# wide body santoku



## fujitora (Aug 23, 2015)

Hi looking for a wider than usual santoku like the shun sumo santokus but would prefer to get one from a different company. any help is much appreciated


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

Santoku is not something that gets much attention around here, gyuto does it all for you but, if you have an irritating personal need for one, a whole bunch you can look at:

https://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/collections/santoku

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/santokuknives.html


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

I like and use my santoku more than my chef's knife. They're both the same brand but better than 30-years apart. My santoku has a flatter and shorter blade. I seem to be faster with it. Knives are a completely personal thing. Use what YOU like and forget other people's opinions.

Here is a real good bet for the $$. 
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tostwa.html


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

Iceman said:


> I like and use my santoku more than my chef's knife. They're both the same brand but better than 30-years apart. My santoku has a flatter and shorter blade. I seem to be faster with it. Knives are a completely personal thing. Use what YOU like and forget other people's opinions.


I'd say you have an irritating personal need for one.

It may be tough choosing a santoku based on blade height, as there is price, steel and grind to also consider.


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

You didn't specify price, steel or anything else but height so, known by the youtube cooking channel of the same name:

https://trendyjoys.com/products/almazan-serbian-chef-knife?variant=20439989289058&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google Shopping

Consider also a Chinese chef knife/cleaver.
https://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/collections/cleavers
https://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/collections/cleavers


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

55mm is the tallest one i've found

https://www.japaneseknifeimports.co...nless-clad-carbon-kiritsuke-shaped-wa-santoku


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## Uzumakiman (Jun 16, 2019)

I would ask why you feel the need to not have a shun. I actually have that knife and for some odd reason (probably the wide body) i really enjoy using the knife even though I HATE santoku blades. It seems to make it much easier for fast, thin chopping. So why the hate on shun? It's a great knife and exactly what you're looking for.


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## Seoul Food (Sep 17, 2018)

Uzumakiman said:


> I would ask why you feel the need to not have a shun. I actually have that knife and for some odd reason (probably the wide body) i really enjoy using the knife even though I HATE santoku blades. It seems to make it much easier for fast, thin chopping. So why the hate on shun? It's a great knife and exactly what you're looking for.


Everyone has their preferences on brands, styles, ect. He may dislike the Shun for the very reasons you like it. Although a knife may fall into the specs he was looking for, it doesn't mean that is is necessarily the best knife for him.


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

@Uzumakiman , just how much experience do you think you have with performance knives? Shun aren't terrible knives, they are just terribly overpriced for what they are. Simple as that.


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## Uzumakiman (Jun 16, 2019)

Im not claiming to be any expert. But there were no specifics as to why not that specific knife even though it met the criteria, just that it needed to be a different company. I'm just simply asking. Maybe theres something about the company i dont know and could learn something.


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## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

Uzumakiman said:


> Im not claiming to be any expert. But there were no specifics as to why not that specific knife even though it met the criteria, just that it needed to be a different company. I'm just simply asking. Maybe theres something about the company i dont know and could learn something.


Welcome to ChefTalk!


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

Uzumakiman said:


> Im not claiming to be any expert. But there were no specifics as to why not that specific knife even though it met the criteria, just that it needed to be a different company. I'm just simply asking. Maybe theres something about the company i dont know and could learn something.


Fair enough. Firstly the OP did not state that the shun met all criteria, the only virtue alluded to was its height.

In Japan the santoku is primarily marketed to housewives. I believe the name santoku roughly translates as "Three Virtues," this alludes to its suitability for slicing vegetables, beef and fish as they are typically prepared in Japanese home cooking, a compromise design in other words. I guess a fourth virtue would be its small size suitable for small women.

The typical santoku, like the gyuto and the French chef knife profile it copies (actually all European chef knives prior to WWII), has a rather flat edge profile, far more efficient for both slicing and chopping, especially using proper technique. You'll notice the shun santoku has the typical big round belly German profile. That's just for starters, there are other issues such as edge thickness and steel that one would want addressed, and these have been discussed often and at length on this forum concerning both shun and German knives in general, and VG-10 steel also.

So this is what I believe the OP was referring in asking for knives from "other" companies.


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## Uzumakiman (Jun 16, 2019)

I get it. You know more than me about knives. I'm simply asking why not shun. I didnt need a history lesson on the santoku or speculation into what he meant. It seems like his qualm is with the company from the way I read it. And if its more than that he should probably specify as to whether it's the shape, edge thickness, or steel that is the problem with shun if hes going to ask for recommendations. J/S


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

Some folks are just so hard to satisfy.


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