It's hard to believe that the skilled craftsmen at Masutani can create these high value kitchen knives using quality steels and materials for such amazing prices.
Using the very popular stainless steel known as VG10 as the core of the blade, they laminate the steel with an outer layer of a damascus finish soft stainless steel. Then they laser cut the knife from this pre-forged sheet and apply some very well done grinds and edges. Our customers and reviewers are already singing the praises of these knives, and rightly so.
The 165mm santoku is a wonderful all-around knife for pretty much any chef wanting a shorter length blade coupled with a tall profile and robust stiff tip. These are knives that can replace a standard gyuto or western chef especially where space or smaller cutting surfaces prevail. Santoku translates into 3 virtues, which are regarded as slicing, dicing, and chopping—duties that this knife will perform with aplomb.
This particular example is fairly average in its dimensions and weight, but certainly not in its outstanding value or performance. The grinds are very well executed. The heat treat is kept to a low 60 HRC to prevent chipping. And the well-made handle and bolster give the blade a secure and comfortable feel.
All around, this is an outstanding knife that would be a great addition to any kitchen or chef's knife roll, especially if one is looking for great bang for the buck and ease of maintenance characteristics. Highly recommended.Blacksmith: Masutani
Location: Echizen, Japan
Construction: Laser cut, San Mai
Cladding: Damascus Stainless
Edge Steel: VG10 Stainless
Edge Grind: Even
Handle: Yo (Western) Black Pakka Wood
Edge Length: 170mm
Blade Height: 47mm
Weight: 4.7oz
Spine Thickness: 1.6mm
Using the very popular stainless steel known as VG10 as the core of the blade, they laminate the steel with an outer layer of a damascus finish soft stainless steel. Then they laser cut the knife from this pre-forged sheet and apply some very well done grinds and edges. Our customers and reviewers are already singing the praises of these knives, and rightly so.
The 165mm santoku is a wonderful all-around knife for pretty much any chef wanting a shorter length blade coupled with a tall profile and robust stiff tip. These are knives that can replace a standard gyuto or western chef especially where space or smaller cutting surfaces prevail. Santoku translates into 3 virtues, which are regarded as slicing, dicing, and chopping—duties that this knife will perform with aplomb.
This particular example is fairly average in its dimensions and weight, but certainly not in its outstanding value or performance. The grinds are very well executed. The heat treat is kept to a low 60 HRC to prevent chipping. And the well-made handle and bolster give the blade a secure and comfortable feel.
All around, this is an outstanding knife that would be a great addition to any kitchen or chef's knife roll, especially if one is looking for great bang for the buck and ease of maintenance characteristics. Highly recommended.
Reviews
17 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) Great quality for a great pricePosted By: Albert C
1 people found this review helpful
I was looking for a smaller, lighter knife than my 240mm gyuto and this knife fit what I wanted perfectly. Sharp out of the box and I used it for prep work easily. Cut sweet potatoes, onions, chicken, and all sorts of vegetables smoothly. I was surprised at the price for such a good knife!
1 people found this review helpful
I was looking for a smaller, lighter knife than my 240mm gyuto and this knife fit what I wanted perfectly. Sharp out of the box and I used it for prep work easily. Cut sweet potatoes, onions, chicken, and all sorts of vegetables smoothly. I was surprised at the price for such a good knife!
high quality Unbelievable value My new favorite thingPosted By: Johnbchef12
3 people found this review helpful
I made a YouTube channel because of this knife. The customer service from Susan was amazing. Bought this and 2 sayas amd Susan emailed me to make sure the nakiri saya would match my knife. Awesome knife 8.5-9.0 out the box sharpness not 7 in my opinion.
3 people found this review helpful
I made a YouTube channel because of this knife. The customer service from Susan was amazing. Bought this and 2 sayas amd Susan emailed me to make sure the nakiri saya would match my knife. Awesome knife 8.5-9.0 out the box sharpness not 7 in my opinion.
Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiceeeeee Masutani VG10 Damascus Santoku 165mm Big Recommend Great Knife! Bought this on a whim, turned it into an excellent giftPosted By: John Potter
3 people found this review helpful
I bought this knife because I like the size, read the reviews, and thought this might be handy to have available for a gift. When my daughter invited my wife and me to visit, I brought the knife along, then gave it to my daughter as a birthday gift. She was thrilled to finally get a good knife for her kitchen.
Ten months later, she and her brood (husband, two young boys) came to stay for Christmas, she also brought all her kitchen knives for sharpening (I have begun sharpening knives in my retirement). Even though the santoku knife has had extensive use in her kitchen, it retained a sharp edge and had only a very few, almost invisible nicks in the blade. It resharpened so easily and all the nicks are gone.
I can highly recommend this knife to anyone on a limited budget who wants to get started in using Japanese knives. Of course, the knife is totally suitable to anyone, so consider it even if you have Shun or Global already.
3 people found this review helpful
I bought this knife because I like the size, read the reviews, and thought this might be handy to have available for a gift. When my daughter invited my wife and me to visit, I brought the knife along, then gave it to my daughter as a birthday gift. She was thrilled to finally get a good knife for her kitchen.
Ten months later, she and her brood (husband, two young boys) came to stay for Christmas, she also brought all her kitchen knives for sharpening (I have begun sharpening knives in my retirement). Even though the santoku knife has had extensive use in her kitchen, it retained a sharp edge and had only a very few, almost invisible nicks in the blade. It resharpened so easily and all the nicks are gone.
I can highly recommend this knife to anyone on a limited budget who wants to get started in using Japanese knives. Of course, the knife is totally suitable to anyone, so consider it even if you have Shun or Global already.
Birthday knives EXCELLENT valuePosted By: Delboy
3 people found this review helpful
One of the best out of the box edges I've come across. Extreme value for these knives, they are an insane amount of bang for your buck. The handles are very plain, but the blades look just as nice as way more expensive knives. For the price, I'd actually snag this over a shun or miyabi. I bought this as part of a wedding gift, & the bride & groom said it was the nicest gift they received (unless they just told everyone that, lol).
3 people found this review helpful
One of the best out of the box edges I've come across. Extreme value for these knives, they are an insane amount of bang for your buck. The handles are very plain, but the blades look just as nice as way more expensive knives. For the price, I'd actually snag this over a shun or miyabi. I bought this as part of a wedding gift, & the bride & groom said it was the nicest gift they received (unless they just told everyone that, lol).
EXCELLENT valuePosted By: Delboy
2 people found this review helpful
One of the best out of the box edges I've come across. Extreme value for these knives, they are an insane amount of bang for your buck. The handles are very plain, but the blades look just as nice as way more expensive knives. For the price, I'd actually snag this over a shun or miyabi. I bought this as part of a wedding gift, & the bride & groom said it was the nicest gift they received (unless they just told everyone that, lol).
2 people found this review helpful
One of the best out of the box edges I've come across. Extreme value for these knives, they are an insane amount of bang for your buck. The handles are very plain, but the blades look just as nice as way more expensive knives. For the price, I'd actually snag this over a shun or miyabi. I bought this as part of a wedding gift, & the bride & groom said it was the nicest gift they received (unless they just told everyone that, lol).
EXCELLENT valuePosted By: Delboy
2 people found this review helpful
One of the best out of the box edges I've come across. Extreme value for these knives, they are an insane amount of bang for your buck. The handles are very plain, but the blades look just as nice as way more expensive knives. For the price, I'd actually snag this over a shun or miyabi. I bought this as part of a wedding gift, & the bride & groom said it was the nicest gift they received (unless they just told everyone that, lol).
2 people found this review helpful
One of the best out of the box edges I've come across. Extreme value for these knives, they are an insane amount of bang for your buck. The handles are very plain, but the blades look just as nice as way more expensive knives. For the price, I'd actually snag this over a shun or miyabi. I bought this as part of a wedding gift, & the bride & groom said it was the nicest gift they received (unless they just told everyone that, lol).
Exquisite for the money!Posted By: Mike - verified customer
2 people found this review helpful
I bought this for my mother, who is a huge foodie and a great cook but had never spent the money on anything nicer than a set of basic knives. It came beautifully packaged and was quite sharp out of the box.
2 people found this review helpful
I bought this for my mother, who is a huge foodie and a great cook but had never spent the money on anything nicer than a set of basic knives. It came beautifully packaged and was quite sharp out of the box.
Nice knife Outstanding Value really solid knifePosted By: eric - verified customer
3 people found this review helpful
very good edge out of the box, tight fit and finish. Got this for a gift, though took it out for a test spin. Slightly softer vg10 made it easy to maintain the edge on a ceramic rod. I'd take this over a Shun or most big name vg10 blades
3 people found this review helpful
very good edge out of the box, tight fit and finish. Got this for a gift, though took it out for a test spin. Slightly softer vg10 made it easy to maintain the edge on a ceramic rod. I'd take this over a Shun or most big name vg10 blades
