Tom Douglas by Pinzon Kai 7-Inch Stainless-Steel Santoku Knife
by Tom Douglas
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Product Summary
Manufacturer: Tom DouglasBrand: Tom Douglas
Model: 9950TD
Product features:
- 7-inch Japanese-style cook?s knife for thinner slicing and dicing
- Made of high-carbon stainless steel for superior edge retention
- Blade is honed to a "shaving-sharp" edge
- Nonslip black polymer handle provides control, comfort, and reduced hand fatigue
- Dishwasher-safe; made in Japan
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Tom Douglas by Pinzon Kai 7-Inch Stainless-Steel Santoku Knife
Customer Review: Not a real general purpose knife
Summary: 3 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I've been using this knife for a few weeks and am sort of ambivalent about it. Part of the problem is that I had looked at it as a general purpose knife, for which I don't think it's that suitable. I think it's better used as a specific-purpose knife, mainly for cutting very thin slices. Based on this, it's difficult to characterize a trait of this knife as being an advantage or disadvantage. Pay attention to the manufacturer's product description above, because almost every critique I've listed below has been addressed in the description as a feature. It'll help you decide whether this is the knife for your needs.
Why it's not good for general purpose knifework:
* The knife is very light and the blade is very thin. So you don't get the heft to cut through big chunks of tough things, like root vegetables. Normally I'd think this knife was of inferior quality, but since it's apparently made by a very reputable manufacturer and the lightweight and thinness is touted as a feature, what do I know? I'm waiting to see how long the edge holds up and how well it takes to sharpening.
* The shape of the blade doesn't allow for smooth rocking. I realize it's not a chef knife, but I'm able to use a smooth rocking motion with my other santoku-style knives. This knife is very ill-suited for this task.
* Not good for those who like to grip the blade. I'm used to handling a knife by gripping the base of the blade with my fingers while resting the base of my palm on the handle. This blade is thin and the top portion has right-angles which haven't been smoothed off. So, after using the knife for a few minutes, it really irritates my hand. I've resorted to grasping the handle only, but I lose a lot of fine control in this position.
* The thin and sharp knife sticks to cutting boards. It feels like the knife is making fine cuts into my plastic and wood boards and getting stuck for a microsecond. It really disrupts the cutting flow.
Why it's great for very thin slices:
* The thin and very sharp blade allows for some very thin slicing. I tested it against my other santoku and chef's knives and this one beat them all. You can really cut almost paper-thin slices.
That's about the only advantage the way I see it.
Other observations:
* The placement of the handle on the blade prevents the edge from being completely protected by a block or sheath. I use a sheath (Edge-Guard, Chef?s, 8.00 in.), and there's full 5mm of sharp blade that remains exposed (it's the sharp right-angled portion just below the bolster). I've accidentally pricked my hand with this portion on a few occasions. You'll need to cut away a small portion of the sheath to completely protect the blade and your hand. If you have a storage block, just be careful.
* I don't know how much of the blade extends into the handle. So it's difficult to discern the longevity of the knife. Will the blade just come off one day when the glue gives out (if it's indeed glued on?). Or does it have a full tang and that single decorative rivet on the handle is actually functional? [Update: read the comments to this review to find out the answer!]
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