Japanese Santoku Kengata Santoku Knife 16cm Sakai Takayuki AS Forged Finish

The versatile 100% Japanese santoku knife

Sakai Takayuki is a Japanese company founded in the mid-20ᵉ century. Its name comes from the town where it is headquartered: Sakai. With its decades of experience in cutlery, this company has been able to create new manufacturing techniques from those inherited from the blacksmiths of yesteryear and combined with modern technology. Sakai Takayuki now offers knives combining modernity and Japanese tradition, of the highest quality.

This santoku kengata is a hybrid model between the santoku and the kengata: it features the santoku shape that allows you to make rocking movements, while having a kengata point, similar to that of a kiritsuke. This means you can cut a wide range of foods! Use it to make a variety of cuts on meat, fish or vegetables. Be careful not to use it on foods that are too hard, such as squash, bones, frozen foods, etc.

A Japanese knife made from quality materials

The blade of your knife is made with a typically Japanese San Maï (meaning "3 layers") structure. This specific construction consists of using a core of rigid steel, which is then covered with a layer of softer steel. This technique gives your blade optimum balance and protects the core.

For this knife,Japanese Aogami Super steel, also known as Blue Super Steel, is used to form the core of the blade. This alloy is produced by the world-renowned steelmaker Hitachi.

Aogami Super steel gives your knives an excellent cutting edge! It has a high carbon content of around 1.5% (the average for Western knives is 0.5%), giving it high rigidity. As a result, its hardness on the Rockwell scale reaches 65HRC: the higher the hardness, the longer the cutting edge. Here, your Sakai Takayuki knife has a cutting edge that performs well over time, so you can space out sharpening sessions while retaining excellent cutting quality. When sharpening becomes necessary, the Aogami alloy remains pleasant to work with.

As explained above, a layer ofstainless steel covers the core to form the remaining 2 layers. These protect the core while balancing out its high hardness to make it less brittle.

You can see the different layers of steel superimposed all along the blade to form a fine wave of random patterns, unique to each piece!

Last but not least, this blade has a rough forged finish that gives your knife a rustic, authentic look. It has also been hammered to give it added character: this hammering pairs perfectly with its dark aesthetic.

The handle of your santoku knife is made from Japanese zelkova wood: a robust species often compared to elm. It is frequently used in the manufacture of luxury furniture and is highly prized in Japan, where it decorates many gardens.

The handle is complemented by a bolster made of pakka wood, a composite material based on resin and laminated wood. Wood-like veins are visible for a natural result. The darker shade of pakka and the lighter one of zelkova combine perfectly to create a striking contrast.

The handle of your Japanese knife is octagonal with 8 facets, so it's perfect for both right- and left-handers! Wood paste has been added where the blade joins the handle to fill in the small gaps and make the whole thing watertight.

Caring for your Sakai Takayuki knife

This Japanese kitchen knife should only be washed by hand with a non-abrasive sponge and mild detergent. It should not be left to soak in the sink, nor should it be put in the dishwasher, as its high carbon content means it is oxidizable. Avoid getting the handle wet. Once washed, dry your knife immediately and store it in a dry place away from moisture.

Over time, the blade may change color slightly: this is normal! This is a reaction of the carbon to the humidity in the air and the acidity of the food you're cutting. That's why we recommend that you wipe your knife dry between cuts.

You can also use vegetable oil to protect the blade when not in use.

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