Ohishi SLD Steel Santoku (All purpose Knife) 165mm burnt oak handle:

Ohishi SLD Santoku 165mm – Burnt Oak Handle

The Ohishi SLD Santoku should be one of the easiest handmade Japanese knives to recommend.

Handmade in Sanjo, Japan by Tadafusa, these knives have the performance, looks and build quality of knives that usually cost a lot more.

The polished tsuchime finish looks excellent, the burnt oak handle gives it a clean premium feel, and the SLD steel delivers serious cutting performance without the full maintenance of carbon steel.

If you want a handmade Japanese knife that cuts extremely well, looks great, and is easier to live with than full carbon steel, this is one of the easiest knives to recommend.

Quick Points

• Handmade in Sanjo, Japan by Tadafusa

• SLD semi-stainless steel core

• Stainless clad for easier maintenance

• Excellent cutting performance

• Santoku profile for all-purpose prep

• Thin behind the edge yet handles like a workhorse

• Octagonal burnt oak handle

• Carbon-steel-like performance with better corrosion resistance

• One of the best-value handmade knives in its category

• Great size for home kitchens and service boards

Why This Works

SLD is one of my favourite steels for people who want high performance without going fully into carbon steel maintenance.

It is often described as a semi-stainless steel. It has enough chromium to give better corrosion resistance than traditional carbon steels, but it still sharpens and cuts more like a carbon steel than many standard stainless steels.

That is the main appeal.

You get excellent cutting feel, strong edge performance and better day-to-day rust resistance than a fully reactive knife.

The grind is the standout. These knives are thin behind the edge and move through food extremely well, but they still feel like practical kitchen workhorses rather than fragile showpieces.

Real Use

The santoku is basically a smaller, more compact chef knife.

For home cooks, this size is often perfect. It gives you excellent control, works well on normal home chopping boards, and feels less oversized than a full 210mm gyuto.

In a professional kitchen, it also makes a great service knife or smaller prep knife when space is tight.

It suits:

• Vegetables

• Herbs

• Boneless meat

• Fish

• Fruit

• General prep

• Home cooking

• Smaller professional boards

• Service and line work

The Ohishi SLD Santoku cuts extremely well for the price. In my use, the performance is right up there with many handmade knives costing far more.

It has that clean, efficient Japanese cutting feel, but with enough confidence to use every day.

Handmade Construction

One of the strengths of this range is the build around the handle and neck of the knife.

Many mass-produced knives around this price point can feel weak where the blade meets the handle. The Ohishi SLD feels more substantial through this section, which gives the knife a stronger and more confident feel in hand.

You still get a thin, high-performance edge where it matters, but the knife does not feel flimsy or underbuilt.

Who It’s For

• Home cooks wanting a serious handmade Japanese knife

• Professional chefs wanting a compact service or prep knife

• Cooks who like carbon steel performance but want better rust resistance

• Anyone wanting a beautiful knife that still works hard

• People upgrading from Tojiro, VG10 or entry-level Japanese knives

• Cooks who prefer a smaller knife than a 210mm gyuto

• Left- or right-handed users

Pros

• Excellent cutting performance for the price

• Handmade in Sanjo by Tadafusa

• SLD semi-stainless steel

• Easier to maintain than full carbon steel

• Thin behind the edge

• Sharpens well

• Beautiful polished tsuchime finish

• Premium-looking burnt oak handle

• Great compact all-purpose shape

• Suitable for left- and right-handed users

Cons

• SLD is semi-stainless, not fully stainless

• Can still patina or mark if left wet or dirty

• Hard steel can chip if misused

• Not for bones, frozen food, hard twisting cuts or rough treatment

• Less blade length than a 210mm gyuto for larger prep jobs

• Handmade finish and measurements can vary slightly

Leigh’s 2 Cents

This is an easy sell :-D

The Ohishi SLD range gives you a lot for the money: handmade Sanjo construction, excellent grinds, great looks, and seriously impressive cutting performance.

The santoku size makes a lot of sense for home kitchens. It is basically a mini chef knife — easy to control, practical on smaller boards, and still useful for most everyday prep.

For professional chefs, I also like this as a service knife or compact prep knife. It has enough performance to be genuinely useful, without taking up too much space on the board.

The cut tests I’ve done with these knives are extremely impressive. They perform much closer to carbon steel than most people expect, but they are easier to maintain than a full carbon knife.

For a professional chef or home cook wanting a REAL handmade Japanese knife without jumping into full carbon steel care, this is a very easy recommendation.

One of the best-performing semi-stainless knife ranges I’ve used as a chef of 20 years.

Cannot recommend enough.

Knife Care

SLD is more corrosion resistant than carbon steel, but it is not completely maintenance-free.

• Wash and dry after use

• Do not leave the knife wet or sitting in food

• Expect some patina or marking over time

• Avoid bones, frozen food and twisting cuts

• Do not put it in the dishwasher

• Use a proper chopping board

• Store safely when not in use

• Apply knife oil before long storage if needed

About Ohishi

Ohishi knives are handmade in Sanjo, Niigata, Japan by Tadafusa.

The Ohishi name comes from a small village near Mount Fuji, where the Akifusa business is located.

Specifications

• Brand: Ohishi

• Maker: Tadafusa

• Region: Sanjo, Niigata, Japan

• Knife type: Santoku / All-Purpose Knife

• Steel: SLD semi-stainless steel

• Cladding: Stainless steel

• Finish: Polished tsuchime / hammered

• Blade length: 166mm

• Blade thickness: 3.5mm at handle / 1.8mm near tip

• Overall length: 306mm

• Blade height: 48mm

• Weight: 151g

• Hardness: 62–63 HRC

• Bevel: Double

• Handle: Octagonal burnt oak

• Handedness: Left and Right

Hi, my name is Leigh, and I’m a chef from Newcastle, Australia.

I’ve been cooking professionally for over 20 years in some of Australia’s top restaurants, and I’m currently cooking at The Signal Box in Newcastle.

Over the years (since 2018), I’ve put together a small collection of high-quality Japanese knives and whetstones that I personally recommend. Basically, if I wouldn’t use it in a professional kitchen, I don’t sell it. Read More