Masutani | SKU: MASU_SKDA_SA170_Green

Masutani Sekka VG10 Nashiji Damascus Santoku 170mm Western Handle

Q: Gyuto or santoku - which should I choose?

A gyuto is a longer chef's knife with a curved tip for rocking cuts; a santoku is shorter and flatter for push cuts. Pick a gyuto for reach, a santoku for control.

$149.95

Color: Teal Handle

Masutani Sekka VG10 Nashiji Damascus Santoku 170mm Western Handle

St Peters, NSW —
2 Bishop St, Unit 2, St Peters NSW 2044
+61 2 8234 8818
Crows Nest, NSW —
107 West St, Shop 1, Crows Nest NSW 2065
+61 2 8234 8848
Pickup only
Prahran, VIC —
180 Commercial Road, Shop 1, Prahran VIC 3181
+61 3 8199 9948
Pickup only

Detailed Specifications

Line	Masutani Sekka VG10 Nashiji Damascus
Profile	Santoku / Santoku
Bevel Type	Double Bevel
Weight	143 g \| 5.0 oz
Edge Length	169 mm \| 6 21/32″
Heel Height	42 mm \| 1 21/32″
Width @ Heel	1.8 mm \| 5/64″
Width @ Mid	1.8 mm \| 5/64″
Width @ 1cm from Tip	1.4 mm \| 1/16″
Steel	VG10 \| Stainless
Blade Construction	Sanmai - Stainless Clad
Hardness (HRC)	59 - 61
Surface Finish	Nashiji
Handle	Western Pakka Wood with Bolster
Region	Echizen
Best for	First-timers Gift buyers Household

Free shipping for knives over AU$200 Australia wide.
World-wide shipping via DHL Express, 3 to 5 days.

Sekka (雪華, Snowflake) is a name that earns its keep once you look closely at the blade. The Nashiji finish on this line isn't the uniform, smooth pear-skin texture you'd find on the VG1 — it's rougher and more irregular, scattered with deeper indentations and angular marks that sit across a matte, chalky surface. Beneath it, the Damascus cladding runs in tight, distinct parallel layers near the edge. Together they create something that genuinely resembles snow layered over a textured landscape — quiet, organic and surprisingly considered for a knife at this price.

The geometry follows Masutani's Echizen approach — a concave grind coming down from the Shinogi line to a thin edge, hand sharpened to a standard that most budget lines don't bother with. Food release is reliable when cutting ingredients with enough height to reach the Shinogi line, and the low thickness behind the edge means the knife enters most food without fuss. VG10 keeps maintenance simple and edge retention solid.

For first-timers and household cooks who want something with a bit more visual character than a plain stainless knife, the Sekka is a genuinely appealing option at a price that leaves little to complain about.

Pros	Cons
Excellent performance Budget friendly Thin behind the edge	A little bit brittle

Care Instruction

Don't cut hard things! Japanese knives are brittle so bone hacking is a NO NO!
Wash with neutral detergent after use, and wipe dry;
Please don't wash knife with dishwasher, it will damage the wood handle;
Be careful not to leave the knife close to a heat source for a long time;
It is a lot more dangerous to cut with a blunt knife than a sharp knife!
It is best to sharpen a Japanese knife regularly on a waterstone.

Masutani

Masutani Hamono — Echizen Performance Without the Premium

Masutani Hamono, leveraging both VG-1 and VG-10 steel, has established itself within the competitive sphere of Japanese knife-making by offering a cutting feel comparable to premium Echizen brands such as Kurosaki and Takamura. This alignment in performance with high-end brands, despite their more accessible price point, positions Masutani knives as exceptional within their category. Their craftsmanship ensures a blend of traditional skill and modern technology, making Masutani knives highly regarded for their sharpness and durability, leading the way in value-for-money within the Japanese knife market.

Masutani Hamono, nestled in the historic knife-making region of Echizen, Japan, has carved a niche for itself by merging traditional craftsmanship with modern innovations. Utilizing high-quality VG-1 and VG-10 steels, Masutani creates knives that are not only durable and sharp but also provide a cutting experience comparable to the much-admired Echizen brands like Kurosaki and Takamura. This blend of heritage and innovation allows Masutani knives to stand out in the market, offering unparalleled value within their price range.

The company’s dedication to excellence is evident in every knife produced, ensuring each piece embodies the perfect balance between age-old techniques and cutting-edge steel technology. As a result, Masutani knives are celebrated for their exceptional performance and affordability, appealing to a wide range of users from professional chefs to culinary enthusiasts. This reputation for quality, coupled with a cutting feel reminiscent of more premium brands, positions Masutani as a leading choice for those seeking the best Japanese knives without the premium price tag.

“Echizen's quiet overachiever — premium cutting feel at an honest price, from the brother forge of Ryusen.”

Est. 1974 | 昭和49年

Known for Affordable high-performance stainless knives, excellent grinding and OOTB sharpness

Website masutani-hamono.shop Read more about Masutani

Profile

Santoku

The Santoku(三徳) knife, embodying the meaning "three uses," is a cornerstone in Japanese kitchens, adept at slicing, dicing, and mincing. Esteemed for its versatility, it features a blade length typically between 15cm and 20cm (6 to 8 inches), catering to a wide array of culinary tasks. Distinguished by its less pointy tip compared to the Gyuto, the Santoku boasts a unique profile that contributes to its functionality and popularity. Its design is more controllable in chopping and slicing, and the profile is less aggressive, for those reasons, it has bacame a preferred choice for home cooks.

Compare with

VG10

—

15.0% 11.3% 7.5% 3.8% 0

C — Carbon Cr — Chromium V — Vanadium Mo — Molybdenum Co — Cobalt

Manufacturer
- Takefu Special Steel, Japan
Nature Stainless
Hardness59–61 HRC

Takefu VG10, is a high-end stainless steel celebrated for its exceptional edge retention and sharpness. It is a popular choice among Japanese kitchen knife makers and widely used in various types of knives, including kitchen knives, folders, and fixed blades.

VG10 achieves a hardness of around 60-61 HRC, with some makers pushing it to 62 HRC, ensuring good edge holding and stain resistance. The steel's composition includes 15% chromium (Cr) for corrosion resistance, 1% molybdenum (Mo), and 1.5% cobalt (Co) for matrix strengthening, leading to high hardness and durability. The addition of vanadium (V) refines its microstructure and, along with Cr and Mo, produces hard carbides that enhance wear resistance. VG10 is easy to sharpen, has good machinability, and supports secondary hardening with high-temperature tempering, making it suitable for blades that may undergo surface coating treatments up to about 450℃. Its well-rounded attributes make VG10 steel highly versatile, performing excellently in a range of applications from kitchen and general-purpose knives to machine blades.

Construction

Sanmai - Stainless Clad

Sanmai(Three-Piece) is a common construction for double bevel knives where two pieces of softer cladding steel are forgewelded to each side of a harder core steel. The harder but more brittle core steel will form the hard cutting edge after heat treating, and the softer cladding will support the core to increase the overall strength of the blade.

The soft cladding enables the thinning process to be a lot easier than a honyaki or monosteel construction. And in the case where the cladding steel are stainless in nature, it can offer protection for the carbon or semi-stainless cores against rusting and discoluoring.

Finish

Nashiji

The "nashiji finish" on Japanese kitchen knives refers to a unique, textured surface finish that resembles the skin of an Asian pear, which is known as "nashi" in Japanese. This finish is achieved through a specific hammering and polishing technique, giving the knife blade a distinct, matte appearance with a slightly uneven, tactile surface. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the nashiji finish also provides practical benefits. It helps to reduce food sticking to the blade by creating tiny air pockets between the food and the steel. This finish is commonly found on traditional Japanese knives, such as santokus and nakiris, and is highly valued for both its functional and visual characteristics, enhancing the overall culinary experience.

Handle

Western Pakka Wood with Bolster

Profile Western with bolster
Material
- Pakka Wood

Western Pakka Wood handle is the common choice for entery level knives, in some cases, they will be made with bolster that is welded to the blade. The Pakka wood created by laminate wood with resin, creating a dense material that can have layers of different color. Compared with natural timber, this engineered wood is harder and absorb less water, in addition, the low cost of production makes it ideal of grip of entry level knife.

Frequently asked questions

Gyuto or santoku - which should I choose?

Both are all-purpose Japanese knives, and for most home cooks either will handle the bulk of daily prep. The choice comes down to length, blade shape, and how you like to cut.

A gyuto is the Japanese chef's knife - typically 210 to 240mm with a gently curved edge that lets you rock and slide through cuts as well as chop. The extra length and pointed tip give you reach and versatility, from proteins to large produce.

A santoku is shorter, usually 165 to 180mm, with a flatter profile and a rounded sheep's-foot tip. It rewards a straight up-and-down push cut, feels nimble in smaller hands or tight kitchens, and is the classic Japanese household knife.

Rule of thumb: choose a gyuto if you want one do-everything knife with more reach, or a santoku if you prefer a compact, easy-to-control blade. Plenty of our customers end up owning both.

Reviewed by James Zhang · Last updated 29 May 2026

We trust this information is correct at the time of writing, but it is not an official document and details may change without notice. If you spot an error, tell us and we'll fix it.

Masutani Sekka VG10 Nashiji Damascus Santoku 170mm Western Handle

Availability

Detailed Specifications

Masutani

Santoku

VG10 Element Composition

VG10

Sanmai - Stainless Clad

Nashiji

Western Pakka Wood with Bolster

Frequently asked questions

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Masutani Sekka VG10 Nashiji Damascus Santoku 170mm Western Handle

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