Rank #6 in Best Kitchen Knives 2026: The Hardness Nobody Publishes
SHAN ZU Santoku Knife 20cm, Powder Steel 63HRC, Oak Handle
Price and rating as shown on Amazon when we collected them. Both change.
The SHAN ZU powder-steel santoku costs £23.99 and is rated 4.5 stars from 796 ratings, with a stated hardness of 63HRC and an oak handle.
It takes sixth because the hardness figure is published, which is rare here, while its title and its blade field disagree about the length by two centimetres and its category badge is wrong.
How those 796 ratings break down
An average hides its own shape. This is the spread behind the 4.5 stars.
Specification
Exactly as published on the Amazon listing, field for field.
| Hardness | 63 HRC |
|---|---|
| Blade length as listed | 20 Centimetres |
| Steel | Japanese 10Cr15MoV powder steel |
| Handle | Oak |
| Category rank | 1st in Boning Knives |
| Ratings | 4.5 from 796 |
What buyers actually say
Quoted from customer reviews on Amazon
Verified purchase“Very sharp and beautiful looking. Only time will tell if it lasts”
Verified purchase“This knife covers everything I was looking for; it's very sharp and cuts everything with ease.”
What it is up against
The rivals it was ranked against in Best Kitchen Knives 2026: The Hardness Nobody Publishes.
Questions people ask
What is 63HRC?
A measure of steel hardness: the low sixties is the range for a keen, durable kitchen edge.
Is it 18cm or 20cm?
The title and the field disagree; check the photograph before ordering.
What is powder steel?
Steel made from atomised powder, which gives a finer, more uniform grain.
Will it stay sharp?
Harder steel holds an edge longer, which is why the number matters.
Why is it sixth?
Because it documents its steel better than most, but the page cannot agree on the size.
How many ratings does it have?
796 at the time of collection, averaging 4.5 stars, with 77 per cent five-star and 4 per cent one-star.
Comments
Reader comments are not checked against the manufacturer's claims above.
No comments yet
Be the first to add something we missed — a price change, a spec that turned out wrong, or how one of these held up.
Leave a comment
No account needed. Own one of these? Tell other readers how it actually performed.