Tsunehisa SK5 Santoku

About this range

First Impressions

At this price point, the out of the box sharpness is reasonable enough but almost certainly you'll need to give it a little attention on a whetsone and strop as the edge finish isn't anywhere near as sharp as you could make it but once you've spent a little time on that, you'll have a good quality and reliable workhorse.

Beauty

It's perhaps a bit of a hard sell writing about the beauty of this knife when you put it next to some of our other knives but that would probably miss the point a little as this knife is designed to be functional and efficient so the consistent finish and simple but effective full tang riveted handle do their job.

In Hand

The heel of the knives in the collection could perhaps benefit from a bit of sanding to smooth them off for comfort but otherwise the fit of the integral bolster and handle are actually nice in hand and the knives are well balanced generally.

Durability

SK5 is a Japanese high carbon steel and is often found in hunting knives, chisels and tools where it can be hardened up to 65HRC but for kitchen knives in this steel they're typically hardened to around 60HRC which allows for plenty of edge retention and easy sharpening.

Ease of Care

The SK5 is a carbon steel so follow our normal care  instructions and store safely with either a blade guard or on a rack and this knife will be a great performer.

This is a very reactive knife and a mono steel construction so you will find as a patina develops over time you also experience rusting as part of the process. It's quite normal and you can learn more about it on our carbon steel care page. It's almost certainly worth pre-empting this part of the care of this particular range by adding a rust eraser and polishing compound to your order!

We mention this now because at the price point it's obviously a tempting knife range for first time buyers but if you're not expecting a highly reactive knife it can be quite a shock!

Our Verdict

At this price point, you're obviously making some compromises compared to the much more expensive Japanese knives available so it's important to focus on what the SK5 does well.

Honestly - the out of the box sharpness isn't amazing and if you're going to try slicing through paper or a tomato balanced on a chopping board there's a real chance you'll be disappointed right away. You will need to do a little work on the edge of the SK5 when it arrives so not only is it very reactive, it also needs a little initial attention to bring the edge up to where we'd want it to be but it should be easy enough to do. 

With the negative part said, lets balance it with the positive!

It's a robust and easy to sharpen knife made with the minimum of fuss and the SK5 is a durable steel that once you've got your working edge will hold it pretty well. 

The handle is comfortable and the edge retention and ease with which you can bring it back to sharpness is a great benefit, particularly in busy kitchens.