Suzuki Black Santoku 165mm

Suzuki Uchi Hamono is a renowned Japanese blacksmithing workshop led by Tsukasa Suzuki, who is known for his exceptional skills in forging unique kitchen knives. Hailing from Yamagata prefecture, a region known for its long-standing tradition of blacksmithing, he learned the art of forging from his father and has been practicing it for more than 40 years.

He creates unique kitchen knives that are distinct from the standard shapes. His knives are typically single-sided, which means they have a bevel on only one side of the blade. One advantage of this geometry is its ability to make food fall away from the blade with minimal effort, a feature particularly useful in precision cutting tasks, where the chef’s control over the cut is crucial. They have a distinctive blade thickness profile. The spine, which Suzuki-San refers to as the ‘ear’ of the knife, is relatively thick at around 5mm, while the rest of the blade is extremely thin at just over 1mm.

The thick spine, whilst providing strength and rigidity, also helps prevent food from piling up on the blade, a feature that is particularly helpful when working with ingredients that tend to stick to the knife. The extreme thinness, whilst enhancing its sharpness to surgical levels, also negates the swaying motion normally associated with single bevel knives during vertical cutting.

The marriage of a thin blade for effortless precise cutting, a sturdy “ear”, aka the spine, for durability & rigidity, and a single bevel geometry to increase its food separation ability, makes these knives exceedingly sought after by both knife enthusiasts and professionals looking for high-quality Japanese culinary blades that push the boundaries of traditional design. Please Note: The handle colour varies from light to quite deep ochre. Not dishwasher safe.