)
With Carbon Steel Cladding
Rust Prone ⓘ This knife can rust, click to learn more.
|
Rockwell Hardness | 62–63 |
Edge/Bevel | Double (50/50) |
Handle | Wa (Japanese) Handle - Octagon Walnut Black Pakkawood Collar |
Blacksmith/Maker | Kisuke Manaka |
Made in | Kasukabe, Saitama, Japan |
Brand | Manaka Hamono |
A note about measurements: Handmade Japanese knives can vary in their dimensions, so these measurements are only an example.
About the Shape - This is also a multi purpose knife, but with a slight vegetable bias. Santoku means 'Three Virtues' or 'To solve Three Problems'. The virtues or problems are slicing, dicing and mincing. Santoku is usually found in 160mm - 190mm lengths. These are more and more popular in Western kitchens due to the unique shape and smaller easy to handle size.
About Manaka Hamono -Kisuke Manaka is a relatively young, 5th generation, blacksmith in Kasukabe, Saitama pref. Manaka-san didn’t like the dishonest way his father-in-law operated his business so he decided to become a blacksmith himself. He began making knives from scratch about 10 years ago, with nothing but a workshop full of equipment and no mentor. He is completely self-taught, yet he mastered techniques to forge-weld steels in house, even forge welding stainless steel which is no easy task.
Now he forge-welds everything in house, from hard carbon steel clad with soft steel, stainless steel clad with stainless, and carbon steel clad with stainless steel. The ATS-34 steel used in these knives is forge-welded in house by Manaka-san. While mostly stainless, it is more durable and keeps an edge better than many comparable steels. It will patina very slowly, so don't leave it dirty overnight!