A sleek and compact Japanese chef’s knife for everyday prep. The Hikari Santoku SLD Satin Polish 170mm (6.7") features a thin, razor-sharp blade made of high-performance SLD steel, known for its exceptional edge retention and durability. The satin finish reduces friction and helps prevent food from sticking, making slicing and chopping feel effortless. Its wide blade profile and compact size make it ideal for precise, controlled cuts, especially on smaller cutting boards. Finished with a durable octagonal bubinga wood handle, this knife offers a secure, comfortable grip for both left- and right-handed users.BLADE SHAPE:The Santoku is one of the most versatile and efficient blade shapes in the kitchen, perfect for slicing, dicing, and chopping meat, fish, and vegetables. Its wide blade makes it easy to scoop and transfer ingredients, while the relatively flat edge excels at straight-down chopping and push-cutting on the cutting board. The slightly curved belly allows for gentle rocking, and the rounded tip adds precision for more delicate prep work.STEEL:SLD steel by Hitachi is a high-performance tool steel known for outstanding edge retention, toughness, and semi-stainless corrosion resistance. Originally made for industrial blades, it’s now trusted in Japanese kitchen knives for its 60–62 HRC hardness and low-maintenance sharpness—perfect for serious home cooks and professionals alike. Because SLD isn't completely stainless, clean it and dry it off when you're done using it.SLD Steel Composition - Carbon (C) 1.5%, Silicon (SI) 0.3%, Manganese (Mn) 0.4%, Chromium (Cr) 12%, Molybdenum (Mo) 0.9%, Vanadium (V) 0.3% LAMINATION:The core layer, consisting of the harder SLD stainless steel, was sandwiched between layers of softer, more pliable steel. This technique is called san-mai and is used to protect the hard core from outside factors and physical impacts, which could otherwise lead to breakage.GEOMETRY:It has a double bevel (symmetrical) blade. The cutti