Closeout Sale Tsunehisa AS Santoku with red pakka handle

First Impressions

The fit and finish are definitely a good standard and the sharpness out of the box is already impressive.

Should you wish to, you could thinit a little further to really bring out an additional level of sharpness but right out of the box it’s a nimble and reasonably light knife that’s a joy to use.

Beauty

The range comes in a variety of options including both kurouchi and unpolished finishes and with a wa handles made from cherry andmorado wood or Western yo shape red pakka wood.

The tsuchime hammer finish tapering down to expose the aogami super core along the cutting edge and engraved kanji combine is subtle and each blade is uniquely patterned.

In Hand

A smooth fit and finish on the wa and yohandles and well balanced it’s easy to use although if we were being really pickywe might have liked a slightly smoother finish around the heel/chiolwhere you might find it a little rough but it doesn’t significantly impact on overall comfort or use.

Durability

The stainless clad aogami super should retain its edge well and it’s reasonably easy to maintain and sharpen so the knife will last as long as you want it to and perform time after time.

Ease of Care

The aogami super steel along the cutting edge is reactive and will develop a lovely patina as it reacts with your food and moisture but apart from the normal care instructions it’s a nice easy knife to keep.

Check out our carbon steel care page for more tips on how to look after your knife.

Our Verdict

At thisprice point, the Tsunehisa AS is unquestionably a great value Japanese knife.

You’re getting a well made knife with an Aogami Super steel core and a nice selection of both handle and either unpolished or kurouchi finish and they’re impressively sharp and ready to go right out of the box.

If you’re looking for an AS steel, we happily recommend the knives in this range.