Kikuichi ZA69 Series 69-Layer Damascus ZA18 Santoku Knife 7-inch

A 7 inch santoku, the compact all-rounder of the Japanese kitchen, named for its three uses: meat, fish and vegetables. Its flatter edge suits push cuts and fine slicing, and the gently rounded tip keeps it easy to control in a smaller workspace. A knife that can carry a whole meal's prep on its own.

The ZA69 series is built around a ZA18 stainless steel core wrapped in 69 layers of damascus, which gives each blade its fine, flowing pattern. Hardened to HRC 61, it sharpens to a very fine edge and keeps it well. Each knife arrives in a paulownia wood box, ready to give. Kikuichi is one of Japan's oldest knife houses. It traces its roots to sword making in the 13th century, during the Kamakura period, and the family turned its craft to kitchen knives when it founded the modern company in 1868. It is based in Nara, Japan.

Use & care: wash by hand with warm water and mild soap, then dry the blade straight away; do not put it in the dishwasher. Cut on a wood or soft synthetic board, and keep the edge sharp on a whetstone, with regular honing between sharpenings. A hard, thin edge can chip if it meets bone, frozen food or a twisting cut, so keep to clean slicing strokes and reach for a heavier knife for those jobs.