Japanese Knives
Best Santoku Knives
What this is based on: published manufacturer specifications and retailer listings, cited on each product; the weight of professional and owner reviews across multiple retailers; and hands-on experience sharpening and cooking with knives of this type. We have not individually tested every model listed, we do not run instrumented sharpness testing, and we do not claim a test we did not run.
Quick picks
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  MAC Professional 6.5" Santoku (MSK-65) | Precision vegetable work | 8.5 | |
| 2 |  Tojiro DP Santoku 170mm (F-503) | A second Japanese knife on a budget | 8.4 | |
| 3 | Shun Classic 7" Santoku | Small boards and short cooks | 8.2 |
The defining feature is the profile. A chef's knife has a pronounced curved belly designed to be rocked; a santoku is close to flat with a short curve near the tip, designed to be pushed straight down and forward. If you learned to cook watching someone rock a knife through parsley with the tip planted on the board, a santoku will feel wrong for about a week and then feel faster.
Who should buy one
- Anyone with a small board. 165mm turns comfortably where a 210mm gyuto needs clearance.
- Shorter cooks and smaller hands. Less blade to control, less weight at the tip.
- People who mostly cut vegetables. The flat edge makes full contact with the board, which means no accordion slices.
Who should not
- Committed rockers. The flat profile punishes it, and relearning a grip is a real cost.
- Anyone breaking down whole birds. The sheep's-foot tip has almost no point, which makes joint work awkward.
- Anyone who already owns a gyuto and a nakiri. The santoku sits squarely between them and duplicates both.
Santoku, gyuto or nakiri
| Gyuto | Santoku | Nakiri | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical length | 210mm | 165–170mm | 165mm |
| Profile | Curved belly | Near-flat, short tip curve | Flat |
| Tip | Pointed | Sheep's foot | None |
| Best cut | Rock or push | Push | Straight down |
| Protein | Yes | Boneless only | No |
The head-to-heads go deeper: gyuto against santoku and santoku against nakiri.
The verdict
The MAC MSK-65 takes it on geometry. It is very thin behind the edge for the money, ground to 15 degrees per side like the rest of MAC's Professional line, and neutral enough in the hand that nobody dislikes it. The Tojiro DP santoku does most of the same work for considerably less and is the sensible first santoku; the Shun Classic is the one to buy when you already know the shape suits you.
If you own a chef's knife and your complaint is that it goes dull, not that it is too long, a santoku will not help. Read why your knife still is not sharp first.
The picks in detail
#1 · Precision vegetable work
MAC Professional 6.5" Santoku (MSK-65)
The MTH-80's logic in a santoku: thin, light, 15 degrees per side, and consistent from unit to unit.
What it does well
- Extremely thin behind the edge for its price
- Same 15-degree factory geometry as the rest of the Professional line
- Light and neutral in the hand
Where it gives way
- Thin tip is easy to damage
- No bolster to protect your knuckles in a heavy grip
- Costs more than the Tojiro equivalent
Skip it if: Heavy jobs. It is thin, and thin blades dislike bone and frozen food.
| Blade length | 6.5 in |
|---|---|
| Steel | Sub-zero tempered high-carbon molybdenum vanadium alloy |
| Hardness | approx. 61 HRC (MAC Professional line) |
| Edge angle | 15 degrees per side |
#2 · A second Japanese knife on a budget
Tojiro DP Santoku 170mm (F-503)
The gyuto's sibling: same VG-10 san mai, same price bracket, shorter and flatter. The cheapest honest route into a Japanese santoku.
What it does well
- Same steel and geometry philosophy as the F-808 gyuto
- Light and easy to control for shorter cooks
- Inexpensive enough to learn stone work on
Where it gives way
- Plain finish, same as the rest of the DP line
- 170 mm limits you on anything large
- Soft cladding scratches quickly
Skip it if: Anyone who already has a 210 mm gyuto and a small board — the overlap is large.
| Blade length | 170 mm |
|---|---|
| Steel | VG-10 core, three-layer stainless cladding |
| Hardness | 59-61 HRC |
| Handle | Western composite wood with bolster |
#3 · Small boards and short cooks
Shun Classic 7" Santoku
The same VG-MAX core and 16-degree edge as the Classic chef's knife, in the shorter, flatter profile that suits a small board.
What it does well
- Short enough to control on a 12-inch board
- Flat profile suits push cutting, which is how Japanese knives want to be used
- Same steel and warranty as the full-size Classic
Where it gives way
- 7 in is short for breaking down a chicken or a large squash
- Premium over a Tojiro santoku is large
- D-handle is right-hand oriented
Skip it if: Anyone who rocks-chops. The flat profile punishes that grip.
| Blade length | 7 in |
|---|---|
| Steel | VG-MAX core, Damascus-clad |
| Hardness | 61 HRC |
| Edge angle | 16 degrees per side |
| Handle | D-shaped pakkawood |
Common questions
What does santoku mean?
Is a santoku better than a chef's knife?
What are the dimples on a santoku for?
What size santoku should I buy?
Sources
Read next
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Gyuto vs Santoku: Which Should You Buy?
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