This 165mm Santoku is made from the popular Hitachi Blue #2 steel that has been hardened to 62-63 Rockwell. The core steel is then covered in a layer of SUS 405 stainless steel. This imparts strength and lightness to the blade. It also makes maintenance easier than with a full carbon knife. The edge steel is still exposed so care is required to keep it from rusting. The cladding receives a very attractive nashiji or pear skin finish.
The primary grind of the blade starts high up on the face and imparts a great contrast to the nashiji portion. It is extremely well executed. The choil area has a very nice radius to it and together with the spine is polished to a high finish. The profile is nicely formed with a fairly flat main section giving way to a gentle curve towards the tip.
Fit and finish are of equally fine quality and this attribute is emphasized with the addition of a lovely magnolia wood, oval handle with a buffalo horn ferrule. With a 50/50 grind, it is a good choice for both left- and right-handed users. We really like this maker and their knives.
Maker: Hosokawa-san
Brand: Gihei
Edge Steel: Blue #2 Carbon Steel
Cladding: SUS 405 Stainless Steel
HRC: 62-63
Edge Grind: 50/50
Handle: Magnolia Oval
Ferrule: Buffalo Horn
Weight: 4.4 oz (126 g)
Edge Length: 165 mm
Total Length: 307 mm
Spine Thickness at Base: 3.8 mm
Blade Height: 46.6 mm