Sekiryu Santoku Japanese Knife 7" Blade

I bought my 'Santoku' knife made by Sekiryu at an Asian foods store. It is a real Japanese-made knife at least, I see no made-in-China labels. The package instructions are all in Japanese, but there are some helpful pictograms on blade-sharpening profiles and knife care. No dishwashing machines, OK?

While listed as a 7-inch blade, the Sekiryu Santoku knife actually has a 170mm stainless steel blade (6.75 in.). It uses a thinner, stamped blade stock (unlike the forged construction of more expensive knives). So it flexes a bit more, though not to an excessive degree, in part due to its limited length. Steel appears to be a decently tempered 420-series stainless steel, probably 420J. Its edge is thin, hard, and after a bit of sharpening very sharp. Instead of the flat ground blade profile (progressive taper from spine to edge) of most santoku designs, the Sekiryu Santoku's blade has a hollow machined section ground along its length on the lower third of the blade. It is a partial tang knife; the handle is of lightweight wood instead of heavier Ho wood, and it has a plastic bolster instead of horn, so its balance is a bit blade-heavy, and not at the rear of the blade as with most full-tang Santoku. This does not impair its general performance, and the symmetrical handle allows it to be used by both right and left-hand users (not always the case with traditional designs).

Once sharpened and honed to improve the factory edge, the Sekiryu Santoku still cuts and slices very well, much like a short slicing knife, probably due to its rather thin blade. While it takes a very sharp edge, the blade steel isn't terribly hard and so keeping the blade steeled and occasionally resharpened will be required, but then it doesn't cost $80, either. You will want to restrict it to lighter veggies, fish, and chicken it's definitely not for tasks like butchering thick cuts of meat or careless chopping on hard surfaces (always use a wood cutting board). Overall fit and finish are good and the knife has held up well after two years of use.

While it's certainly no Hattori, I would easily recommend this budget stamped-blade knife over some of the U.S.-brand name (but made in China) 'Santoku' copies. Sekiryu put its money where it needed to be in a budget knife in the steel and heat treatment instead of the looks.