Knife Type: Santoku 

Steel Type: Swedish Carbon steel (Hagane)

Blade Hardness: HRC 60

Blade Length: 180mm

Handle Material: Black Pakka wood

If I were choosing just one carbon steel knife for everyday cooking, this would be one of my top recommendations.

Made from premium Swedish carbon steel, the Misono Swedish Carbon Steel Santoku is renowned for its exceptional sharpness, edge retention, and ease of sharpening. It delivers the pure cutting performance that many professional chefs and knife enthusiasts look for in a traditional carbon steel knife.

The Santoku is one of the most versatile Japanese knife styles, making it ideal for vegetables, meat, and fish. The generous blade height provides excellent control when preparing vegetables, while the pointed tip allows for precise work with meat and fish.

At 180mm, I believe this is one of the most practical knife sizes available. It is large enough to handle most kitchen tasks with ease, yet compact enough to remain comfortable and highly manoeuvrable.

For home cooks, it fits perfectly on standard kitchen benchtops and cutting boards. For professional chefs, the shorter blade length makes it easy to handle during busy service, allowing one knife to cover a wide variety of tasks efficiently. During service, I often find a knife of this size easier to control than a longer chef’s knife while still being capable of handling almost every task.

One of the unique characteristics of carbon steel is that it develops a natural patina over time. While carbon steel requires more care than stainless steel and can rust if neglected, many chefs consider this part of its appeal.

You may notice some ingredients, particularly onions, apples, mangoes, or other acidic foods, causing temporary discoloration on the blade or slight colour changes on the food itself. This is a normal reaction with carbon steel and is completely harmless to both flavour and health. As the knife develops a natural patina, these reactions often become less noticeable.

For anyone looking for an exceptionally sharp kitchen knife that can be maintained and enjoyed for many years, the Misono Swedish Carbon Steel Santoku is an excellent choice.

All JKG knives are personally selected by a chef with over 15 years of professional kitchen experience.