The Kiritsuke is a great replacement for a gyuto/chef’s knife and has become very popular in the past few years as the drop tip tappers down to a very thin scalpel and is an aggressive work horse. They generally come in a few sizes ranging from 210mm to 240mm. Traditionally a kiritsuke is a single-beveled and combined with the rustic geometry, makes the kiritsuke look like an epic kitchen sword. This is used for slicing up large cuts of meat and fish it will give you a clean cut finish.

The Santoku is the most popular knife in the Japanese home and considered to be an all rounder in the kitchen. The meaning of Santoku is the “three virtues” in Japanese and is a reference to its multi purpose and versatility. It can be used to prepare fish, chicken and most fruits and vegetables but is too small for large food items like watermelons and bigger cuts of meat. The Santoku is great as an alternative if you have a larger chef’s knife as most Santokus come in at around 165mm to 180mm its easy to handle and has a snubbed nose to it.