I love santoku as its my favorite But from logical point i will say both are really really so good Sometimes i like santoku for cutting something and sometimes gyuto It depended on what im cutting Im bat 🦇 i can cut same veggies with both knifes lol
I think gyuto And santaku having an endless battle But people don't know is they are besties Buying both and using for specific purposes makes them long lasting And work done in great way and never get bored using them
I got my first Japanese knife today, it was a Santoku Octagon handle VG10 SS. I like it a lot. I think Gyuto is probably the better knife in most scenarios but I got the Santoku because I like the look and it just felt completely different compared to a Gyuto which is more like a traditional chefs knife
I think the knifes you compare just has a too big length difference to be an accurate comparison. I have both a 165mm and a 185mm santoku and they feel completely different in use. I choose the 185 over my 210 gyuto most days, it just feels better. A small santoku is well suited for a typical japanese household where the wife is making food in a tiny kitchen. There is no room for a big cutting board and a giant cow sword.
The amount of 'belly' on the knife (how flat the edge is) is not a property which differentiates the gyuto and santoku styles. Traditional japanese knives tend to have a flatter belly to accomodate the up/down slicing cutting style which is traditionally japanese, but nowadays you can get all kinds of edge shapes on both knife-styles according to your preference of rocking or slicing:)
I've a 21cm Aogami #2 gyuto made by Kyohei Shindo san. It's hardened to around 62 HRC. It has soft iron warikomi cladding and a kurouchi finish. I've just finishing fitting a custom octagonal handle, made from African blackwood, (Mpingo) with a Bocote ferrule. This I've lacquered with several layers of Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil gunstock finish. It looks and feels absolutely stunning. The blade is really thin and surprisingly tough. It cuts like a laser. It's also balanced to the way I like it. Along with my 17cm funayuki from the same smith, it takes an edge like no other knife I've ever used. I love my gyuto and funayuki knives.
Gyuto ftw, never saw a serious professional chef using a santoku, 240mm gyuto is perfect for 90% of Tasks, at home i mostly use a 210 laser gyuto from shiro kamo made of r2, a Kurosaki 180mm gyuto made of aogami super or a Kurosaki nakiri 165mm made out of r2
I know what you’re saying, but serious line cooks I’ve been around and worked with tend to work with santokus or another shorter knife (nakiri, larger petty even) during service. Gyuto during prep, smaller knife duing service is what I see a lot. I like a 180mm knife for everything at work, but that has its limitations. But hey, the last chef I worked for only used his 240mm gyuto no matter what. Maybe you’re on to something. How do you like r2 btw?
@@griffcoleman i love r2, in my opinion the best knife steel overall. Gets crazy sharp, has an very agressive bite/toothiness and stays usable very long. But never use a r2 knife on hard wood like oak, it micro-chips, i use them on hinoki or ruber cutting boards. Also check out gingami/ginsan steel. Its basically like shirogami but stainless. Easy to sharpen, fine grained, clean edge, stays sharp pretty long too. Take a look into shigeki tanaka gyuto 240mm ginsan, or the nakiri. Great knife! I think yoshimi kato also works with this steel type if i remember correctly.
Every other video I have seen has been going the opposite direction.. they state that the gyuto (chef's knife) is more for a rocking motion, whereas the santoku is more for slicing up and down (well, diagonally).
I have Kai Santoku and like it. For smaller jobs i have a Carbon Steel Nakiri. Only thing i don't like at it is that it doesn't have a tip. So i guess i need a Bunka. I am not sure if i would be comfortable with a long Gyuto... Thanks for that nice video!
@@sweeyanart5670 as a former cook, I started collecting kitchen knives. And 4 santoku because of steel - each one is of a different type steel. So far, my collection consists of 26 knives of various shapes and steels
@@sweeyanart5670 Oh Karen, there is ALWAYS room for another knife. I own several nakiries, one for show, one for serious but nasty jobs (squash, and such), one for serious easy cut or delicate things, and a cheap one for general purpose, or when I'm drunk, and don't feel like cleaning anything.
@@thomasgronek6469 Well I might have come sounding rude, I just didn't know why someone would want 4 or 5 knives of the same type until Pawel eL told me.
I got a 180mm (~7 inch) Gyuto from my parents who visited Japan a few weeks ago and i am really curious how if feels compared to my 200mm German chefs knife. The second knife i got is a Nakiri and i already love the handling of that one
165mm is about 6 7/16" (6.44), almost an inch more than 5 1/2" (5.5) inches. Easy formula: 165 / 25.6 for approximation, you can just go with 25mm to the inch for most knife sizes.
I've never tried a gyuto due to already having a couple of reasonably nice chefs knives and being cheap. That being said, the santoku is what I'm reaching for whenever I'm cutting beef which is a solid 50% or more of my knife work in the kitchen.
Im a fan of full tang in every knife 🤷 when i bought my gyuto it just felt more solid the japanese handles are beautiful but felt more flimsy and felt it would slide out with time and getting soaked every once and a while.
Well if you're going to rock chop something maybe do it with the heel instead of the tip like you were doing. Knife doesn't need to go nearly so high up
Nice informative video, but the background music was too loud and detracted from the viewing experience. A little unpleasant and became more tedious as the video went on; I eventually had to give up.
Knuckle clearance. Easier for weaker arms, newer chefs. Cheaper. They're popular for a reason, even if they're not popular with more professional chefs.
@@theredbar-cross8515 The heel height tends to be the same as a chef knife. If you consider what you pay for they are more expensive than a chef knife, though you could also just buy a cheaper brand. They are worse at cutting those four things that Mr Gronek mentioned, therefore they are not really easier to use properly. I do agree though that if someone is severly handicapped in their right arm to the point where 50mm of length makes a difference on a tool, sure, in that scenario a santoku might be a consideration.
@X Santoku blade length usually 165-180 mm/6-7 inch, the tip height usually 40-25% of the blade's height (heel to spine). I don't like Chef's knife or Gyuto blade profile that the tip height is too tall (usually around 75-60% of the blade's height), thus will make the edge profile curvier, less straight = less contact to the food. Its rare to find Santoku with the blade length around 210 mm/8 inch, if you want longer and straighter blade profile usually will use Kiritsuke.
What on earth was that onion cutting demonstration? Whoever is watching this video and wants to try this with their own knife - DO NOT DO THAT, especially if you're a beginner. Putting pressure on the onion and trying to force a razor sharp blade through it TOWARDS your body is a very, very bad idea. This guy may have control over his blade but many of you may not have any experience at all. What he's doing shows literally nothing of value in terms of comparing the two blade types, and is also a bad demonstration of cutting up an onion in terms of prepping it for cooking.
Hey there! It's one of two universally popular styles of cutting onions- neither is really more correct than the other, but the style with horizontal cuts shown here is the one that's taught in culinary schools. You're moving the blade horizontally not toward your body but across toward the root, and your fingers are well out of the way at the top. With a sharp knife, you need very little pressure and it goes without saying that if something feels unsafe to you, you can always readjust, slow down, or try a different style of cut.
Thanks for watching folks! Which knife do you prefer more?
I love santoku as its my favorite
But from logical point i will say both are really really so good
Sometimes i like santoku for cutting something and sometimes gyuto
It depended on what im cutting
Im bat 🦇 i can cut same veggies with both knifes lol
Gyuto. I am a homecook, only once or twice a week cooking. I know if I have both, I will only use one..lol..so better just buy one.
I use a Santoku. I have a longer chef knife, but use my santoku for 99% of my kitchen cuts. I love it.
7" Santoku does almost everything for me.
I think gyuto And santaku having an endless battle
But people don't know is they are besties
Buying both and using for specific purposes makes them long lasting And work done in great way and never get bored using them
Well said!
@@KnifewearKnives thanks 🦇 🔪
i would say a gyuto+Nakiri or if you got a lot of prep work, gyuto+ sang dao (Chinese cleaver)
@@zimingtim4405 yeah ...
Nakari is also a really good knife
Gonna have that soon😅😮
I was getting so frustrated trying to decide which one to buy. I think you answered it. Oh well... RIP bank balance.
I got my first Japanese knife today, it was a Santoku Octagon handle VG10 SS. I like it a lot. I think Gyuto is probably the better knife in most scenarios but I got the Santoku because I like the look and it just felt completely different compared to a Gyuto which is more like a traditional chefs knife
both are great to have as well as a petty knife and kiritsuke and nakiri
Santoku is definitely a better choice for a home chef.
The sheep’s foot tip makes them great for fine work as well.
Love them.
Love these longer more in depth vids. Also Nathan mentions his big hands alot. We know what that means.
😂😂😂
Awesome job man! Helped me A lot
I'm glad to hear it!
I think the knifes you compare just has a too big length difference to be an accurate comparison. I have both a 165mm and a 185mm santoku and they feel completely different in use. I choose the 185 over my 210 gyuto most days, it just feels better. A small santoku is well suited for a typical japanese household where the wife is making food in a tiny kitchen. There is no room for a big cutting board and a giant cow sword.
ah yes but big mini katanas are soo fun for us guys!
Thanks bro! I ordered 187mm santoku and I’m worried it might be too short or maybe I should have chosen Gyato.
The amount of 'belly' on the knife (how flat the edge is) is not a property which differentiates the gyuto and santoku styles. Traditional japanese knives tend to have a flatter belly to accomodate the up/down slicing cutting style which is traditionally japanese, but nowadays you can get all kinds of edge shapes on both knife-styles according to your preference of rocking or slicing:)
Santoku is not a "traditional" Japanese knife. It was created in the 1940s, AFTER the Gyuto, which hails from the late 19th century.
I've a 21cm Aogami #2 gyuto made by Kyohei Shindo san. It's hardened to around 62 HRC. It has soft iron warikomi cladding and a kurouchi finish. I've just finishing fitting a custom octagonal handle, made from African blackwood, (Mpingo) with a Bocote ferrule. This I've lacquered with several layers of Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil gunstock finish. It looks and feels absolutely stunning. The blade is really thin and surprisingly tough. It cuts like a laser. It's also balanced to the way I like it. Along with my 17cm funayuki from the same smith, it takes an edge like no other knife I've ever used. I love my gyuto and funayuki knives.
Wow, that sounds like an incredible blade!
Santoku and deba, thats my "go away" set
Gyuto ftw, never saw a serious professional chef using a santoku, 240mm gyuto is perfect for 90% of Tasks, at home i mostly use a 210 laser gyuto from shiro kamo made of r2, a Kurosaki 180mm gyuto made of aogami super or a Kurosaki nakiri 165mm made out of r2
I know what you’re saying, but serious line cooks I’ve been around and worked with tend to work with santokus or another shorter knife (nakiri, larger petty even) during service. Gyuto during prep, smaller knife duing service is what I see a lot. I like a 180mm knife for everything at work, but that has its limitations. But hey, the last chef I worked for only used his 240mm gyuto no matter what. Maybe you’re on to something. How do you like r2 btw?
@@griffcoleman i love r2, in my opinion the best knife steel overall. Gets crazy sharp, has an very agressive bite/toothiness and stays usable very long.
But never use a r2 knife on hard wood like oak, it micro-chips, i use them on hinoki or ruber cutting boards.
Also check out gingami/ginsan steel. Its basically like shirogami but stainless. Easy to sharpen, fine grained, clean edge, stays sharp pretty long too.
Take a look into shigeki tanaka gyuto 240mm ginsan, or the nakiri. Great knife!
I think yoshimi kato also works with this steel type if i remember correctly.
Wrote the white guy.
I like petty knives too for smaller more precision work
Great video Nathan. As I improve I find I prefer the longer length so the gyuto is my choice.
Same here Grant!
Every other video I have seen has been going the opposite direction.. they state that the gyuto (chef's knife) is more for a rocking motion, whereas the santoku is more for slicing up and down (well, diagonally).
There are curved and flat gyutos and curved and flat santokus, and you just have to know what belly profile you prefer on your knife.
Thank you for the comparison. For correction, 165mm equals to 6.5 inches.
I have Kai Santoku and like it. For smaller jobs i have a Carbon Steel Nakiri. Only thing i don't like at it is that it doesn't have a tip. So i guess i need a Bunka.
I am not sure if i would be comfortable with a long Gyuto...
Thanks for that nice video!
I got 4 santoku and 5 gyuto knives :) and i think i need one more knife :D
Hahaha I feel that! There's always one more...
@@sweeyanart5670 as a former cook, I started collecting kitchen knives. And 4 santoku because of steel - each one is of a different type steel. So far, my collection consists of 26 knives of various shapes and steels
@@paweel2494 oh I see that's nice and do you mean a restraunt cook btw? because people cook everyday unless your partner does it for you.
@@sweeyanart5670 Oh Karen, there is ALWAYS room for another knife. I own several nakiries, one for show, one for serious but nasty jobs (squash, and such), one for serious easy cut or delicate things, and a cheap one for general purpose, or when I'm drunk, and don't feel like cleaning anything.
@@thomasgronek6469 Well I might have come sounding rude, I just didn't know why someone would want 4 or 5 knives of the same type until Pawel eL told me.
I got a 180mm (~7 inch) Gyuto from my parents who visited Japan a few weeks ago and i am really curious how if feels compared to my 200mm German chefs knife. The second knife i got is a Nakiri and i already love the handling of that one
Another great informative video.
Thank you!
165mm is about 6 7/16" (6.44), almost an inch more than 5 1/2" (5.5) inches. Easy formula: 165 / 25.6 for approximation, you can just go with 25mm to the inch for most knife sizes.
I've never tried a gyuto due to already having a couple of reasonably nice chefs knives and being cheap. That being said, the santoku is what I'm reaching for whenever I'm cutting beef which is a solid 50% or more of my knife work in the kitchen.
Good explanation, I like the sliding cut, so I will buy Gyuto. But I can only find 180 mm blade length.
Thank you! We have lots of larger gyutos here knifewear.com/collections/gyuto
If your santoku skips in cabbage, it is really in need of some sharpening.
Well. I bought both.
Same!
Waste of money
Amazing channel and super cool hosts. But where are the Western knives sharpening/gritstone tutorials?
Really helpful. thank you.
thxs man
Im a fan of full tang in every knife 🤷 when i bought my gyuto it just felt more solid the japanese handles are beautiful but felt more flimsy and felt it would slide out with time and getting soaked every once and a while.
It's all about what feels right to you!
When you cut allot green onion, which one you pick Gyuto or Santoku ?
I prefer a gyuto, so I have a little more length to glide.
Well if you're going to rock chop something maybe do it with the heel instead of the tip like you were doing. Knife doesn't need to go nearly so high up
I am more interested in the steel and the craftspersonship of the knife.
I would definitely check out our documentaries Springhammer I & II, and keep an eye on our upcoming videos about our trip to Japan!
The secret option, bunka
What if I told you that you can buy a professional knife edge sharpener and then sharpen any steel type you need.
- Morpheus
Gyuto every time and twice on Sunday!!
Never say never with a santoku, but never!!
Bunka!
Nice informative video, but the background music was too loud and detracted from the viewing experience. A little unpleasant and became more tedious as the video went on; I eventually had to give up.
Honestly, name one way in which the santoku is better.
Knuckle clearance. Easier for weaker arms, newer chefs. Cheaper. They're popular for a reason, even if they're not popular with more professional chefs.
cheese, also, some folks cant afford a big diversity, the three virtues fits the needs of an overall everything.
@@theredbar-cross8515 The heel height tends to be the same as a chef knife. If you consider what you pay for they are more expensive than a chef knife, though you could also just buy a cheaper brand. They are worse at cutting those four things that Mr Gronek mentioned, therefore they are not really easier to use properly. I do agree though that if someone is severly handicapped in their right arm to the point where 50mm of length makes a difference on a tool, sure, in that scenario a santoku might be a consideration.
This guy obviously prefers gyuto, the opinions are very bias
Longer blade of Santoku will make Chef knife and Gyuto irrelevant.
@X Santoku blade length usually 165-180 mm/6-7 inch, the tip height usually 40-25% of the blade's height (heel to spine). I don't like Chef's knife or Gyuto blade profile that the tip height is too tall (usually around 75-60% of the blade's height), thus will make the edge profile curvier, less straight = less contact to the food. Its rare to find Santoku with the blade length around 210 mm/8 inch, if you want longer and straighter blade profile usually will use Kiritsuke.
love youre knowlige, (pls stop the music if u can call it so) in the background
I feel you, we've found better music since 😂
Glad you enjoyed the knowledge!
19:19 showing that guy is too big to handle.. :))
I'm not worthy of its power.
i use my hands to rip the meat apart and the vegetables apart. :c
What on earth was that onion cutting demonstration? Whoever is watching this video and wants to try this with their own knife - DO NOT DO THAT, especially if you're a beginner.
Putting pressure on the onion and trying to force a razor sharp blade through it TOWARDS your body is a very, very bad idea. This guy may have control over his blade but many of you may not have any experience at all. What he's doing shows literally nothing of value in terms of comparing the two blade types, and is also a bad demonstration of cutting up an onion in terms of prepping it for cooking.
Hey there! It's one of two universally popular styles of cutting onions- neither is really more correct than the other, but the style with horizontal cuts shown here is the one that's taught in culinary schools. You're moving the blade horizontally not toward your body but across toward the root, and your fingers are well out of the way at the top. With a sharp knife, you need very little pressure and it goes without saying that if something feels unsafe to you, you can always readjust, slow down, or try a different style of cut.
Thank you, very informative