Flat edge, shorter blade, and it chops rather than rocks
A santoku is not a shorter chef’s knife; it is a different motion. Its flat edge meets the board along its whole length, so it cuts by pushing down and forward rather than rocking, which suits a smaller board and a shorter arm. The scalloped dimples along the blade — granton edge — break the suction that makes potato slices cling; they reduce sticking, they do not eliminate it, and the difference is smaller than the marketing suggests. Japanese-made blades are typically harder and ground at a narrower angle than European ones, which cuts better and chips sooner. We compare blade profile and length, dimples, stated steel and hardness, edge angle and handle style.
18 cm (7.1 in) blade · ice-hardened to −120 °C (-184 °F) stated · German stainless · finger guard · stated 2× longer life
An 18 cm (7.1 in) santoku with Tefal’s Ice Force treatment — the blade cooled to a stated −120 °C (-184 °F) — made in Germany, with a finger guard.
Best for: A first santoku, for someone who chops rather than rocks.
≈ $47
17.8 cm (7 in) blade · 5Cr15MoV steel · 13° double bevel · pakkawood handle · left- and right-handed
A 17.8 cm (7 in) santoku in 5Cr15MoV steel ground at a stated 13° per side, with a pakkawood handle and a symmetrical bevel that suits either hand.
Best for: Vegetables and fish, from someone who will keep it off bones.
18 cm (7.1 in) blade · 10Cr15MoV Japanese steel · stated HRC 62 · 5-layer laminated · stated 12° edge
An 18 cm (7.1 in) santoku in 10Cr15MoV Japanese steel stated at HRC 62, with a five-layer laminated blade and a stated 12° edge — the hardest blade in this hub.
Best for: A cook who sharpens their own knives and will keep this one for vegetables and fish.
≈ $70
17 cm (6.7 in) blade · granton hollow edge · light, balanced · ergonomic handle · stainless
A 17 cm (6.7 in) santoku with a granton hollow edge, from a maker whose knives are the default in professional kitchens for their grip and their weight.
Best for: Long prep sessions, and anyone who values grip over heft.
18 cm (7.1 in) blade · Japanese 10Cr15MoV Damascus core · 67 forged layers · stated genuine, not etched
A Damascus-clad santoku with a 10Cr15MoV Japanese core and 67 forged layers, and a maker who states explicitly that the pattern is forged rather than laser-etched.
Best for: Someone who wants a beautiful knife and wants to know what is underneath the pattern.
≈ $90
The santoku works by pushing down rather than rocking. Its length directly determines the width of what it can slice in one pass.
A shorter blade is better controlled in fine slicing, which is this profile’s favored ground.
Very hard steel holds an edge for a long time but needs a stone and some method to get it back. The stated hardness decides who can maintain the blade, and at what cost.
The santoku is shorter, flatter in the edge and thinner. It cuts by pushing down where the chef’s knife rocks on its tip.
To limit slices sticking to the blade. The effect is real but partial: damp slices still stick.
17 cm (6.7 in) is the reference size. 18 to 20 cm (7.1 to 7.9 in) for larger items, without exceeding the width of the board.
Never. The thin edge chips permanently on bone or a stone. A cleaver or a boning knife is made for that.
The angle is often tighter than on a European knife, which gives a finer edge. A European fixed-angle sharpener can alter that geometry.
For vegetables and boneless meat, yes. A bread knife and a paring knife still need adding.
Hard steels hold the edge longer and demand more care. A well-sharpened European steel cuts very well and forgives more.
They create air pockets that reduce the grip of a thin slice without removing it. It is a real convenience on potato, marginal on tomato.
The santoku is a shorter, thinner chef’s knife that cuts straight down rather than rocking: a way of cutting, not a superiority. Never bone or stones, and a sharpening angle to respect.
We show a column only when four utensils in five publish its value. The rest would stay empty and settle nothing.
| Model | Price | Blade length |
|---|---|---|
| Tefal K23206 | $47 | 18 cm (7.1 in) |
| SANMEIHO SMHCS-2025-06-2 | $70 | 18 cm (7.1 in) |
| SHAN ZU SZPCS-2017-004 | $90 | 18 cm (7.1 in) |
| PAUDIN PD8BMC8CR503 | — | 17.8 cm (7 in) |
| Victorinox 6.8523.17B | — | 17 cm (6.7 in) |
Specifications: manufacturer sheets for cookware and kitchen knives and the matching Amazon product pages. Prices and availability: Keepa. Every figure in this table names its source.
Most recent revision in this category: September 3, 2026.
Prices quoted in these summaries are dated readings. The live price is shown next to each product.
