Fashionable Yuta Katayama – VG10 Damascus Santoku

First Impressions

The VG10 damascus punches above its weight both in performance and looks, Katayama san is a vastly experienced “young” blacksmith having spent several years learning his trade under Takeshi Saji.

Beauty

Simply stunning, the damascus layering isn’t just a flat, polished finish the layers of steel running through the blade show a subtle contrast like the contours on a map and you can feel the layering.

The high polish finish is well done and there’s no doubt that if you’re looking for a knife with real visual wow factor then this is one to check out.

In Hand

Light and well balanced across the range the knives are great for daily use.

It’s always nice to note attention to detail and finishing in areas around the spine and heel of the knife and Katayama San has taken the time to subtly round the spine and heel edges to make the entire knife comfortable in hand when using a pinch grip.

Durability

The 61HRC VG10 core takes an edge quickly and holds it well and because it’s not quite as high HRC as some knives it’s reassuring and forgiving while using it.

Ease of Care

Super easy to care for, VG10 clad in stainless is the ultimate low maintenance combo. Just follow our normal care instructions.

We’d recommend a Japanese knife care kit for long term maintenance.

Our Verdict

These are excellent knives however you look at them.

Yuta Katayama is a highly skilled and experienced blacksmith and in this range he’s made an easy to maintain and sharpen set of knives that are also visually breathtaking.

That’s before we even mention the value for money – they sit in an extremely competitive price bracket with lots of options both for first time purchases or additions to a collection but they hit the sweet spot of value and quality just right.

If you need any more convincing, the petty from this range has a permanent place on our knife rack at home and is one of our most used knives.