Santoku knives
A good Santoku knife cuts vegetables, fish and meat into thin, even slices without the ingredients sticking to the blade – on some blades, this is achieved by the so-called hollow-edge grind. Taiga stocks Santoku knives from Güde with 14 and 18 cm blade lengths, from the Alpha and Alpha-Olive series and the Caminada line, each with either a hollow-edge grind or a smooth blade.
Buying guide: hollow edge or smooth blade?
The hollow-edge grind – the small indentations along the blade – reduces the contact area with the food being cut, allowing vegetable slices to come away from the blade more easily, particularly with moist or starchy ingredients such as potatoes. A smooth blade without indentations is easier to resharpen and makes a minimally slimmer cut. When it comes to length, choose 14 cm for precise, detailed work and 18 cm for more cutting power when preparing larger quantities. The olive wood handles from the Alpha-Olive series sit securely and comfortably in the hand and are not dishwasher-safe. The Caminada line complements the range with an 18 cm Santoku knife made at the same Güde facility.
Brands
For Santoku knives, Taiga stocks Güde blades from the Alpha and Caminada ranges – a German knife-making tradition in which the lines differ mainly in their handle wood and edge design.
What does a hollow-edge grind do on a Santoku knife?
The indentations along the blade reduce food sticking to it, making cutting easier, particularly with vegetables that have a high water content, such as cucumber or potatoes.
14 or 18 cm – which length is right?
14 cm is suitable for smaller hands and delicate cuts, while 18 cm is ideal for larger quantities and gives you more cutting power with every slice.
For detailed tasks such as peeling or removing cores, a vegetable knife is often the better complement. Find the complete selection under kitchen knives.
Updated 08/2026
