Best Guaranteed Fujiwara Denka no Hoto (Wa handle) 180mm Santoku

First Impressions

Simply sensational. The hardness of the steel creates and edge that remains true and sharp for a long time even by Japanese knife standards.

The knife glides through everything put in its path with a very smooth feel – you’ll want to make more food than you need!

Beauty

Rugged and solid looking, with the Japanese style blade and half tang traditional octagonal Japanese Wa handle, they’re subtle but at the same time leave you in no doubt that they’re ready to perform in the kitchen.

In Hand

The wa handle version gives a comfortable and easy feel and the finger groove on the blade of the bigger knives creates an additional balance point that helps guide the knife through food.

The Western handle versionis alittle heavier due to the handle and full tang construction, we didn’t feel this hindered comfort in any way thanks to the balance and poise of the knife.

The knives are available with either rosewood, magnolia octagonal yo handles or a full tang black pakkawood yo handle.

Durability

The 65-66 HRC edge will retain its sharpness an incredibly long time, you’ll be able to go longer periods without the edge dulling.

You will of course need to maintain the edge with a normal sharpening and honing regimeas with all knives but you’ll find the amount of edge maintenance is significantlyis less than many other knives.

Ease of Care

Easy to care for if you follow the normal rules of not putting it in a dishwasher and just rinse and dry after use. It does have a super blue carbon core so there may be some rusting and patina possible over time.

The rusting is easy to scrub off and perfectly normal along with the edge darkening over time as it develops a patina.

The Denka is very thin and hard along the edge which leads to its legendary cutting performance and edge retention so you do need to be considered with your cutting technique while using and sharpening it but this is a knife that’s going to last you a lifetime.

Our Verdict

Despite the high price, we still feel this range offers excellent value for money when you take into account the fact each knife is still handmade by Teruyasu Fujiwara and that the forging process used creates such a sensationally hard steel.

You are investing in a knife that has some of the best edge retention of anything we’ve seen and tested and we’ve had many customers email or message us months after buying their Denka to tell us just how amazed they are with the edge retention.

The Denka range is a glimpse of some of the highest quality Japanese knives money can buy so while it’s a considered purchase, it’s one you won’t regret!