Japanese Santoku Knives
An all-purpose Japanese kitchen knife used in kitchens worldwide for preparing meat, fish and vegetables. The name santoku, meaning 'three virtues', reflects its ability to slice, dice and mince with exceptional efficiency. Similar to a chef's knife in use, but Japanese santoku knives feature a shorter, more compact design with a straighter edge.
Discover the versatility and precision of GLOBAL santoku knives which are expertly crafted in Japan. From the best-selling fluted 18cm G-80 to the smaller 11cm GS-57 as well as the santoku knives available in GLOBAL UKON, GLOBAL SAI and GLOBAL NI, you'll find the right size and style for the way you cook.
Sort by:
15 products
15 products
The G-80 GLOBAL Santoku Knife is a premium Japanese santoku knife designed for effortless slicing, dicing and chopping. Featuring a fluted blade that creates air pockets to aid with food release for smoother, cleaner cuts, this Japanese kitchen knife excels at everyday food prep. Crafted in Japan from Cromova 18 stainless steel, the G-80 delivers exceptional sharpness, balance and durability for professional chefs and home cooks.
- Extremely versatile Japanese chef’s knife
- Fluted blade for reduced food adhesion
- Ultra sharp 15° cutting edge
- Perfectly balanced ergonomic design
- Made in Japan
Santoku means ‘three virtues” or “three uses” in Japanese which refers to the santoku knife’s ability in slicing, dicing and chopping and its design which handles meat fish and vegetables. That’s why a santoku knife it is considered an all-purpose Japanese kitchen knife.
This beautiful 11cm Fluted Santoku knife forms part of our Little Essentials range of 12 kitchen knives. Celebrate everything Santoku and slice, dice and mince your way through anything. This knife is a really good all-round multi-purpose knife to have in your kitchen. It is also offered as part of the G-88/4003 Little Essentials Knife Dock Set.
Makes little tasks a pleasure! This knife has the smallest hollow handle and makes a great all-purpose utility knife.
The G-46 Santoku Knife 18cm is Global's full sized Santoku knife. Santoku is a Japanese word literally meaning 'three ways' and is used to describe the three cutting tasks that the knife is designed to do; slicing, dicing and mincing. The shape of the knife makes it brilliant for Western style cooking as the blade is flat, deep and powerful, which makes the knife really good for cutting up lots of heavy root vegetables, such as sweet potato, squashes and celeriac.
Global knives produces several variations of the Santoku knife; there are smaller versions of the Santoku, the GS-35 and the GS-37. Santoku knives are also well combined with fluting which helps prevent these vegetables sticking to the knife blades. The fluted version of the G-46 is the G-48.
The name 'UKON' has many positive connotations in Japanese legend. Our favourite use of the word lies in the expression 'Tachibana No Ukon' referring to the Mandarin Tree that was symbolically planted on the right-hand side of the Imperial Palace in Kyoto. It was said to balance the Cherry Blossom Tree on the left-hand side, known as the 'Sakura No Sakon'. Together they replaced the Samurai Guards who had until then protected the Emperor, but who were deemed no longer necessary during times of peace.
In true GLOBAL tradition, the knife is constructed from the best Stainless Steel material and the UKON series features thicker blades to enhance performance. UKON knives are subject to even more precise grinding and finishing work, making them 10 percent sharper out of the box. The knives are designed with an ambidextrous thumb rest that sits closer to the blade for added control and efficiency. The underside of the handle features GLOBAL's trademark indentations, making UKON knives extremely comfortable to hold.
The Global Ukon GUS-20 Small Santoku Knife is a great all-rounder knife and one of its key features is the indentations on the cutting edge. These small divets create little air pockets between the blade and your ingredients, to prevent slices from sticking as you cut. The GUS-20 is excellent for prepping medium vegetables, meat and fish.
The G-57 is a chef's knife and like the standard Global chef's knives can perform most roles in kitchen. The G-57 is set apart from the other chef's knives by its deeper blade. So the knife is more predisposed towards chopping vegetables. If you just needed one knife for the kitchen, but that vast majority of what you are doing is cutting vegetables, we would recommend this blade. It is quite similar to a Santoku knife, in fact it's halfway between a classic chef's knife shape and a santoku. Having actually laid the G-46 Santoku knife next to this blade, the difference between the knives is minimal, the difference being the slight absence of a Santoku's lambs foot ending. So this knife could also be described as a 16cm Santoku knife.
Consider as an alternative to a G-2, or a vegetable chopper. The G-64 is also offered as the same blade with fluting.
One of the problems of the Global Ni series is that the cook's knife is sort of a hybrid between a classically shaped cook's, santoku and vegetable knife, so when we say this knife is the Global Ni santoku knife it looks very similar to the cook's knives. The only slight difference is that this knife has a deeper blade and it is slightly flatter making it better at chopping rather than slicing. The Global Ni Santokus come in 3 different sizes, a middle size, the GNM-05 and a mini 11cm the GNS-03.
The name 'UKON' has many positive connotations in Japanese legend. Our favourite use of the word lies in the expression 'Tachibana No Ukon' referring to the Mandarin Tree that was symbolically planted on the right-hand side of the Imperial Palace in Kyoto. It was said to balance the Cherry Blossom Tree on the left-hand side, known as the 'Sakura No Sakon'. Together they replaced the Samurai Guards who had until then protected the Emperor, but who were deemed no longer necessary during times of peace.
In true GLOBAL tradition, the knife is constructed from the best Stainless Steel material and the UKON series features thicker blades to enhance performance. UKON knives are subject to even more precise grinding and finishing work, making them 10 percent sharper out of the box. The knives are designed with an ambidextrous thumb rest that sits closer to the blade for added control and efficiency. The underside of the handle features GLOBAL's trademark indentations, making UKON knives extremely comfortable to hold.
The Global Ukon GU-04 Santoku Knife is a versatile all-purpose knife that can chop, slice and dice most vegetables, meat and fish. The word Santoku means ‘three qualities’ in Japanese and some would say this relates this to the three key prepping techniques mentioned above. The fluted edge on the blade creates little air pockets when you chop, to reduce friction and sticking of foods.
The GS-35 is a mini Santoku knife, useful for cutting up small vegetables and fruit. Like its big brother the G-46, the knife is suitable for the three ways of the Santoku, slicing, dicing and mincing. The knife has a relatively flat blade for cutting and makes a good alternative to the better known GS-5. The GS-35 is also available in a fluted version as the GS-37.
The GS-90 is a mini Santoku knife and is identical to the smaller brother of the G-80, it is the fluted version of the GS-35. Useful for cutting up small vegetables and fruit, a Santoku knife is used for slicing, dicing and mincing. They make good multipurpose knives for all round use.
The smallest of the Global Ni santoku knives, the GNS-03 should be seen more of as a petty knife suitable for little kitchen task as a utility knife. A really nice all round knife to complete sets.
GS-55 Oriental Santoku Knife Fluted 12cm Blade
The Global SAI Santoku knife is a really big powerful knife suited for the 3 ways of Sanoku, slicing, dicing and mincing. The SAI-03 is one of the heavist Santoku knives in the Global range. It is really good for chopping vegetables as it has quite a flat profile, but can be used as well for slicing meat. As the knife is so heavy it is a lot stronger than standard Global knives and will take a lot of punishment. A smaller version of the Santoku knife is available as the SAI-M03, at 13.5cm is brilliant for smaller veg.
The G-83 GLOBAL Oriental Santoku Knife is a premium Japanese chef’s santoku knife designed for effortless slicing, dicing and chopping. Featuring a fluted blade that creates air pockets to aid with food release for smoother, cleaner cuts, this Japanese kitchen knife excels at everyday food prep. The G-83 GLOBAL Santoku knife is fluted version of the G-4 cook's knife making it a multipurpose knife suitable for a variety of kitchen tasks.
- Extremely versatile Japanese chef’s knife
- Fluted blade for reduced food adhesion
- Ultra sharp 15° cutting edge
- Perfectly balanced ergonomic design
- Made in Japan
Santoku means ‘three virtues” or “three uses” in Japanese which refers to the santoku knife’s ability in slicing, dicing and chopping and its design which handles meat fish and vegetables. That’s why a santoku knife it is considered an all-purpose Japanese kitchen knife.
The Global SAI Santoku knife is a really big powerful knife suited for the 3 ways of Sanoku, slicing, dicing and mincing. The SAI-03 is one of the heavist Santoku knives in the Global range. It is really good for chopping vegetables as it has quite a flat profile, but can be used as well for slicing meat. As the knife is so heavy it is a lot stronger than standard Global knives and will take a lot of punishment. A smaller version of the Santoku knife is available as the SAI-M03, at 13.5cm is brilliant for smaller veg.
The GNM-05 is a small sized santoku knife, good for slicing, dicing and chopping. It has a medium sized 13cm blade for light or precise kitchen work. This knife is a good all round knife and can be used for most kitchen tasks.
FAQs
Santoku Knives
A santoku knife is a versatile Japanese kitchen knife designed for precision slicing dicing and mincing in everyday food tasks. The word santoku translates to ‘three virtues’ or ‘three uses’ referring to its ability to handle meat, fish and vegetables with ease. The flatter blade allows for efficient push-cutting and straight downward chopping. The flat edge creates full contact with the chopping board, making cuts cleaner and faster.
While both the santoku knife and chef’s knife are versatile kitchen knives, they differ in shape and cutting style. A chef’s knife has a longer, more curved blade ideal for rocking motions and tends to be slightly heavier making it better suited to more heavy-duty prep work. Whereas, a santoku knife is lighter and features a smaller blade with a flat edge and sheepsfoot tip perfect for push cutting. Known for its shorter blade and lightweight feel, the santoku knife has become one of the most popular kitchen knives in homes and professional kitchens around the world.
GLOBAL offers santoku knives with blade lengths between 11 and 19cm. We recommended the smaller santokus such as the 11cm GS-57 for precise prep work and smaller hands and kitchens. The mid-range santokus such as the best-selling fluted 18cm G-80 are well suited to everyday cooking tasks and all-purpose use. GLOBAL’s large santokus, like the 19cm SAI-03 are perfect for more advanced prep work and effortlessly cutting larger ingredients.
Yes. Santoku knives are widely considered one of the best kitchen knives for beginners. Their lighter weight and shorter blade make them easier to control and less intimidating than larger chef’s knives.