5.5" Santoku Knife - Zhen Series (PM8O)

Reach for this when the job is too compact for a full Santoku but too much blade for a utility knife. At 5.5 inches, this sits between the two: short enough to move fast on a small board, long enough to push-cut a whole zucchini or slice a block of firm cheese without the blade running out before the ingredient does. It's the Santoku profile you actually want for a smaller kitchen or a lighter hand.

The Santoku Advantage, in a Shorter Format

The flat belly is what makes a Santoku a Santoku. On the downstroke, the whole edge contacts the board at once rather than rocking heel-to-tip like a Western chef knife. That geometry produces even slices, every pass, whether you're shaving radish paper-thin for a slaw, dicing a capsicum into even pieces, or cutting spring onions into rings without any of them rolling away. At 5.5 inches, it's nimble enough to handle smaller tasks without feeling like overkill.

67-Layer Damascus, the Same Core as the Full Santoku

The blade is built on a 10Cr15CoMoV core wrapped in 67 layers of Damascus cladding, then vacuum heat-treated to 60-62 HRC. The edge stays keen through repetitive push cuts, which is where a softer blade would start to lose its bite before you're halfway through a vegetable prep. The olive wood and black buffalo horn handle sits in an octagonal full-tang construction, with the balance point landing right where the hand pinches for push-cut control.

Specifications

• Blade Steel: 67-layer Damascus with 10Cr15CoMoV core
• Hardness: 60-62 HRC (Vacuum Heat Treated)
• Blade Profile: 5.5-inch Santoku (flat belly, push-cut profile)
• Handle: Olive Wood & Black Buffalo Horn (Octagonal), full-tang
• Use: Push-cut vegetable prep on a compact board: zucchini, capsicum, radish, spring onions, and firm cheese where even slices matter.
• Series: Zhen Series (PM8O)
• Model: PM8O-5.5RS

Complete Your Set

Pair it with the Zhen 8.5" Chef Knife (PM8O-CS) for the heavier board work this smaller blade isn't sized for, and the Zhen 3.5" Paring Knife (PM8O-SG) for in-hand jobs where even 5.5 inches is more blade than the task needs.