I agree about the kullens/Granton edge - I think it is there to appeal and obviously sell.
Like the comment about the girls on cooking shows - however, I do think the kullen Santoku existed before any of the TV shows - but because of the popularity - most santokus come with kullens/Granton edges - in fact when I looked it was hard to find any plain faced santokus.
can easily live without the kullens/Granton edge -
but it's not exactly as if there was much choice or option on this cheapo $6 Santoku of not having kullens
However I don't think it's paying much penalty in terms of blade thinness.
Don't have a micrometer to measure - but I normally just pinch the blade and pull toward the edge to feel - and this Santoku feels in the ballpark as the David Boye 6" chef's and the damascus 7" cook's. It feels thinner than a SAK blade near the edge and even the 5" original Chicago Cutlery 62S utility/boner.
I have not yet refined the edge so it is a simple plain single step bevel formed using my usual V-hone crock sticks at ~22deg/side -
and as one can see that bevel is pretty narrow - which means the blade is pretty thin toward the edge.
Many thanks Thom - I just want to acknowledge that recommendation - I have long been a Forschner/Victorinox kitchen knife enthusiast. My favorite paring knife is Victorinox and I have often refered people to this page -
Kitchen Knives Review at ConsumerSearch
where they claim to be reviewing the reviews - ie: survey the reviews and come to some conscenus.
Quote: "Best budget knife set. In reviews, experts often express surprise when evaluating these stamped knives, as they run counter to the assumption that the best cutlery is forged. Some experts miss the bolster, a feature on forged knives that aids in balance and maneuverability, but they say the Forschner's sharp blade can compete with knives costing twice as much. In recent reviews, the Forschner chef's knife easily beats cheaper knives."
"Although many inexpensive cutlery doesn't perform well in tests, reviews are unanimous about one budget cutlery line -- Forschner Victorinox Fibrox (8-inch chef's knife, (*est. $30) ). We found nothing but excellent reviews for the Forschner Fibrox knives, which come close in utility, durability and ergonomics to pricier knives from Wusthof and Global."
"It's commonly accepted that the best knives are forged -- hammered into shape from a single piece of metal. An alternative method is to stamp them out of a sheet of metal; this process produces a lighter, thinner blade without a lip between the handle and blade (called a bolster on forged knives). Many cheaper knives are made this way, and reviewers say they can feel flimsy and hard to control. Forschner Victorinox Fibrox (*est. $60 for three) stamped knives are the exception. In side-by-side tests, experts are amazed at how well these perform next to forged knives that are three times as expensive. In a Cook's Illustrated review, Forschner Victorinox tops three categories: chef's knives under $50, paring knives and bread knives."
"but we found more prolific enthusiasm for the Forschner Victorinox Fibrox series of stamped knives (*est. $60 for three) . In an interview with Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, chef Wayne Nish says the "Victorinox knives appear to be designed by chefs for chefs." Other reviewers agree. Victorinox makes the best stamped knives, and you can get a set of three Victorinox knives for the price of one Cutco blade. We've included Victorinox knives in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers."
Lastly their take on Santokus -
Quote: "Japanese santiku knives. A new trend among enthusiasts is the santoku knife. While sales of traditional knives are stagnant, sales of santoku knives have tripled in the U.S. Similar to a chef's knife, a santoku knife has a shorter, thinner blade. Some models have a hollow edge (sometimes called a Granton edge), which is intended to minimize friction between food and knife surface for speedier slicing. Many reviewers say that a santoku knife is a great addition to your collection of kitchen knives and that because of their shorter, thinner blades, santoku knives excel at thinly slicing vegetables and doing delicate work.
Editors at Cook's Illustrated, however, say that a santoku knife can't replace a chef's knife entirely. That's because their blades are too short and thin to achieve the kind of versatility of a chef's knife. For example, santoku knives are not recommended for cutting bone. In a ten-santoku roundup, testers "heartily" recommend the MAC Superior Santoku knife (*est. $60) . Editors say it's an excellent value and a top performer. Cook's Illustrated team also likes the Kershaw Shun Santoku (*est. $110) , but this model is nearly twice as expensive. The Shun Santoku is also deemed the best santoku in a recent review at The Wall Street Journal, where the Wusthof Trident Classic santoku with hollow edge (*est. $90) takes the award for best value. Contributors to Amazon.com and Epinions also are big fans of the Wusthof santoku knife.
We've included the Wusthof Classic santoku in Fast Answers. While all three of these knives get excellent reviews, we think the Wusthof has the best blend of attributes, and it's less expensive than the Shun. The Wusthof is a forged knife, while the MAC Superior is a stamped knife.
Celebrity chefs have also gotten into the endorsement game. Many critics attribute the initial popularity of santoku knives to Rachel Ray, host of The Food Network's "Thirty Minute Meals." For several years, Ray used the Wusthof santoku in her test kitchen. Ray has signed an endorsement deal with Furi cutlery, which is now making Rachel-Ray branded knives, including a santoku knife. Another Food Network personality, Alton Brown, backs Kershaw Shun."
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Vincent
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