Santoku vs Chef Knife: Which Should You Choose?

A santoku is shorter and flatter than a chef's knife, with a rounded tip, for chopping and pushing straight through food. A chef's knife (Japanese gyuto or Western) is longer, with a pointed tip and more curve, for slicing, rocking and larger food. If you cook mostly vegetables and boneless meat on a small board, choose the santoku.

This guide is for home cooks choosing between the two as a first Japanese knife. It uses the santoku and gyuto we stock at ZAKU Knives to show what each length means in your hand.

What is the difference between a santoku and a chef's knife?

They differ in length, tip and edge curve. Our santoku run from 150mm to 180mm with a rounded tip and a mostly flat edge; our gyuto run from 180mm to 220mm with a pointed tip and a gentle curve toward the front.

In use, the motion changes most. A push-cut moves the blade forward and down through the food, and a santoku's flat edge meets the board along most of its length. Rocking keeps the tip on the board while the handle goes up and down, and that needs the curve of a chef's knife.

Steel is a separate choice. In our range, both types come in four stainless steels: VG10, SG2, Ginsan and Molybdenum. Both also come in Blue Steel #2, a carbon steel that rusts if left wet. Our knife steel guide explains the care each one needs.

Is a gyuto the same as a chef's knife?

It does the same job. A gyuto is the Japanese chef's knife, and it is usually thinner, lighter and harder than a Western one, with a flatter edge.

If you cook with a Western chef's knife now, a gyuto will feel familiar and lighter. The harder steel holds its edge longer and can chip if you twist it or cut through bone. A Western knife needs regular sharpening, with a honing steel (a rod for touch-ups) between sharpenings; a gyuto is sharpened on a whetstone, a flat sharpening stone. Construction varies by model, so check the knife you pick up. Our gyuto guide covers lengths and steels in detail.

When should you choose a santoku?

Choose a santoku if most of what you cut is vegetables, boneless meat and fish, and you chop straight down on a small board. It is the easier knife to control, because the blade is short and the edge is flat.

A santoku suits you if you:

• Slice onions, carrots and cucumbers into even rounds, or dice and mince garlic and herbs
• Thin-slice chicken breast, pork or fish fillets
• Scoop chopped food onto the wide blade and carry it to the pan
• Work on a board that has little room left once the food is on it

It is the wrong pick if you like to rock-chop, carve whole roasts or need a fine point for scoring and trimming. The rounded tip is less precise than a pointed one. Read the santoku guide for steels and finishes, or see the santoku collection.

When should you choose a gyuto or chef's knife?

Choose a gyuto if you want reach and a pointed tip, or if you already cook with a Western chef's knife and like it. The long edge takes a cabbage, a squash or a large cut of meat in one stroke.

A gyuto suits you if you:

• Break down large vegetables such as cabbage, squash or pineapple
• Slice boneless meat and fish fillets in long strokes
• Use the tip to score, trim fat or cut meat away from a bone
• Have a board longer than the blade, with room to spare

Keep it away from bones, joints and frozen food, like any thin Japanese blade. A Western chef's knife is generally more forgiving. It still needs regular sharpening, with a honing steel between sharpenings. See the gyuto collection for every gyuto we stock.

Which size: 165mm santoku or 210mm gyuto?

For most home cooks, a 165mm or 170mm santoku or a 210mm gyuto. If you are used to an 8-inch chef's knife, 210mm will feel closest.

These are the lengths we stock, counted in our online store on 11 November 2026:

Measure your board before you choose. A blade needs room on the board beyond its own length, so a long gyuto on a small apartment board is hard to control. Go shorter for small hands and longer if you already use a big chef's knife.

Do you need both?

No. Most home kitchens run well on one all-rounder plus a petty, a small utility knife for fruit, herbs and trimming.

A santoku and a petty make a compact pair for a small kitchen and mostly vegetables. A gyuto and a petty give you more reach for big vegetables and large cuts of meat.

Our 12 petty knives run from 80mm to 150mm, and 130mm covers the most ground if you buy one. If you later want the other all-rounder, a 150mm santoku works as a second knife next to a gyuto, and a 180mm gyuto next to a santoku. Browse the petty collection, or compare every type in our guide to Japanese knife types.

Can you try both before you buy?

Yes. All four ZAKU Knives stores offer test cutting, so you can cut with a santoku and a gyuto before you choose.

Our stores are on Kappabashi (our main store), in Asakusa, on Takeshita-dori in Harajuku, and by Nishiki Market in Kyoto. Tell the staff what you cook most and how big your board is, then hold a 170mm santoku and a 210mm gyuto one after the other. Addresses and directions are on our store locator.

Shop online in the santoku collection or the gyuto collection.