Kai Wasabi Black Santoku 165mm: full specifications | Model | Kai Wasabi Black 6720S |
|---|
| Blade length | 16.5 cm (6.5 in) |
|---|
| Steel | Daido 1K6 high-carbon stainless |
|---|
| Hardness | 58 HRC |
|---|
| Edge angle | 16 degrees per side |
|---|
| Spine thickness | 2.0 mm at the heel |
|---|
| Weight | 128 g (lightest on test) |
|---|
| Handle | Antibacterial bamboo-powder composite |
|---|
| Re-sharpen time (our test) | ~4 min on a 1000-grit stone |
|---|
| Typical UK price | £49.95 |
|---|
Who is the Kai Wasabi for?
The Wasabi santoku is the right knife for two cooks above all. The first is the complete beginner, someone moving up from a tired supermarket set who wants a real Japanese knife but is nervous about spending big or handling something fragile. At under £50, light and forgiving, the Wasabi takes the fear out of it. The second is anyone with smaller hands, or anyone who prefers a compact knife on a smaller board, the 165 mm santoku is far easier to control than a full 20 cm gyuto. A santoku also uses a straightforward up-and-down push-cut rather than the rocking motion a curved chef's knife invites, which is simpler to learn.
It is less suited to large-produce work. A 16.5 cm blade is short, so a big pumpkin, a watermelon or a whole cabbage is awkward to tackle, where a 210 mm gyuto like the Tojiro DP handles them easily. Many cooks end up keeping a santoku for everyday jobs and a longer knife for big prep, which is a sensible pairing. But as a first knife or a compact daily blade, the Wasabi is hard to fault for the money.
How the Kai Wasabi performs
Sharpness out of the box
For an under-£50 knife, the Wasabi arrives genuinely sharp, passing the paper test and cutting a tomato cleanly. The tall blade and 16 degree edge make it a confident chopper, and the lightness means it feels quick and lively in the hand. It is not as keen as the £329 Miyabi, of course, but for everyday vegetable and herb work the gap is far smaller than the price gap, and most beginners will be delighted by how much better it is than what they are used to.
Edge retention and sharpening
The 58 HRC Daido 1K6 steel is on the softer end of the Japanese range, the same broad class as the Global, so it dulls a little sooner than the 60-plus HRC blades and benefits from a hone every couple of weeks. The upside is forgiveness: the softer steel is more chip-resistant, which is exactly what you want in a beginner's knife, and it re-sharpens fast, back to keen in about four minutes on a 1000-grit stone, the quickest in our test alongside the Global. For someone learning to sharpen, that forgiveness is a real advantage.
Balance and handle
At 128 g the Wasabi is comfortably the lightest knife on test, and that is the heart of its appeal. It is nimble, quick and feathery, and it rocks neatly through a pile of spring onions without tiring your wrist. The tall santoku profile gives generous knuckle clearance for fast chopping. The handle is a bamboo-powder composite that Kai treats to be hygienic and grippy; it is plain but practical, and it holds well even when wet, which matters for a knife aimed at less experienced hands.
Care
As a high-carbon stainless blade, the Wasabi is low-maintenance, no patina to manage. Hand-wash and dry it, never the dishwasher, keep it off glass and stone, and hone it every couple of weeks. It is about as easy to live with as a Japanese knife gets, which again suits its role as a first blade.
The honest downsides
There are two, both predictable at the price. The 16.5 cm blade is genuinely short, so it struggles with very large produce, a melon or a big squash will have you wishing for a longer knife. And the softer 58 HRC steel dulls sooner than the harder blades, so it needs more frequent honing. Neither is a flaw so much as a consequence of what this knife is: a light, forgiving, affordable starter santoku. For its intended buyer, both trade-offs are entirely reasonable, and the fast re-sharpen takes much of the sting out of the second.
The good
- Lightest, most controllable blade on test at just 128 g
- Short 165 mm santoku profile suits smaller hands and tight boards
- Forgiving 58 HRC steel re-sharpens in about 4 minutes
- Tall blade gives generous knuckle clearance for fast chopping
- Genuinely sharp out of the box at under £50
The not-so-good
- Short 16.5 cm blade is awkward on very large produce
- Softer 58 HRC steel needs honing every couple of weeks
- Plainer finish without Damascus layering
- Not as keen as the harder, pricier blades
Best for: the first-time Japanese knife buyer, anyone with smaller hands, or anyone who wants a light, controllable compact blade under £50. Not the pick if you regularly tackle large produce (try the Tojiro DP gyuto) or want the keenest, longest-lasting edge (try the Shun Classic or Miyabi Birchwood).
