"Santoku" type Damascus knife, 18 cm blade.
Santoku means "three virtues" in Japanese, as it can be used to cut meat, fish, and vegetables. The Santoku's thin blade allows you to slice and mince without ever crushing even the most delicate ingredients, so they retain all their flavor. Furthermore, the dimpled blade reduces friction between the knife and the food being cut, preventing it from sticking to the blade.
The KOTAI Damascus Santoku is forged from AUS-10 steel, a premium steel that combines a high carbon content for edge hardness and longevity with the optimal amount of chromium to prevent oxidation. The full hidden tang—a single piece of steel extending from the tip of the blade to the end of the handle—gives the santoku ideal balance and exceptional durability. Japanese precision, Western robustness. The best of both worlds.
* 100% handmade
* Ultra-sharp Japanese AUS-10 high-carbon stainless steel
* Full silk
* Black pakkawood handle
* Hardness HRC: 61 +/- 1
* Weight: 203g
* Perfectly balanced
* Bamboo saya (sheath) included with each knife
* Lifetime warranty
Damascus steel (or simply Damascus steel) is composed of a layer of very hard steel - here AUS-10 - for the cutting edge, surrounded by 66 successive layers of less hard steel to protect the inner layer.
This type of blade combines the strengths of a very high-carbon steel – the AUS-10 core layer achieves a hardness of 61 HRC – with the advantages of softer steels, such as impact and corrosion resistance. The resulting blade, forged from 67 layers of steel, offers exceptional edge retention while also benefiting from increased durability and chip resistance.
In addition to these mechanical properties, Damascus steel is prized because no two Damascus blades will have exactly the same patterns; each knife is unique.