Santoku means "three virtues," which refers to the adeptness of this knife at cutting vegetables, fruit and proteins and its mastery of three types of cuts: dicing, slicing and chopping. Perfect for cooks with smaller hands, the santoku knife's smaller and lighter construction allows it to be gently rocked to achieve a fine mince of fresh ingredients. A "ripple" Damascus rust-free finish is achieved by forging 34 layers of steel on each side. The flexible, stick-resistant blade is stamped, hand-ground to an exceptional 16-degree angle, then polished by hand.