Santoku knife | 18 cm | Mahogany

A Japanese knife is a good choice if you want a tool that will last a lifetime. Our knives are hand-forged using traditional methods in Sakai City, which is highly renowned for the region's more than 600-year history of knifemaking.

The solid craftsmanship reflects the quality of our knives, whose specifications include: 

• 17 layers of hammered Damascus VG10 steel.
• 60-62 HRC (Rockwell hardness scale). Western chef's knives typically have a hardness of 50-55, which means a softer, duller knife that needs sharpening more often. 

The blade consists of 17 layers of hammered Damascus steel which, in addition to being incredibly beautiful, has the property of protecting the core from rust and wear.

The core itself consists of the hard VG10 steel, which was developed by Takefu Special Steel Co., Ltd. The VG10 core steel consists of a composition of very pure raw materials, which provides outstanding qualities when it comes to hardness, sharpness, and wear resistance.

All in all, the knives are a solid tool that will surely become your faithful companion in the kitchen. Cooking just becomes a little more fun when the tools help make the work easier. The knives have different properties, which you can read about here.

When choosing a new knife, it can be difficult to figure out which one to choose. The most important thing in this regard is to ask yourself what function the knife should have. In other words: what are you going to use the knife for?

We have compiled an overview of all our knives and their functions, so hopefully you can find out which knife is the right one for you. Read the full overview here.

Yes, to a large extent. Genuine Japanese knives are the result of generations of perfected blacksmithing techniques, ensuring exceptional sharpness and durability. Unfortunately, there are many cheap imitations on the market marketed as "Japanese," but which are actually machine-made with, for example, laser-etched patterns instead of genuine folded steel.

At Seramikku, we import our knives directly from the traditional regions of Sakai and Seki. They are hand-forged by local masters, which is your guarantee of authentic Japanese craftsmanship of the highest quality, so you avoid "buying a pig in a poke".

Read the full guide on the importance of a knife's origin here.

More layers do not necessarily mean a better and sharper knife.

The main purpose of the layers is to protect the hard core steel. In addition, it, of course, has aesthetic value.

Professional Japanese chefs always use knives with 3 layers. One hard core encased in 2 protective layers of stainless steel.

Whether a Japanese Damascus knife has 9, 17, 67, or even 300 layers, for that matter, is more a question of aesthetics (and price) than it is an expression of sharpness, hardness, or overall quality.

Our Japanese knives have 17 layers of hammered Damascus VG10 steel, which provides high protection to the steel due to the many layers. Additionally, the layers contribute to the knife's beautiful appearance.

The HRC scale is a unit of measurement for defining the hardness of a knife blade, developed by the international and recognized Rockwell.

The hardness of the steel is defined and graded, and parameters such as the quality and durability of the steel are also measured.

The scale serves as a good guideline when you are investing in a knife, as it can tell you where on the scale the knife in question is located compared to other knives on the market.

Seramikkus' Japanese knives are made of VG10 steel, which achieves a rating of 60-62 HRC on the Rockwell scale. In comparison, a typical Western kitchen knife is in the range of 50-55 HRC.