The Haruyuki Kokuto is forged from a modern high-tech stainless steel called Ginsan, which was specially designed to cut much like traditional Japanese high-carbon steel without being a rusty pain in the butt! You get the joy of cutting with a traditional Japanese knife but none of the fussy maintenance. Truly, the best of both worlds. The lighter Japanese ‘wa handle’ gives the knife a forward balance that allows it to fall through food effortlessly and do more of the work for you, which I absolutely love. Combined with a rustic ‘nashiji’ finish that looks like the skin of an Asian pear, it’s a traditionally elegant blade. Haruyuki knives are made in a way that combines ancient Japanese tradition with efficient modern technology: blades are forged by machine for unparalleled precision, consistency, and affordability. Skilled artisans complete each step lovingly, from polishing and sharpening the blade to affixing its handle. The resulting knives have the feel and aesthetics of a traditional handmade knife while being more accessible to young cooks and folks starting their knife collection. About the Shape - This is also a multi purpose knife, but with a slight vegetable bias. Santoku means 'Three Virtues' or 'To solve Three Problems'. The virtues or problems are slicing, dicing and mincing. Santoku is usually found in 160mm - 190mm lengths. These are more and more popular in Western kitchens due to the unique shape and smaller easy to handle size.