SETO Japanese Chef Knives: Damascus Forged VG-10 Steel from World Famous Seki, Japan

I purchased two knives from this SETO "I-" series I-8 Mini "Santoku" and I-5 Santoku.

Model: I-8 This is called a mini santoku, and I almost missed/dismissed it because of the name.

I-8 is more like mini "deba", than the typical santoku shape and makes a very good utility knife.

Bargain priced even allowing for shipping from Japan (shipping is not cheap but reasonable considering it is EMS Express Mail Service).

The clad vg10 core tsuchime (hammered) finish damascus blade is very good looking, and the hammered finish is supposed to help release food. VG10 is one the best stainless steels for kitchen cutlery majority of quality Japanese stainless cutlery use VG10.

Like most quality Japanese cutlery this is very sharp and cuts through food very well.

The handle is also very noteworthy it is in the traditional Japanese D-shape (or Wa handle) but it is black pakkawood (epoxy resin laminated wood) with a cocobolo collar so it requires less maintenance than traditional ho wood ("honoki" magnolia obovata).

I find the handle comfortable as I use a choked up grip with the index finger along the spine this allows for more precise cutting.

Buying more than one knife from this listing combines shipping my one additional cost only $5 extra shipping service from Samurai Market was very fast I ordered on Friday and received on Tuesday.

At the same time I also purchased the I-5 Santoku all the remarks above for the I-8 mini applies (except for obviously the size and purpose).

I really like Santokus I realize many disparagingly call them Japanese housewife's knife for small kitchens and recommend Gyutos instead, because they are more like western chef's knives. But the Gyuto is not traditional either as it is merely the Japanese version of the western chef!

I much prefer the broader/wider blade of the Santoku the gyuto blades are too narrow compared to a western chef Santokus are better at flattening or crushing eg: garlic etc., and I like the 7" length for home kitchen use if I worked in a professional kitchen things might be different but I prepare food at home.

Think of it there is a very good reason why Santokus are popular in Japan when they have the whole spectrum of cutlery to choose from -

then watch the Essential (Jacques) Pepin on using a knife what is he using? a Santoku!!!

This brings me back to this I-5 SETO Santoku it is slightly longer at 180mm than the usual 165mm but then add to it the neck (emoto), then the tip is actually almost 7.5" from the handle. So it's noticeably longer than normal although still very usable it is not quite ideal for me I prefer my (Shigeki) Tanaka vg10 damascus Santoku (with Wa or Japanese Ho wood handle) (please see the size comparison photos I uploaded).

But this SETO I-5 Santoku is still very good and certainly an exhibition piece with its tsuchime/hammered damascus blade.

Both the I-5 and I-8 are very, very good and very good value for what are premium knives (eg: the Shun Premier Santoku Knife, 7-Inch is $180)

But it's the I-8 mini "Santoku" that was the real discovery/revelation for me.

This knife at the price is a fantastic addition to my food prep tools. it is light, has a 33 fold Damascus blade and is simply perfect for a variety of food preparation must-do's.It is easy to handle and the edge is seriously fine.

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This knife is the best kitchen knife I have ever used. You can tell it is a quality piece and easily worth double what you pay for it. My wife uses a fancy looking "Rachel Ray" chef's knife of similar size and the quality differences are extremely apparent. Hers is a heavy beast that takes forever to sharpen and dulls easily.. sure you can hack through bone with it but it's just not made for precision. The Seto is thin and absolutely razor sharp... and easy to keep that way. The VG10 steel sounds beautiful when you sharpen it, unlike that "other" knife that sounds like scraping a tin can down the sharpener. For the price I would highly recommend this brand. The wood handle has held up to years of washing and aside from the tiniest bit of fading it hasn't really aged at all. I own Seto kitchen knives in other sizes as well.

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I have looked at dozens of petty knives trying to find the best price for performance. This little Seto petty knife does not disappoint. It came from Japan in just 5 days. The blade has excellent fit and finish. Very sharp out of the box. The handle and ferrule are a durable plastic, which appears sturdy. This is how Seto is able to sell the knife much cheaper than many others I looked at. If you want value and performance, this little petty knife will do the job. It you want nicer Rosewood or Ho (Magnolia) wood handles, you will pay more. I consider kitchen knives as tools, not objects to be admired. We use the petty just about every day for tasks such as slicing garlic, trimming boneless proteins, fine chopping on smaller vegetables. VG-10 is a very popular knife steel. It will hold a sharp edge a long time, but when it needs sharpening it has to be done on water stones.

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