Takamura Santoku Migaki SG2 170mm (6.7″)

Takamura Migaki Santoku SG2 is a knife we recommend for professional chefs and all you talented home cooks, but above all, it’s a great first knife for young chefs. Why? The knife is easy to maintain, offers long-lasting sharpness, is practical and lightweight enough for long hours as a prep chef in a busy restaurant.

Santoku knife is a versatile kitchen knife that will shine through all kinds of chopping and cutting on the kitchen board. The minimalistic-looking, highly polished (also called migaki finish- see article Blade Construction: Blade Finish for more) blade is extremely thin, which allows the user to work precisely even with the smallest pieces of ingredients. The cutting edge is sharpened to a 50/50 angle and stays sharp even after hours of constant use.

The knife boasts a western-style (Yo) ergonomic handle made of durable laminated pakka wood in vibrant red, secured to the tang with three stainless rivets. The bolster gives the knife a gentle transition from the handle to the blade and provides a comfortable and firm grip during use. Due to its symmetricity, the handle fits perfectly in both palms. The yo handle might be on the smaller side, so it’s not ideal for basketball player-size chefs. 

You won’t believe the out-of-the-box sharpness! The san mai (see article Blade Construction: Lamination for more) blade construction with the SG2 powder steel core (63 HRC!) has the ability to stay sharp almost indefinitely. It’s perfectly balanced, so even after long hours of food preparation, it feels lightweight in your hand.

This elegantly minimalistic, perfectly balanced, extremely thin, simple-looking santoku knife is a veritable beast. Takamura knives are the most popular among western professional chefs and this SG2 steel line is at the top of the Takamura range.

Takamura Hamono:
Takamura Hamono is a smithy located in Echizen (Fukui Prefecture) owned by the Takamura family for over 60 years. It is now headed by the eldest son Terukazu Takamura, who took over from his father Toshiyuki (who took over from his father, the smithy’s founder Isamu Takamura-san). The knives Terukazu-san has been making since 1985 are known for their outstanding geometry, sophistication in design, and sharpness. Their quality was recognized in a consumer test report Smartson in Sweden, where they beat the competition. Takamura Hamono has gained notoriety since the knives became the #1 choice of world-renowned chefs such as Gordon Ramsay, René Redzepi, Mark Best, Hiromi Yamada, and the TV personality Martha Stewart (just to name a few!).

All of this makes Takamura knives very difficult to obtain and the wait time is very long due to a limited production capacity. Nevertheless, the craftsmanship and sophistication of their products make the wait well worthwhile.