Santoku knives are larger, multi-purpose knives. They’re usually shorter than long chef knives (less than 21cm) and have wide, flat blades and fairly blunt or slightly rounded tips. As a result, they’re not very well suited for piercing. With no belly (or curve) to the blade, you can’t rock with them either. On the other hand, the long, straight blade of a Santoku is particularly useful for long cutting strokes. The wide blade helps for transferring food, too. These qualities make Santokus especially good for chopping. Like other Japanese knives, Santokus tend to be thin, hard, and very sharp. Some Santokus feature an asymmetric grind, meaning that they can only be used in either your right or left hand. Others have a hollow grind for extra sharpness. There are two big differences between a Santoku and a chef’s knife. First, Santokus have fairly flat tips. This means it’s harder to start a cut or slice by stabbing with the tip of the knife. Second, Santokus have no curve or belly. As a result, knife techniques that involve rocking the blade back and forth are pretty much out of the question.