About the shape - Santoku means 'Three Virtues' or 'To solve Three Problems'. The three virtues are meat, fish and vegetables, or slicing, dicing and mincing depending on your interpretation. This means that the Santoku is an all-around knife, suitable for the amateur home cook and the professional chef alike. The heigh means good clearance for big hands, while the relatively short blade can be wielded by anyone.

About Takamura Akagouhan - Takamura Hamono(blacksmith) can be found in Takefu Village (Echizen) in Fukui Prefecture. It is run by 3rd generation blacksmith Terukazu Takamura who inherited the shop from his father Toshiyuki Takamura San. With over 30 years of experience, his blades are known for an extremely refined and long-lived edge.

R2 is a very hard powder stainless steel that allows for an extremely long-lived edge, and is rather tough compared to many super hard powder steels. Having a light, thin blade this knife is capable of extreme sharpness and glides through food. The handle is made of Pakka wood with a welded bolster and is practically indestructible.