The Tsunehisa Santoku Ginsanko Geppaku Damascus 170 mm is a versatile Japanese kitchen knife suitable for a wide range of cutting techniques—from chopping vegetables to longer slicing motions used for preparing meat and raw fish. Effortless to maintain, holds a razor-sharp edge, and hones beautifully on whetstones.

BLADE SHAPE:

The Santoku, meaning “three virtues,” excels at slicing meat, fish, and vegetables with ease. Its thin, slightly curved blade allows for precise rocking cuts and delicate work. Balanced and lightweight, it offers comfort and control—ideal for both home cooks and professionals.

STEEL:

Hitachi's Silver III steel, also named Ginsan steel or Ginsanko, was hardened to around 60-61 HRC. Due to its high content of Chromium (Cr), Ginsan steel will resist corrosion very well. Despite it being a stainless steel, it feels and behaves very similarly to carbon steels, due to its extremely pure composition.

LAMINATION:

The hard Ginsanko steel core is clad in softer stainless steel using the traditional san-mai technique. This method enhances durability and protects the core from external stresses and chipping.

BLADE FINISH:

The upper part of the blade features a hammered pattern, which then transform into an intricate damascus finish that flows down to the cutting edge. The blade was treated with hammer blows, resulting in a textured tsuchime look, which gives it a beautiful finish and also prevents food from sticking to the blade.

HANDLE:

Blacksmiths decided to fit a traditional Japanese (Wa) wooden handle on this beautiful knife. It is made of magnolia wood with a black ferrule and is oval-shaped, so it will fit in the hands of both left- and right-handed users.

BLACKSMITH:

Tsunehisa is a curated brand that brings together high-quality knives from Japan’s top smithing regions—Tosa, Seki, and Sakai. Each area specializes in distinct steels and techniques: Tosa is known for Ginsanko and AUS-8; Seki for the V-Gold series; and Sakai for its traditional single-bevel Honyaki knives.