Need an affordable, durable santuko for the wife and kids

Kitchen Knife Forums

Help Support Kitchen Knife Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

bcemail

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2021
Messages
58
Reaction score
11
Location
USAA
For the wife and kids to use. Have had a Wusthof santuko for many years and with sharpening the blade is now down into the indentations so going to get a replacement. My wife likes to use it as her main knife, and the kids like it too since it's a little smaller and lighter than some other knives.

Would want it to be some kind of stainless, and I'm not worried too much about looks, maker, etc. Any particular steel to go for? Here's a Tojiro in VG10, would that be pretty good for edge retention and sharpening? Want to make sure it's sharp but not too thin or delicate so I'm not going to get any damage when someone whacks it into an avocado pit or something:
Tojiro
Also a basic version, not sure of the difference:
Tojiro basic

And here's a Mac, which I think is pretty commonly used in pro kitchens, right?
Mac

Thanks!
 
It will not be a popular answer but why not a Global? I have 4 in the kitchen draw which my wife and kids have used and abused for the last 24 years, and I had them for 7 or 8 years before I got married. They are still doing the job every day.
 
VG10 is a bit of a bug@er to sharpen. Have you sharpened it before? Needs pretty meticulous attention to deburring.

CROMOVA18 in Globals is terrible to sharpen. I refuse to sharpen them. Takes ages to create a burr which is then impossible to remove (only a slight exaggeration).

AUS 8 and similar medium carbon molybdenum steels are decent to sharpen but edge retention is not wonderful. Nonetheless they will get much sharper than your Wustie and stay that way for longer. Most AUS8 knives are ground a little less thin (still much thinner than a Wustie) so perhaps a bit more robust and the steel is decently tough. They are generally pretty cheap as well. IIRC the molybdenum steels in Mac knives is similar to Aus8.

Ginsan is nice to sharpen and has decent edge retention. Not usually found on cheap knives.

BTW, the Japanese all purpose knife is spelled "santoku".

If you want a cheapish stainless knife, it'll probably be an entry level Aus8 knife or an entry level VG10 knife such as a Tojiro DP series.

I recently made a similar purchase for a friend:

https://www.knivesandstones.com.au/...oducts/sakai-takayuki-tus-steel-santoku-180mm

It's basically Aus8 by a different name. Decently thin grind. Thinner than other AUS8 knives I have used. Quite light. It came quite sharp. Quite a bit sharper than I have ever been able to make a Wustie. So I haven't had to sharpen it yet. Pretty good value for money.
 
Last edited:
VG10 is a bit of a bug@er to sharpen. Have you sharpened it before? Needs pretty meticulous attention to deburring.
.
I don't have experience with VG 10 but sounds like AUs8 is a really good option. I get a little overwhelmed by all the steels so thank you for the advice!

Edit: what's swedish SS like? Found a couple with that steel but didn't know how it compared to the others
 
I don't have experience with VG 10 but sounds like AUs8 is a really good option. I get a little overwhelmed by all the steels so thank you for the advice!
No worries.

VG10 can be a great steel and has good edge retention. But it would teach you patient deburring skills. Which may not be a bad thing in the long run but possibly frustrating in the meantime.
 
Edit: what's swedish SS like? Found a couple with that steel but didn't know how it compared to the others
Much will depend on which Swedish steel. There was a time when Swedish stainless used by Japanese makers always was 19C27 or its equivalent AEB-H. Developed for industrial purposes — cutting steel... — it has, depending on the heat treatment, medium-large to very large carbides, regularly distributed. Offers a lot of bite — some will say, even when perfectly dull. No fun to sharpen.

Another Swedish stainless is AEB-L, or 13C26. A very different animal. Very fine structure, easy sharpening, almost carbon like.

More recent, 14C28N. Haven't seen it so far with Japanese makers. Called it before AEB-L on steroids. Same nice properties, a bit more bite, better edge retention.
 
No worries.

VG10 can be a great steel and has good edge retention. But it would teach you patient deburring skills. Which may not be a bad thing in the long run but possibly frustrating in the meantime.
Good VG-10 has a particularity that may interest you: it comes scary sharp right from the stones. That sharpness will get lost within two meals. What remains, is a sharpness that's very acceptable in Western cuisine — much better than your Wüsthof — that remains almost forever. The recent Tojiro DP series were quite easy to sharpen. But you will need three stones in a tight progression. Your will need a 3k for the last deburring.
 
Last edited:
I also have the Kagekiyo Santoku you have Tostadas. It’s a very nice all arounder for guests. I bought a couple for friends.

I think another great choice is the Masutani VG1 tsuchime santoku. It sharpens easily and gets a very nice edge that lasts well. The smaller sized handle on it is a hit with my daughter who uses hers more than any knife I’ve given her.

https://carbonknifeco.com/collections/masutani-knives/products/masutani-v1
 
Last edited:
Went with the MAC pro line. The users have been happy with them (non knife nuts) and no chipping, damage etc. Wanted a durable but good knife that could be abused with careless people using it, lol.
 
Another Swedish stainless is AEB-L, or 13C26. A very different animal. Very fine structure, easy sharpening, almost carbon like.

Which makers use this? I mean of those calling it Swedish rather than explicitly stating the alloy.
 
Interesting it's just listed as carbon steel. Also a stainless version but not many details. Any idea which steels they use?
I do love my Sabs dearly, but there is an element of lottery regarding QC. The OP didn't ask for a project knife. Bents, warps, overgrinds are all too common. Factory edges are dramatically bad. The carbon steel is not what the OP asked for. Their stainless is with most series really outdated. It's steel and stainless but these are the only positive things to say about it. It's far too soft, needs a fine steel rod, doesn't take a good edge, is far too fat behind the edge. Far better is plenty available.
 
Last edited:
My wife's favourite knife is a Tojiro DP. I think they're great, and don't have a problem sharpening it.

The JDM version is only $47 (possibly until the new tariffs kick in)
IMG_1629.jpeg
(US model shown)
 
Last edited:
My wife's favourite knife is a Tojiro DP. I think they're great, and don't have a problem sharpening it.

The JDM version is only $47 (possibly until the new tariffs kick in)View attachment 386490 (US model shown)
It took Tojiro long years to get the Heat Treatment of the VG-10 right combined with mass production, but they succeeded in it. I would get one of the DP series.
 
It took Tojiro long years to get the Heat Treatment of the VG-10 right combined with mass production, but they succeeded in it. I would get one of the DP series.
Does it need much thinning to perform well?

How difficult is it to thin? For some reason I thought it was VG10 mono but looking at it again, I can se a lamination line, so I guess it's clad?
 
Does it need much thinning to perform well?

How difficult is it to thin? For some reason I thought it was VG10 mono but looking at it again, I can se a lamination line, so I guess it's clad?
I have a VG10 outdoor knife that gets some use. It felt pretty good on a Shapton 1k. Better than a Henckels in fact. Rehabilitated my opinion of the steel.
 
Does it need much thinning to perform well?

How difficult is it to thin? For some reason I thought it was VG10 mono but looking at it again, I can se a lamination line, so I guess it's clad?
Yes it's san-Mai (clad). Perhaps little thick behind the edge (thicker than Takamura, but way thinner than Wüsthof). I knocked off the shoulders a bit, but I like it a little thicker for durability. It's nicely convex, which is rare at this price point.
 
Both VG-10 and certainly stainless cladding have the reputation to be highly abrasion resistant. I can't help against gummy cladding — apart from adding a lot of water — but in general the idea is getting a coarser stone. For some reason the Tojiro DP cladding is not very soft and not gummy. I'm not so familiar with that range of stainless that I can explain what makes some feeling gummy on the stones and damped when used. My guess is these are related.
I use a SG320 or 220 plus the Shapton Puck to raise coarse slurry. Avoid using excessive pressure. It won't make things going faster but glazes the stone. I like creating facets on purpose and blend them later. The smaller the contact area the more efficient the abrading..
 
My wife's favourite knife is a Tojiro DP. I think they're great, and don't have a problem sharpening it.

The JDM version is only $47 (possibly until the new tariffs kick in)View attachment 386490 (US model shown)
Wow that seems like a great price. If it's the same version it's twice that much on other sites. I think it's the nicer of the entry versions as the Basic doesn't have the ferrule. What does JDM mean? Thanks!
 
Back
Top