What are the differences between a Santoku Knife and Chef’s Knife?

Having both a Santoku knife and a Chef’s knife at home is convenient because they can cut through any type of ingredient. Although they share many common characteristics as multi-purpose knives, they differ in shape. 

While the blade tip of a Santoku knife is roundly curved and its blade is parallel to the cutting board, a Chef’s knife features a sharp, pointed blade tip and a curved blade that is not parallel to the cutting board. For this reason, a Chef’s knife is generally more suited for cutting large pieces of meat than a Santoku knife.

A Santoku knife has a thicker blade than a Chef’s knife, while the Chef’s knife is longer, making it somewhat difficult to use in small kitchens. Additionally, their usage methods differ: a Santoku knife is used by push cutting (oshikiri) and at times used in a way that strikes the cutting board, whereas a Chef’s knife uses pull cutting (hikikiri) in addition to push cutting.

A Santoku knife is a combination of a Western chef’s knife with the Japanese nakiri vegetable knife. Being smaller in size than a chef’s knife, it is easy to maneuver and ideal for cutting both vegetables and fruits. In contrast, a chef’s knife is better suited for hard ingredients such as pumpkins or for shredding cabbage. It is also ideal for cutting large portions of meat and fish but is less suitable for small vegetables or fruits.