Good trial santoku

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wisew

wisew

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Hey guys!

I'm looking to try out a really representative santoku (as in, a santoku good enough that it'll give me a good idea of whether or not I like santokus), but I don't want a very expensive one. At the same time, I do want one with resale value (ie. if I put it up in BST sometime down the road someone will actually buy it haha).



LOCATION
What country are you in?
United States


KNIFE TYPE
What type of knife are you interested in (e.g., chef’s knife, slicer, boning knife, utility knife, bread knife, paring knife, cleaver)?
Santoku

Are you right or left handed?
Right

Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle?
Unsure - I'm thinking I should get a Western handle only because all my other knives are Western handled, and I want this to be a test of the santoku profile only - adding a wa handle would be adding another variable. (For example, it could skew my opinions of the knife - I might end up thinking I like santokus more than I actually do in part because I really just like wa handles more.)

What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)?
Standard santoku size, which I believe is 180mm

Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)
Stainless or semi-stainless is a must

What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife?
$150, less is better



KNIFE USE
Do you primarily intend to use this knife at home or a professional environment?
Home

What are the main tasks you primarily intend to use the knife for (e.g., slicing vegetables, chopping vegetables, mincing vegetables, slicing meats, cutting down poultry, breaking poultry bones, filleting fish, trimming meats, etc.)? (Please identify as many tasks as you would like.)
Every kind of vegetable task, occasionally slicing or chopping cooked meat (but no plans for raw meat use)

Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use?
Pinch grip

What cutting motions do you primarily use?
Push cut, chopping, mostly

What improvements do you want from your current knife? If you are not replacing a knife, please identify as many characteristics identified below in parentheses that you would like this knife to have.)

Better aesthetics (e.g., a certain type of finish; layered/Damascus or other pattern of steel; different handle color/pattern/shape/wood; better scratch resistance; better stain resistance)?
Doesn't really matter

Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)?
Comfortable handle, excellent f&f for the price

Ease of Use (e.g., ability to use the knife right out of the box; smoother rock chopping, push cutting, or slicing motion; less wedging; better food release; less reactivity with food; easier to sharpen)?
Excellent OOTB edge, better food release is always welcome

Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)?
Good edge retention - I am learning to sharpen but I'm not quite there yet.


KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.)
Yes (maple end grain)

Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.)
Yes (learning)

Some that may meet my criteria:


What do you guys think?
 
Yes, that is a crazy sale price on the Tojiro. That's a very low admission cost to try out that blade style in a very solid, if not flashy, line of knives.

I'm curious what it is about the santoku shape that interests you (get ready for some comments like, "A gyuto can do anything a santoku can do, and usually better" comments, which have their merit). But there are plenty of us on here (myself most definitely included) who have far more knives that we need. But explaining what you're looking for will help people guide you better.
 
Well, I have a gyuto already, so certainly I'm not expecting the santoku to do anything the gyuto can't. But I do live in an apartment now, and I'll be moving soon, and I'm fully expecting to have a smaller kitchen when I do. And I simultaneously like and dislike the extra length of my 240mm gyuto, and the consensus seems to be that a 180mm santoku is more useable than a 210mm gyuto. Also, it's the closest in profile to my favorite knife we had in my parents' kitchen growing up (it was one from an infomercial... yeah...), and I'd like to see if I feel more adept with it (I feel clunky with large gyuto knives sometimes).

Yeah the on-sale Tojiro is a serious stand out right now.
 
the tojiro is a decent choice; my parents have it and they love it. I've used it and my only complaints are that the handle is a tad blocky and the food release leaves a bit to be desired.
 
Hi. I would also add the Hiromoto Aogami to the list. Its stainlesscladded, so its more or less some kind of stainless. Its a great santoku!
 
The Hiromoto G3 will not be back in stock. According to Koki, Hiromoto will be retiring soon and not adding to stock, at least where the G3 is concerned.

I'd definitely add the Hiro AS 190. I like mine a lot more than the misono I had, mainly because it's shorter and slimmer compared to the 440.
 
The Santoku with its relatively flat edge, is good at chopping. The height of the blade makes it easy to guide through food. Plus it helps clear the board. The knock on a Santoku is the lack of a pointed tip. It hasn't been an issue for me, but for others it is a concern. If I really need to do tip work, then I reach for a sujihiki. Over the past few months I've been using a 210 sujihiki and 180 santoku as my primary knifes. It has worked out well.

The Santoku is a common knife. Why not go to a store that sells knifes and try one out? Sur la Table usually has a basket of veggies out to demo knifes.

A word of warning at one time Santoku's were not popular on the forum. Things may be different now. Because of the indifference of the forum to santokus I was able to pick up a nice one, at a great price.

A lot of people's early Japanese knifes were santokus, that are probably sitting in drawers gathering dust. It couldn't hurt to post want to buy thread and see what pops up.

Jay
 
jaybett said:
The Santoku is a common knife. Why not go to a store that sells knifes and try one out? Sur la Table usually has a basket of veggies out to demo knifes.

A lot of people's early Japanese knifes were santokus, that are probably sitting in drawers gathering dust. It couldn't hurt to post want to buy thread and see what pops up.

Jay
Click to expand...

I have demoed a santoku before, but an in-store demo wasn't really enough for me to decide - it would be better to actually live with one for at least a month and see how it goes.

Good idea! I'll see what comes up in BST.
 
I generally prefer gyutos but reach for my santokus frequently. I have a 165mm yaxell ran (a gift) and a 190mm Hiromoto AS. I like the height of the blade compared to a 210mm or shorter gyuto... I really like the Hiromoto AS but find the handle rather slim if that matters to you.

Still, in your case I think I would pick the Tojiro for its price. Even if I didn't like it I would keep it and abuse it for some rough jobs, sharpening practice, a rehandle trial or some reshaping....
 
if I were to get a stainless or semi-stainless santoku within your price range, I would look very closely at Gesshin Uraku 165mm in SKD (semi-stainless steel that got famous thanks to Yoshikane) steel clad with stainless from JKI. Should you find it interesting just drop Jon an email - he will gladly help you.
 
How reactive is the core in the Hiromoto AS? Although if I ever got a carbon knife it would definitely be a stainless cladded one, I'd really much rather a semi-stainless or stainless knife.

I looked at the Gesshin Uraku, but 165mm (technically 167mm heel to tip length) seems too short. Although, I've now realized that Cutlery and More mislabeled the Tojiro - it's actually 170mm and not 7" (thanks for rounding up C&M... :disdain:)... how do you all feel about 170mm vs 180mm blade length?
 
I do not have experience specifically with Hiromoto AS, but my Masakage Koishi ko-bunka has stainless clad AS blade and so far it took only very light patina - and the knife gets used daily for small taks (including onions). I do take care of it, but still find the reactivity rather low.
 
I did a hot vinegar forced patient on my hiro. Made the core dark in contrast to SS cladding, and decreased reactivity (except the very edge that was exposed from sharpening. Not very reactive at all.
If you're really set on SS or semi, go for it. But SS clad carbon core gives better cutting performance and pretty low maintenance.
 
I can agree with previous posters: once in use the AS is far from reactive. You hardly notice it's carbon steel, except for being so much sharper than you will ever get a stainless, so much easier to sharpen, and dulling a bit after use with acidic fruit.
 
The AS isn't super reactive at all especially after you get a patina on it. I find the bluish purple against the stainless cladding to be very beautiful and I love the way it cuts. I chopped a bunch of onions then wedged it in a hot beef roast and let it sit there while we ate then washed and dried it. Now it's all kinds of pretty ;)
 
Erilyn75 said:
The AS isn't super reactive at all especially after you get a patina on it. I find the bluish purple against the stainless cladding to be very beautiful and I love the way it cuts. I chopped a bunch of onions then wedged it in a hot beef roast and let it sit there while we ate then washed and dried it. Now it's all kinds of pretty ;)
Click to expand...

I meant to say this is what I did with my gyuto. I need sleep.....
 
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