Exclusive Hatsukokoro Hayabusa VG5 Santoku

First Impressions

The VG5 like the other knives in the Hayabusa series from Hatsukokoro which are made in a variety of steels (SG2, ZDP189 and HAP40) all share a common profile and an impressive thin grind so even at the lower price point of the VG5, it’s a sharp knife with a thin laser profile that cuts well right out of the box.

Beauty

It’s a subtly finished knife with a quality migaki finish on the stainless cladding that runsdown to the core steel. Paired with the black pakka wood full tang handle it’s a very Japanese take on the familiar Western chef knife design.

In Hand

The full tang yo handle is comfortable and a typical shape many people will be used to and while we’d perhaps like a little more smoothing along the spine and around the heel of the blade to make it a bit more comfortable.

If you prefer, some knives in this range are available with an octagonal teak wa handle.

At the price point this is not an unusual compromise to find and it’s something that can easily be done at home with some high grit sandpaper if it really bothers you.

Durability

VG5 is a stainless steel and this range is hardened to about 59-60HRC so it’s hard enough to offer good edge retention, it’s also going to be quite forgiving and have a lower risk of chipping in less practiced hands so it’s an ideal first Japanese knife in this respect.

Ease of Care

Just follow our normalcare instructionsand you’ll be good. As it’s a slightly lower hardness than a lot of the knives we stock you might find that with regular use at home that giving it a quick sharpen on a whetstone and finish with a honing rod/strop every couple of weeks will give you the best results for keeping that thin edge singing.

You can add aJapanese knife care kitto your order which would give you the tools required for the job.

Our Verdict

We did find the petty knives in the range would perhaps benefit from thinning a little on a whetstone to bring the true sharpness up a bit but as you move to the larger knives (santoku, gyuto etc) the bevel and overall grind is much closer to a laser out of the box and performs very well.

Great value and unfussy the VG5 is a perfect sidekick in any collection and ideal for those who want sharpness but not to have to worry about being a little heavier handed.