Masutani V10 Santoku

Performance

Out of the box, the knife benefits from Masutani-san's 30+ years of skill and experience as a sharpener and although you could get them sharper with a quick hone or pass over a whetstone we think for the excellent price point they're plenty sharp already and would be great in any kitchen. 

Beauty

The stainless cladding combined with the black pakka wood handle combine to create a good looking knife with a unique pattern finish and the exposed steel layers exposed on the blade create a striking set of lines along the length of every blade.

Subtle but striking.

Comfort

There's some crossover between East and West with the handles on the Masutani knives - they feature a Western shape and style handle but instead of a more typical full tang and three rivets, they're designed to use a more typically Japanese half tang and only two rivets which helps to lower the weight of the knife and make it more responsive with a balance point further along the blade. 

The fit and shape of the handle is very comfortable and smoothly polished so it feels great in hand. 

Durability

You definitely won't have any issues with durability, the V10 is a solidly constructed and finished knife and the use of stainless cladding around a VG10 core means they'll be easy to maintain and hone as you use them. This knife will be a true workhorse in your kitchen for years to come. 

Ease of care

Quick rinse and dry and then store it either on your knife rack or in your drawer with a saya or blade guard (or even in the presentation box if you wish) and this knife will last you a lifetime.

Value for money

Exceptional! 

You're getting an extremely good knife for the money here and the fit and finish are what you'd expect from a blacksmith with more than 40 years experience.

At this price, there's really nothing we do but say just buy it.