Steel, Bevel or Handle? The Best Santoku Knife Japanese Makers Sell

A santoku is the Japanese home cook’s all-purpose knife: a shorter, taller blade than a Western chef’s knife, a flat edge for push cuts, and a rounded tip that drops down to meet it. In a Mexican kitchen it is the knife for the daily jobs, dicing onion and tomato for pico de gallo, mincing garlic and serranos, slicing cucumbers and radishes for garnish, and cutting chicken thighs into strips for tacos.

This guide is for the cook who wants a santoku actually made in Japan, and wants to know what the steel, the bevel and the handle style change. Our best santoku knife guide covers the whole category, German and budget knives included. Here every pick is made in Japan by an identifiable maker, and none of them repeats a knife from that guide or from our other Japanese knife guides.

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Quick verdict: which Japanese santoku to buy

The table compares our five standout picks, one for each kind of cook. All eight knives we recommend are reviewed in full below it.

Five Japanese santokus side by side

Blade steel, handle style and edge as each maker or listing states them.

Product images from Amazon. Specifications as stated by each maker or listing; check the listing before you buy.

Steel, bevel and handle: what makes a santoku Japanese

Plenty of knives called santoku are made in Germany, China or elsewhere. A Japanese-made santoku usually differs in three ways, and they matter more than the pattern on the blade.

Harder steel. Japanese makers generally harden their blades further than German makers do. A harder edge stays sharp longer and can be ground thinner, but it is less forgiving: it can chip on bone, frozen food or a twist in a hard squash. The knives here run from about 61 to 63 on the Rockwell scale where the maker states it.

A finer edge angle. Shun sharpens to 16 degrees per side, and Miyabi and Enso to about 12. A narrower angle slices a tomato skin without pressure; it also needs a whetstone or a sharpener set to match.

Wa or yo handles. A wa handle is the traditional Japanese style: a light octagonal or D-shaped wooden handle fitted over a hidden tang, which shifts the balance toward the blade. A yo handle is Western style, full tang with riveted scales, heavier and familiar to anyone raised on German knives. Neither is better; the wa handle suits a pinch grip and a light touch, the yo handle suits cooks who like weight in the hand.

Our picks for the best santoku knife Japanese makers sell

These eight knives cover the main Japanese steels (VG10, VG-MAX, SG2, Blue #2 carbon and Ginsan), both handle styles and sizes from 5.7 to 7 inches. Each pick lists what the maker or listing states, and one honest reason to skip it.

How to choose a Japanese santoku

Every knife above will dice an onion. These are the differences that decide which one suits you.

1. Stainless, semi-stainless or carbon steel

VG10 and VG-MAX are stainless, hold an edge well and forgive a wet board. SG2 is a powder steel that can be hardened further for a longer-lasting edge. Blue #2 is a carbon steel: very sharp and easy to sharpen, but it rusts and darkens with acidic food. Ginsan sits between them. If limes and tomatoes are on your board every day, start with stainless.

2. Hardness

Higher numbers mean longer edge life and more risk of chipping. Around 61 is a good everyday balance; 63 rewards careful cooks who sharpen on stones.

3. Edge angle

A 12-degree edge feels sharper than a 16-degree one but needs more care. Match your sharpener to the angle; our guide to the best whetstone covers the stones that hold these edges.

4. Wa or yo handle

Choose a wa handle for lightness, a pinch grip and a blade-forward balance. Choose a yo handle for weight, a full tang and a feel close to a German knife. D-shaped handles, like the Miyabi’s, sit between the two.

5. Blade length

Seven inches is the standard santoku, enough for a large onion or a pile of tomatoes. Shorter blades, around 5.5 to 6.5 inches, are easier on small boards and in small hands.

6. Board and storage

Hard Japanese edges chip on glass, stone and bamboo boards. Use a softer wood or rubber board, as our guide to cutting boards for Japanese knives explains, and store the knife in a block, on a strip or in a saya rather than loose in a drawer.

How we chose these eight santokus

We did not cut with these knives. We started from what a working kitchen asks of a prep knife (a sharp, durable edge, a secure grip and easy care around acidic ingredients), then read each maker’s specifications and Amazon listing, checked that every knife was made in Japan and in stock on Amazon when we wrote this, and compared steel, hardness, edge angle, handle and warranty. Where a maker does not state a figure, the specifications say “not stated” rather than repeat a number from a third-party seller.

We left out every santoku already recommended in our best santoku knife guide and our best Japanese knife guide, so you can read them together without repeats. We also passed over knives listed with only a few units left, including several Miyabi, Misono, Masamoto and Global santokus, and knives from sellers that say “Japanese” in the title but do not state where the knife is made.

Japanese santoku questions, answered

Which Japanese santoku knife brands are worth buying?

Look for a maker that states where the knife is made and what the steel is. Shun and Kai, Miyabi, Enso, MAC and Yoshihiro all make the santokus above in Japan and publish their steel; several, including Shun and Miyabi, also publish edge angles and offer long warranties.

Santoku or gyuto?

A santoku is shorter and flatter, good for push cuts and chopping vegetables. A gyuto is the Japanese chef’s knife, longer and with more curve for rocking and slicing large cuts of meat. Our guide to the best gyuto covers that shape, and for vegetables alone see the best Japanese nakiri.

Do Japanese santokus need special care?

Hand wash and dry them straight away, never put them in the dishwasher, avoid bones and frozen food, and use a wood or rubber board. Carbon steel blades, like the Blue #2, also need to be wiped dry during use and oiled now and then.

What size Japanese santoku is best?

Seven inches suits most cooks. Choose 6.5 inches or less for smaller hands, a small board, or as a second knife.

Our final pick for a Japanese-made santoku

Buy the Shun Premier if you want one Japanese santoku that does everything, with a familiar handle and free sharpening. Choose the Miyabi Mizu for the finest edge, the Yoshihiro Kurouchi Blue #2 for a traditional wa handle and carbon steel, the MAC Superior for a light, plain knife, and the Kai small santoku for small hands and small boards.

For the full range, including German and budget santokus, go back to our guide to the best santoku knife, and for what to do with all that diced tomato and onion, read salsa roja vs salsa verde. If you would rather leave the chopping to us tonight, see the menu or call to order.