SANTOKU
SANTOKU
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Updated June 2026 · 7 min read · UK Japanese knife specialists
The santoku and the Western-style chef knife are the two blades most people weigh up when they want one knife to do most of the work in their kitchen. Both are versatile all-rounders, and both will handle the great majority of everyday prep. The real difference is blade shape and how you like to cut — and once you understand that, the right choice is usually obvious.
Here's how the two compare, who each one suits, and which we'd hand a UK home cook. You can browse both in our santoku and chef knife collections, or read on for our picks.
Quick answer
Choose a santoku if you want a shorter, lighter knife with a flat edge that excels at vegetables and quick chopping. Choose a chef knife if you want a longer, curved blade with a pointed tip that rock-chops and handles meat and larger ingredients. Most home cooks are happiest with a santoku; cooks who prefer the Western rocking motion lean to the chef knife. Our picks are the Haruta 7″ Santoku (£89.99) and the Haruta 8″ Chef Knife (£89.99).
The santoku
“Santoku” means “three virtues” — a nod to its skill across vegetables, fish and meat. It has a shorter blade (around 7 inches), a mostly flat edge, and a rounded “sheep's-foot” tip that curves down rather than coming to a point. That flat profile suits a straight push-cut or chop: you bring the whole edge down in one clean motion rather than rocking it. The shorter length feels nimble and easy to control, which is why the santoku is such a popular first Japanese knife and a favourite for anyone who does a lot of vegetable prep.
Where it shines: dicing onions, slicing peppers, shredding cabbage, portioning boneless chicken or fish, and any job where you want the whole edge meeting the board at once. The flat profile also makes it easy to scoop and transfer chopped ingredients. The trade-off is the rounded tip, which is less suited to fine point work like scoring or detailed trimming.
★★★★★ 4.87 (110 reviews)
Pros
✓ Flat edge ideal for push-cuts and chopping
✓ Shorter, lighter — easy to control
✓ Brilliant on vegetables and herbs
Cons
– Rounded tip is less suited to fine point work
– Shorter blade needs more passes on big items
The chef knife
The chef knife (the Japanese version is the gyuto, or “cow sword”) is the classic Western all-rounder. It's longer — 8 inches is the standard size — with a curved belly and a pointed tip. That curve lets you rock the blade through herbs and aromatics in the familiar chef's-knife motion, and the extra length and point make it more versatile for larger ingredients and proteins. If you learned to cook on a Western chef's knife, it will feel immediately at home in your hand.
Where it shines: breaking down a chicken, slicing steak, rock-chopping herbs and garlic, tackling a large squash or cabbage, and switching between tasks without reaching for another knife. The pointed tip handles the precise work a santoku can't — scoring, trimming sinew, segmenting citrus. The only real cost is that the longer blade wants a little more board space and feels marginally less nimble on small, fiddly veg.
★★★★★ 4.87 (110 reviews)
Pros
✓ Curved belly suits rock-chopping
✓ Longer blade and pointed tip — more versatile
✓ Excellent on meat and larger ingredients
Cons
– Longer blade needs a little more board space
– Slightly less nimble than a santoku for fine veg
What they have in common
Because both of our picks come from the same Haruta range, the choice is genuinely about shape rather than quality. Each is built around a core of VG10 Japanese stainless steel — prized for taking a very keen edge and holding it — clad in 67 layers of Damascus steel for strength and that rippled, watered-silk pattern. Both have a comfortable wooden handle, arrive with a protective scabbard, and are finished to a fine double-bevel edge that suits right- and left-handers alike. They're cared for the same way too: hand-wash and dry after use, keep them off the dishwasher, and bring the edge back on a whetstone every few months. So whichever shape you pick, the steel, sharpness and longevity are identical.
The key differences
Blade shape and tip. The santoku has a mostly flat edge and a rounded, sheep's-foot tip; the chef knife has a curved belly and a pointed tip. The flat edge favours straight push-cutting and chopping, while the curved belly favours a rocking motion. The pointed tip of the chef knife also does fine detail work the santoku can't.
Length and weight. A santoku is typically around 7 inches and lighter, which makes it nimble and easy to control for long prep sessions. A chef knife is usually 8 inches or more and a touch heavier, giving extra reach and leverage for larger ingredients and tougher tasks.
How you cut. The quickest way to decide is to notice how you already cut. If you lift the whole blade and bring it straight down — a push-cut — the santoku's flat edge feels precise and efficient. If you keep the tip on the board and rock through a pile of herbs or garlic, the chef knife's curved belly is built for it.
Santoku vs chef knife, side by side
| Santoku | Chef knife | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical length | ~7 inches (shorter) | ~8 inches (longer) |
| Blade shape | Flat edge, rounded (sheep's-foot) tip | Curved belly, pointed tip |
| Cutting motion | Push-cut / chop | Rock chop |
| Best at | Vegetables, herbs, precise slices | Meat, all-round, larger items |
| Weight & feel | Lighter, nimble | Heavier, more leverage |
| Price (our pick) | £89.99 | £89.99 |
Which should you choose?
Pick the santoku if you do mostly vegetables, prefer a shorter, lighter knife, have smaller hands or a compact board, or you naturally chop straight up and down.
Pick the chef knife if you cook a wide mix including plenty of meat, you like the familiar rocking motion, you want a pointed tip for finer work, or you'd rather have one longer do-everything blade.
If you can't decide, you won't go wrong with either — same steel, same price. Many keen cooks end up with both. Want something more premium? The Chikashi 7″ Santoku (£96.99, 4.9/142) and Chikashi 8″ Chef Knife (£96.99, 4.9/142) step things up. And if you'd compare the santoku with its closest Japanese cousin instead, see santoku vs gyuto.
Frequently asked questions
What's the main difference between a santoku and a chef knife?
Blade shape. A santoku has a flatter edge and a rounded (sheep's-foot) tip suited to push-cutting and chopping; a chef knife has a curved belly and a pointed tip suited to rock-chopping. The chef knife is also typically longer.
Is a santoku or chef knife better for beginners?
Both are beginner-friendly. A santoku's shorter, lighter blade is easy to control if you chop straight up and down, while a chef knife suits anyone already comfortable rocking a Western blade. Pick the one that matches how you naturally cut.
Can a santoku replace a chef knife?
For most home cooking, yes. A santoku handles vegetables, fish and boneless meat well. For carving large joints, working around bone, or tasks needing a pointed tip, a chef knife is easier.
Which is better for cutting vegetables?
The santoku. Its flatter edge keeps full contact with the board for clean, efficient chopping. If you cut almost nothing but vegetables, a nakiri takes that flat-edge advantage further still.
Which is better for meat?
The chef knife. Its length, curved belly and pointed tip make slicing, rock-chopping and breaking down larger cuts easier than with a shorter santoku.
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