I am mid 50s and I switched over from a chefs knife to a Santoku for the last 25 years. I can do anything with it and be wicked thin, sharp and quick. If I need something thick or bigger or smaller with more detail, I have other knives for that. But for every day preparation of, veggies, garlic or a regular size meat for two or three people I can plow through everything with a Santoku. I have many knives that I use all the time almost daily for different things, but my Santoku is my every day workhorse knife absolutely. I have an amazing handmade Japanese knife from Cutlery and More. I have no relationship with them whatsoever, but I bought a Japanese knife from them about a year ago. It was actually the best price I found for the exact authentic knife I was looking for. P.S. in the video when he’s showing you the sharpening rod, please make sure to buy a very fine ceramic rod and not a steel rod. A steel rod will just bump the edge while a fine ceramic rod will actually sharpen it. Always finish on a treated strop😉👍🤣. Cut your arm hair in half the long way. Peace and cook on
So glad to hear you're enjoying the Japanese knife you got! What brand is it? (This is Brandon from the video btw) I agreed with the honing rod being ceramic. I have a variety of honing rods and recently started only using my ceramic rod or a strop for honing. I've used a steel rod for a long time, and it's served me well for my German knives, but I am now team ceramic all the way!
@@cutleryandmoreMy two knives from Cutlery and More are, Moritaka 8.25" Aogami Super Carbon Steel Gyuto and my workhorse is my Miyabi Kaizen 7" Hollow Edge Santoku. Love them both.
@@cutleryandmore Absolutely! it’s beautiful. I take care of my knives like they’re my babies. It really is a spectacular knife as well as the half German half Japanese Santoku. I always hone and finish from ceramic to strop for maintenance, but for sharpening I usually don’t have to go very low on the grit scale as I maintain an edge all the time. So when I feel like it’s time for a sharpening, I usually start out at about 2000 or more and finish anywhere from 8000 to 12000 on Japanese Whetstones then strop. There’s no other greater satisfaction with a knife then when you get it to ultra scary sharp. What a lot of people don’t understand is that ultra scary sharp is so much safer than ultra scary dull. More pressure from a dull knife on the food = more accidents on the fingers. Peace
Basically came here to say the same thing. I worked prep for years and needed a 10” Henkel chefs knife for work. But for home I had the Shun classic chefs 8” ❤. But, I’ve found myself grabbing the Zwilling Santoku 7” for almost everything now. Sometimes you need a truck. It’s nice to have a luxury car but for everyday the santoku is like a sporty little suv, and I like how versatile it is for each of the styles you mentioned. I personally like the granton edge version because the taller blade face tends to cling more than a chefs knife in my experience. If you’re a cook or chef and a bit of a purist like I was I suggest you get a Santoku if you don’t have one. It will probably find its way into your hand. Great video!
I use a Santoku for most of my cutting. I find the Sam's Club versions meet my needs very well and they sharpen easily when needed. I do hone my knives before and after each use. Thanks for the tutorial it was excellent.
Thanks so much! If you like knives that are easy to maintain, check out our collection of Wusthof or Zwilling blades, they are all made with a softer steel than most Japanese knives, which are easy to hone and sharpen at home.
My first Santoku I purchased was a Furi that came with in a self sharpening holder and a silicone handle… I recently replaced that 10 yr old knife with a cutco Santoku.. I have an 8” wusthof chefs knife but the. Santoku to me is my go to
I have a ceramic Kyocera Santoku that chef Ming Thai recommended years ago (early 2000’s, like Rachel Ray). It doesn’t stay sharp very long tho, and I hate having to send it somewhere to be sharpened. I’m more concerned with the type of cutting board to use tho. I’ve tried wood, bamboo, hard and soft plastics…. I worry about the contamination and cleaning of the boards, but want to use one that doesn’t ruin my knives. Suggestions?
Unfortunately, ceramic knives are a lot harder to maintain than steel. The good thing is you can get a really good and affordable chef's knife (Tojiro is a brand we carry that's excellent) that will hold an edge for a long time and is also easy to sharpen. The best type of wood is softwood - we have one by Shun on our site that I (Brandon from the video) use daily. Bamboo is too hard and dulls your knife faster. With soap and hot water, contamination issues isn't a concern, there have been several studies done showing how real wood holds onto less contaminants. I thought the same thing about wood until it was explained in culinary school that a good wash does the trick!
Great video and very informative and helpful. Thinking on buying a new knife, mainly because my everyday chef knife (victorinox) losses its edge quickly and I have to sharpen it every day (even more in days I kook large meals. So I was thinking on knife from CPM steel and currently looking on the newwestknifeworks santoku in S35VN and Bark River Knives wa santoku in MagnaCut. I saw in the intro that you have newwestknifworks santoku and was wondering what's your thoughts about it ?
Hey this is Brandon from the video - sorry to hear that about your Victorinox. I do enjoy my New West Knives a lot. It really depends on how much you're looking to spend on your next knife. If you're looking for a good santoku, keep an open mind to the Enso Santoku that @cutleryandmore has. Since you're used to a Victorinox, I would also recommend a Global, Wusthof, or Zwilling Santoku as well, which are all super affordable.
Thanks for your videos, I have watched a number of them and have learned a lot. I have been using a Wusthof classic Chefs knife for year for just about everything. BUT, I do get a bit frustrated cutting green onions, for example, where I just miss the far edge if the flat section of the blade and end up with accordion of pieces, if that make sense. I decided to get a vegetable prep knife and was going between a Nakiri or Santoku. I ordered a Wusthof classic 7" Santoku last night after watching your videos,,,, I think the Santoku will be a bit more versitile and I can break out the chefs knife when I get into dealing with a lot of meat. I also decided to stay with the Wusthof classic as I am already use to that handle design. Question,,,,, you say you have around 90 knifes,,,,,, which type to you have the most of. I will never have that many, but I can geek over knifes of all types. Thanks again.
Thanks so much for the feedback and watching! We have a lot more video ideas in the works to help people navigate the big world of kitchen knives! I’d say the biggest category would be chef’s knives but I’m definitely expanding my bunka and utility collection quickly!
@@cutleryandmore Looking forward to more videos. I used my new Santoku tonight going from raw sweet potato, to thin slicing zucchini then trimming boneless chicken breasts. I enjoyed the precision over my chefs knife (both wusthof classic) but would like an even more "flatter" or "straight" cutting edge for vegetables. I cut them with a push cut on larger stuff and tap for smaller. Still may have to invest in a Nakiri, but now looking at the Bunda knife as it does have a bit more of a tip then a Nakiri. I am (obviously) a Wusthof fan, but if you have other brands to recommend, I would like to look at them
Traditionally, the Santoku and many other Japanese knives were single-bevel. However, now, most readily available Santoku knives are double-bevel, especially here in the US.
I am sorry to correct one of your mistakes. You've used the expression “Damascus finish” a couple of times. Yes, such a thing does exist; this is the finish used to fake Damascus steel. I don't think this is what you really mean. I think you mean real Damascus steel. Real Damascus steel is nothing like finish, it is a type of steel based on the historical technology of forging. Therefore, the term “Damascus” refers to the internal structure of the knife material rather than the finish. As the finish techniques used to fake Damascus are like cheating, I think it is a very bad sign in terms of quality. As to the real Damascus steel, in the modern reincarnation, in my opinion, it has more decorative than functional value, but the opinions on this matter are different. Having said that, I must say your video is very inspirational, and your mastery is breathtaking. Great video!
Hey, Brandon here again. :) I appreciate this comment a lot. You're 100% correct. There are knives with layers of various steels throughout, those wrapping a core, and some with etching to look like Damascus. In these videos, I'm trying to balance the world of those who know nothing about knives and those with some experience. Sometimes, even extra details like what you explained lose people's attention. But now I want to do a video talking about this very topic!
@@cutleryandmore Right. Still, in this very case, no additional details would be involved. There would be nothing wrong in just mentioning “Damascus steel” without any explanations. It's important enough to use correct terms, no matter what the audience is.
since i got my yaxell ran 6.5" santoku, i hardly ever even use anything else besides a boning knife and a paring knife... my chefs knives are lonely now... haha
Hey, this is Brandon from the video. My first chefs knife was a 10 inch Zwilling, then a 10 inch Wusthof, and I now even have a custom 12 inch chefs knife. I love big knives when prepping larger meals, but nowadays most of my prep is done with a utility knife or in my mind the hybrid of the two, a Bunka that’s around 7 inches. Funny how things change as you get older and use different knives.
@@cutleryandmore its not that new, I've had it for 5 plus years now.... bought it from you guys... also bought a chosera 800 sharpening stone that I love
Any kitchen knife can do any of these three functions. Anyone can choose any knife in any length. What salesman nonsense. And I use a santoku. Because I like it, not because it offers unique features.
I don't think the video is about uniqueness. Yes, we all could use many different knives for the same operations. It's a matter of fine balance of the shape features, but none of them is really unique, and perhaps they don't have to be unique. I could explain my preference for santoku. Some of the reasons are not listed in the video, for example, the sharpening convenience. I even modified the shape of some knives, including santoku, when I had a chance to do so. Tiny details make some difference.
WOW!!! Just Like a French Chef's Knife... NICE SALES PITCH.... NOT... Santoku knives are great, BUT don't minimize other knives.. P.S. Rachel Rey (Ray) is an absolute Joke....
I am mid 50s and I switched over from a chefs knife to a Santoku for the last 25 years. I can do anything with it and be wicked thin, sharp and quick. If I need something thick or bigger or smaller with more detail, I have other knives for that. But for every day preparation of, veggies, garlic or a regular size meat for two or three people I can plow through everything with a Santoku. I have many knives that I use all the time almost daily for different things, but my Santoku is my every day workhorse knife absolutely. I have an amazing handmade Japanese knife from Cutlery and More. I have no relationship with them whatsoever, but I bought a Japanese knife from them about a year ago. It was actually the best price I found for the exact authentic knife I was looking for. P.S. in the video when he’s showing you the sharpening rod, please make sure to buy a very fine ceramic rod and not a steel rod. A steel rod will just bump the edge while a fine ceramic rod will actually sharpen it. Always finish on a treated strop😉👍🤣. Cut your arm hair in half the long way. Peace and cook on
So glad to hear you're enjoying the Japanese knife you got! What brand is it?
(This is Brandon from the video btw) I agreed with the honing rod being ceramic. I have a variety of honing rods and recently started only using my ceramic rod or a strop for honing. I've used a steel rod for a long time, and it's served me well for my German knives, but I am now team ceramic all the way!
@@cutleryandmoreMy two knives from Cutlery and More are, Moritaka 8.25" Aogami Super Carbon Steel Gyuto and my workhorse is my Miyabi Kaizen 7" Hollow Edge Santoku. Love them both.
@@johnweimer3249 ohhh that Moritaka Gyuto is absolutely stellar! Are you enjoying the patina it's developed?
@@cutleryandmore Absolutely! it’s beautiful. I take care of my knives like they’re my babies. It really is a spectacular knife as well as the half German half Japanese Santoku. I always hone and finish from ceramic to strop for maintenance, but for sharpening I usually don’t have to go very low on the grit scale as I maintain an edge all the time. So when I feel like it’s time for a sharpening, I usually start out at about 2000 or more and finish anywhere from 8000 to 12000 on Japanese Whetstones then strop. There’s no other greater satisfaction with a knife then when you get it to ultra scary sharp. What a lot of people don’t understand is that ultra scary sharp is so much safer than ultra scary dull. More pressure from a dull knife on the food = more accidents on the fingers. Peace
Basically came here to say the same thing. I worked prep for years and needed a 10” Henkel chefs knife for work. But for home I had the Shun classic chefs 8” ❤. But, I’ve found myself grabbing the Zwilling Santoku 7” for almost everything now. Sometimes you need a truck. It’s nice to have a luxury car but for everyday the santoku is like a sporty little suv, and I like how versatile it is for each of the styles you mentioned. I personally like the granton edge version because the taller blade face tends to cling more than a chefs knife in my experience. If you’re a cook or chef and a bit of a purist like I was I suggest you get a Santoku if you don’t have one. It will probably find its way into your hand. Great video!
I use a Santoku for most of my cutting. I find the Sam's Club versions meet my needs very well and they sharpen easily when needed. I do hone my knives before and after each use. Thanks for the tutorial it was excellent.
Thanks so much! If you like knives that are easy to maintain, check out our collection of Wusthof or Zwilling blades, they are all made with a softer steel than most Japanese knives, which are easy to hone and sharpen at home.
My first Santoku I purchased was a Furi that came with in a self sharpening holder and a silicone handle… I recently replaced that 10 yr old knife with a cutco Santoku.. I have an 8” wusthof chefs knife but the. Santoku to me is my go to
Next, you need to add a triangular-shaped utility knife to your collection-it's an absolute game changer. A video on that is coming soon!
excellent instructional video
@@CharlesChestnut51 thanks so much! Any topics you’d like to see us cover in the future?
I have a ceramic Kyocera Santoku that chef Ming Thai recommended years ago (early 2000’s, like Rachel Ray). It doesn’t stay sharp very long tho, and I hate having to send it somewhere to be sharpened. I’m more concerned with the type of cutting board to use tho. I’ve tried wood, bamboo, hard and soft plastics…. I worry about the contamination and cleaning of the boards, but want to use one that doesn’t ruin my knives. Suggestions?
Unfortunately, ceramic knives are a lot harder to maintain than steel. The good thing is you can get a really good and affordable chef's knife (Tojiro is a brand we carry that's excellent) that will hold an edge for a long time and is also easy to sharpen. The best type of wood is softwood - we have one by Shun on our site that I (Brandon from the video) use daily. Bamboo is too hard and dulls your knife faster. With soap and hot water, contamination issues isn't a concern, there have been several studies done showing how real wood holds onto less contaminants. I thought the same thing about wood until it was explained in culinary school that a good wash does the trick!
Great video and very informative and helpful.
Thinking on buying a new knife, mainly because my everyday chef knife (victorinox) losses its edge quickly and I have to sharpen it every day (even more in days I kook large meals. So I was thinking on knife from CPM steel and currently looking on the newwestknifeworks santoku in S35VN and Bark River Knives wa santoku in MagnaCut.
I saw in the intro that you have newwestknifworks santoku and was wondering what's your thoughts about it ?
Hey this is Brandon from the video - sorry to hear that about your Victorinox. I do enjoy my New West Knives a lot. It really depends on how much you're looking to spend on your next knife. If you're looking for a good santoku, keep an open mind to the Enso Santoku that @cutleryandmore has. Since you're used to a Victorinox, I would also recommend a Global, Wusthof, or Zwilling Santoku as well, which are all super affordable.
Thanks for your videos, I have watched a number of them and have learned a lot. I have been using a Wusthof classic Chefs knife for year for just about everything. BUT, I do get a bit frustrated cutting green onions, for example, where I just miss the far edge if the flat section of the blade and end up with accordion of pieces, if that make sense. I decided to get a vegetable prep knife and was going between a Nakiri or Santoku. I ordered a Wusthof classic 7" Santoku last night after watching your videos,,,, I think the Santoku will be a bit more versitile and I can break out the chefs knife when I get into dealing with a lot of meat. I also decided to stay with the Wusthof classic as I am already use to that handle design. Question,,,,, you say you have around 90 knifes,,,,,, which type to you have the most of. I will never have that many, but I can geek over knifes of all types. Thanks again.
Thanks so much for the feedback and watching! We have a lot more video ideas in the works to help people navigate the big world of kitchen knives!
I’d say the biggest category would be chef’s knives but I’m definitely expanding my bunka and utility collection quickly!
@@cutleryandmore Looking forward to more videos. I used my new Santoku tonight going from raw sweet potato, to thin slicing zucchini then trimming boneless chicken breasts. I enjoyed the precision over my chefs knife (both wusthof classic) but would like an even more "flatter" or "straight" cutting edge for vegetables. I cut them with a push cut on larger stuff and tap for smaller. Still may have to invest in a Nakiri, but now looking at the Bunda knife as it does have a bit more of a tip then a Nakiri. I am (obviously) a Wusthof fan, but if you have other brands to recommend, I would like to look at them
🔥 🔥 🔥
Isn't santoku single bevel? I had one from Tefal when I look at it when trying to sharpen it it looks like single bevel
Traditionally, the Santoku and many other Japanese knives were single-bevel. However, now, most readily available Santoku knives are double-bevel, especially here in the US.
Try cutting a butternut squash with a Santoku.
I am sorry to correct one of your mistakes. You've used the expression “Damascus finish” a couple of times. Yes, such a thing does exist; this is the finish used to fake Damascus steel. I don't think this is what you really mean. I think you mean real Damascus steel. Real Damascus steel is nothing like finish, it is a type of steel based on the historical technology of forging. Therefore, the term “Damascus” refers to the internal structure of the knife material rather than the finish.
As the finish techniques used to fake Damascus are like cheating, I think it is a very bad sign in terms of quality.
As to the real Damascus steel, in the modern reincarnation, in my opinion, it has more decorative than functional value, but the opinions on this matter are different.
Having said that, I must say your video is very inspirational, and your mastery is breathtaking. Great video!
Hey, Brandon here again. :) I appreciate this comment a lot. You're 100% correct. There are knives with layers of various steels throughout, those wrapping a core, and some with etching to look like Damascus. In these videos, I'm trying to balance the world of those who know nothing about knives and those with some experience. Sometimes, even extra details like what you explained lose people's attention. But now I want to do a video talking about this very topic!
@@cutleryandmore Right. Still, in this very case, no additional details would be involved. There would be nothing wrong in just mentioning “Damascus steel” without any explanations. It's important enough to use correct terms, no matter what the audience is.
@@Micro-Moo thanks for your input. I’ll definitely keep this in mind with my future videos! Cheers!
@@cutleryandmore 👍🙂
since i got my yaxell ran 6.5" santoku, i hardly ever even use anything else besides a boning knife and a paring knife... my chefs knives are lonely now... haha
Hey, this is Brandon from the video. My first chefs knife was a 10 inch Zwilling, then a 10 inch Wusthof, and I now even have a custom 12 inch chefs knife. I love big knives when prepping larger meals, but nowadays most of my prep is done with a utility knife or in my mind the hybrid of the two, a Bunka that’s around 7 inches. Funny how things change as you get older and use different knives.
Glad you found a new knife to love! Just be sure to show your chef's knives some attention here and there, haha!
@@cutleryandmore its not that new, I've had it for 5 plus years now.... bought it from you guys... also bought a chosera 800 sharpening stone that I love
🥰🥰🥰
Any kitchen knife can do any of these three functions. Anyone can choose any knife in any length. What salesman nonsense. And I use a santoku. Because I like it, not because it offers unique features.
I don't think the video is about uniqueness. Yes, we all could use many different knives for the same operations. It's a matter of fine balance of the shape features, but none of them is really unique, and perhaps they don't have to be unique.
I could explain my preference for santoku. Some of the reasons are not listed in the video, for example, the sharpening convenience. I even modified the shape of some knives, including santoku, when I had a chance to do so. Tiny details make some difference.
Rachel Ray 🤣🤣🤣🤣 WAJ
WOW!!! Just Like a French Chef's Knife... NICE SALES PITCH.... NOT...
Santoku knives are great, BUT don't minimize other knives.. P.S. Rachel Rey (Ray) is an absolute Joke....