The Santoku

 

What Is a Santoku Knife?

A Santoku knife or Santoku Bocho is a Japanese style knife that literally means “Three Virtues”. In view of its uses, the three virtues of a Santoku knife are “meat, fish, and vegetables” however it is also popularly referring to the three main functions of a knife, “chopping, slicing, and dicing”.

I say, it is a cross between a chef's and a vegetable knife.

As Japanese cutting tools go, from traditional knives to chisels and swords that go back centuries in Japan's history, Santoku is a relatively newcomer - a modern one, in fact - because it was designed and originated after the war in 1950.  I don't know the reason behind its creation because most Japanese tools and their makers were traditionalists.  If I were to guess, it must be that immediately after the war when steel and material were scarce, knife makers had to come up with one knife that does the functions of three.  That's my guess and I'm sticking to it. 

That's the first story.  The other story is how I got this knife when I have enough knives already to equip at least two kitchens.

Cutco is a manufacturer, primarily of knives and other household cutting tools located in Olean, New York.  Not too long ago I sent back a pruning shears I've had for years for repair.  Cutco is noted for repairing any of their tools for free throughout the life of the tool - a real "life warranty". Sears Craftsman tools was the other one. But Craftsman is no longer what it used to be. Cutco no longer makes the pruning shears that I had but they're happy to replace it with a much newer design. I informed them that I actually own that one; actually, a much more robust, almost indestructible one. Cutco replied that they'd be happy to give me a $150 credit for the old one, applicable to any cutting tool in their catalogue.  In order to maximize the credit I opted for the new knife that costs $179, with me paying the difference. They shipped it in no time.  Now, that is what I call, real warranty for life, and they shipped it for free. 

And so, the woodworking project to make a knife stand for it began.

I had some leftover pieces of exotic "pink flame" hard wood. I ripped and cut it to dimension on the table saw.

A combination blade make quick work of creating the channels, shown below

A dedicated router chisel smoothed the saw marks

Testing for fit before glue up of the base

Below is the edge profile of the stand

Smoothing the base with a card scraper

Below - cutting the Plexiglas 

Shown below, before inserting the Plexiglas.  It is meant to be removable for easy clean up.

Next to it to the left is a Cutco vegetable knife with a knife stand I made many years ago from the same wood species 

Now, the Santoku is the new resident of the knife metroplex in our kitchen. My wife just declared that no more visas must be issued to another knife for permanent residency.

I'll have to say that the Santoku will be a useful resident, deserving of a permanent citizenship.  Most of all, I am giving a shout out to Cutco for keeping their word.  I don't think there is another company out there that guarantees real and true warranty for life. 

The Santoku just earned the "go-to knife" title in our household,

Kitchen Stove-Side Caddy

Cooking - the one activity that separates us from all other living things - can be messy in one aspect. Cooking utensils and covers need a spot when they're not in or on the pot or skillet if one were checking or stirring.  I'm sure like most of you who cook must find it an ever present conundrum - where to "rest" the ladle, spatula, etc. and where to place the cover in the process. A large plate, paper towel? The countertop? I've done those. Yes, indeed it will be effective as many of you may have already done it. But, there is no fun in that, a woodworker/cook would say. 

Voila, I found one fun excuse to come up with a solution. A project.

When circumstances paved the way to embracing this cooking chore that has now become a daily activity, I needed to come up with something. However, the journey to find a solution begun with this one (below). It was kind of okay - a ceramic on a three-prong caddy where the cover can rest was only partly adequate because it does not catch the drippings from the cover, particularly from around the rim. But it too  was a project.

So, when the woodworker takes over the kitchen work, one new idea or another is bound to be explored.  I found a  large glass cover for a very large pot that is no longer being used because cooking for just me and my wife does not require it. One big advantage is that it is tempered glass that will easily handle high temperature.

How the idea evolved:

1. I put two clips on the handle 

2. Inverting it as shown below: 

3. It wasn't stable so I propped it up at two sides temporarily like so, for stability:

4. It worked!

Now for the project: Using a contour copier over the top profile of the cover, I traced the contoured line over a piece of plywood, to serve as a pattern. The contour copier is an inexpensive woodworking/carpentry tool that  adjusts to all kinds of shapes and profiles.

I cut the pattern on my shop-made scroll saw

 

Refining the edge over an oscillating drum sander

I prepared some rough boards

Transferred the profile to the workpiece 

Rough cutting the boards

Using double sided tape between the pattern and board 

The router table made quick work of copying the profile to the workpiece

At the table saw I cut the slot for two outriggers that will stabilize the caddy.

Dry fitting the joinery.

Gluing up the joinery

Dowels strengthened the joinery.

Final glue Up

Obviously, this is just one of many ways; limited only by one's imagination. Portability and easy clean up are the main considerations.