Shibamasa VG5 Brown Santoku

The Santoku knife, a classic in Japanese kitchens, translates to "three virtues," symbolizing its proficiency in slicing, dicing, and mincing. With a shorter, versatile blade and a balanced design, it's ideal for a range of tasks, from cutting meat to chopping vegetables, making it a beloved all-purpose tool.

VG5 steel is a Japanese stainless steel valued for its balanced performance, toughness, and ease of maintenance. Positioned slightly below VG10 in hardness, VG5 offers excellent sharpenability, decent edge retention, and improved toughness—making it less prone to chipping. Its lower carbon content makes it more forgiving and ideal for everyday kitchen use, especially for cooks who prefer durability and easy upkeep over extreme sharpness or edge longevity.

Hand wash only, never put in a dishwasher. Dry immediately after washing. Store on a magnetic knife strip or in a saya. Sharpen on a whetstone when the blade dulls. Read our full maintenance guide for more information.