Sakai Kikumori 175mm Santoku SKK Vanadium Stainless

Sakai Kikumori's SKK Vanadium line are reasonably priced Western handled workhorse stainless steel knives. 

Vanadium molybdenum stainless steel holds an edge nicely with good toughness and excellent stainless properties. They are ideal for the professional or home cook who is looking for a great workhorse with easy maintenance and good edge life. These utility-minded knives can have some stray scratches in their finish. However, they are all hand ground with a right hand bias convex grind that releases food nicely and gives them a smoother cutting feel than their weight would suggest.

These are solid utilitarian knives. Stainless western handled knives like these are found in the back of most professional kitchens in Japan and are relied on for bulk prep work. 

Sakai Kikumori was started in 1926 and draws on Sakai's 600 year history as the major center of traditional Japanese cutlery manufacturing. They work with a large variety of Sakai's best smiths, sharpeners and small factories to offer a wide variety of knives ranging from traditional materials and styles to more modern, western influenced styles and materials.