Mercer Culinary Asian Collection Santoku Knife

I added this Mercer Asian Collection Nakiri to my collection of kitchen knives in March and it has been my primary food prep knife for about 5 months. I could not be happier with it. I have become a Mercer Cutlery fan over the last couple of years because every Mercer knife I own is stunning for it's price and compares favorably with knives costing three times as much. This Nakiri is no exception. Prior to this purchase I had been using a Mercer M22907 Nakiri style knife and it was great too but the blade shape more closely resembled a Santoku. Before that I used a Calphalon Santoku for a number of years. I tried the M22907 because I wanted something lighter in that Santoku shape and I bought the Asian collection Nakiri because I wanted to try this more traditional blade shape as well as the traditional handle shape. In my case I bought the traditional handle shape in the NSF material and I feel it was an excellent choice. I love everything about this knife. It is extremely light weight. The steel takes a very keen edge which lasts as long I I could reasonably hope...I sharpen about every 10 days. The simple traditional handle shape in the super grippy NSF material is perfect. I always feel like I have a solid grip on the knife no matter what I am cutting or how sticky, gooey or slippery my hands get. In addition to the two Mercer knives mentioned so far I also own a plain edge slicer, a wavy edge bread knife and several paring knives and these are just the Mercer brand knives that I own and use. I have a lot of food prep knives and the Mercers are all among my favorites. I just added a Mercer 4" Deba to my knife collection and I have to say that Mercer really messed up on this one. While the knife itself is just fine, albeit a little small, the handle for it is so tiny that it is really difficult to use. I ended up having to remove the handle and installing a longer one. The factory handle is so tiny it is only suitable for someone the size of a 10 year old. That said, with a longer, larger handle, it is pretty useful.

I wanted to try this Chinese style knife just to see how to compared to a French chef knife. I was blown away by how sharp this thing is. It sliced through a lemon like a hot knife through butter. I like how high it is so it makes guiding chops with my hand easier. Overall I really like the balance of the knife. It's very easy to use and the grip feels good. I also like that you can use it to scoop food a lot easier than a French knife. I will be using this as my primary cutting knife.

Absolutely love this knife. Came out of the box shaving sharp, which was surprising. My third Mercer knife, and none of them were this sharp out of the box. I ordered this because I don't really enjoy chopping too much. This makes it way easier to chop and scoop. I'm already using more fresh veggies over the pre-chopped packages. It's a large blade, so very easy for larger cutting tasks. I am not the biggest fan of round handles, but the blade makes up for any issues with the grip (which isn't bad, just not my preference). Looks very cool on my knife rack. The balance is solid, considering the handle is pretty small. Have not had any issues with hand fatigue. The blade, so far, does a lot of the work for you. Highly recommend trying this knife out.

I purchased this originally with the intent of getting a santoku with more traditional features such as a round handle and a blade without the arguably useless grantons (dimples) present on every western-style santoku. Mercer's Asian Collection offering fits all of the criteria at a very low asking price compared to a blade actually shipping from Japan. Despite the economy pricing, the knife itself is well-made and reliable. I've purchased several of Mercer's knives and they tend to be very consistent for a relatively low asking price. My copy was extremely sharp out of the box, it only needed a light stropping on leather in order to push-cut cleanly through paper. The German/western steel will not have the long-lasting edge retention of the specialty Japanese steels such as VG-10, but a few swipes on a honing rod will keep the edge keen enough to thinly slice tomatoes for several cycles before a full sharpening session on a whetstone is required. On ergonomics, the handle is comfortable, although the blade does not offer any special ergonomic features such as a rounded spine or a smooth choil (the underside corner where the blade and handle meet). People looking to chop vegetables for several hours per day will probably want to look to other options, however this is not unusual for a knife at this price point. Mercer offers a handle selection of either natural wood or santoprene (a rubberized grip). The wooden handle is comfortable and serviceable, however it does not appear to have been treated or stained. The santoprene handle may be advisable if you prefer a more textured handle that is durable and easier to keep clean. Overall this is an easy recommendation if you are looking for a traditionally shaped santoku at a budget price.

Came in a blister pack with card backing. Super sharp when opened. Point of knife is very sharp. Handle is made of a softer rubberised material. Really comfortable! For US$17, I'm going to be using this knife for everything.

Schönes Messer, mir gefällt der Hartgummi-artige Griff. Nichts für kleine Hände.

Amazing product.. a little lighter that I expected, and blade heavy. But works in my favour

As a culinary student/beginner, finding a balance between performance and practicality is key. This Mercer 12-inch Yanagi is arguably the most economical and sensible entry point into sashimi knives. Technical & Practical Breakdown: Simplified Geometry: Unlike traditional Japanese Yanagibas with complex "Urasuki" (concave) backs, this knife features a simpler single-bevel geometry. This makes it exceptionally easy to sharpen yourself on a whetstone, as you don't need to master the specialized techniques required for traditional hand-forged blades. Steel Hardness (56 HRC): The 56 Rockwell hardness is a "sweet spot" for learners. It provides enough rigidity for clean slices but remains soft enough to take a razor-sharp edge quickly without the fragility or chipping risks of high-carbon steel. Exceptional Grip: The rubber handle is a major upgrade over traditional wood for high-volume work. It provides a secure, non-slip grip even when working with wet fish, which is vital for maintaining precision during long pulling strokes. Economical Workhorse: It delivers the necessary 30cm length for single-motion slicing at a fraction of the cost of professional Japanese cutlery. Verdict: This is a high-utility tool designed for the "real world" of a busy kitchen. If you want the performance of a sashimi knife without the maintenance headache of traditional carbon steel, this is the one.

Great knife for the price