Kanetsune KC-952 Tsuchime Santoku 165mm

If you cook on a small board in a small kitchen, a long chef's knife is a liability. The santoku is the answer: tall, short, rounded nose, built for chopping and push cuts. The name means three virtues, meat, fish and vegetables, and it does all three. This one is from Kanetsune's factory-made line, which is how it costs what it costs.

The LADJA team uses it for:

• Push-cutting onions, peppers and courgettes
• Chopping herbs fine
• Slicing chicken breast and fish fillets
• The one knife on the board all evening

Details:

• Type: Santoku
• Blade: 165 mm
• Steel: DSR-1K6 high-carbon stainless by Daido Steel, 0.6% carbon with molybdenum
• Finish: hammered (tsuchime), helps food release
• Brand: Kanetsune, Japan. One of the largest knife producers in the country. KC-950 series, factory made