A beautiful Masur Birchwood handle leads into 101 layers of steel, precision ground to expose an exquisite flower Damask pattern and a cutting core of ultra-hard Micro-Carbide MC63 powdered steel. The Santoku knife is the all-rounder for Asian cuisine used in preparing fish, meat or vegetables. Where the Chef's knife has a curved blade and a high tip, the Santoku blade is much straighter with a low tip. Versions of this knife are manufactured with either a standard-edged blade or a hollow ground edge, also known as a granton edge. The purpose of the granton style blade is to assist with keeping particles from sticking to the knife edge as it cuts, as well as to reduce friction for an easier and faster chopping motion.