Like a chefs knife, the Japanese santoku is a multipurpose knife used for just about every cutting job in the kitchen. The name means three virtues. This refers either to the three types of foods it works especially well withvegetables, proteins, and fruit, or for the three types of cuts at which it excels - slicing, dicing, and chopping. Slightly shorter than the standard chef's knife, a santoku is very easy to maneuvereven in a smaller kitchen. There's just enough belly curve to enable rocking cuts, which enhances the knife's versatility. This distinctive piece of kitchen cutlery performs beautifully and you'll find that the new blonde Pakkawood handles fit your hand like a comfortable glove.The Shun Classic Blonde series features our 69-layer Damascus-clad blades and PakkaWood handles in a light and beautiful natural wood tone. Yet behind these handcrafted knives' beauty is top function. Shun's proprietary high-performance VG-MAX steel forms the cutting core of the blade and holds its razor-sharp edge longer. The core is clad with 68 micro layers of Damascus stainless steel, then ground and bead-blasted, revealing the flowing pattern of the layered steel. The result is a line of knives that is ultra-sharp, durable, and corrosion resistant, as well as simply magnificent to behold.