Santoku means "three virtues," which refers to this knife's adeptness at cutting vegetables, fruit and proteins and its mastery of three types of cuts: dicing, slicing and chopping. The santoku knife's shorter, curved shape allows it to be gently rocked to achieve a fine mince of fresh ingredients. A rippled Damascus finish is achieved by forging 34 layers of stainless steel on each side. Flexible, stick-resistant blade is hand ground to an exceptional 16-degree angle, then hand polished. Impregnated with resin for durability, the beautiful blonde birch wood handle won't harbor bacteria and is comfortable for left- and right-hand use.