Calphalon Contemporary 5" Santoku Knife, Black

I have used a 5" santoku knife for years in my kitchen. Rarely do I grab a different knife other than a serrated bread knife or a fillet knife. This one does everything else I need a kitchen knife to do.This was purchased as a gift for my parents. They have been using a 10" chef knife to chop vegetables. It's big and unwieldy. A 5" santoku is a much more practical choice for kitchen tasks like cutting meat and chopping vegetables. The handle of this knife is very comfortable. It just feels good in any hand, even with big mitts like mine or my mothers much smaller hands. It's on par with a 1911 pistol grip. Everyone seems to think they are comfortable.The edge geometry is pretty basic. The blade is hollow ground but the edge is a little blunt for my tastes. We used the the knife with the factory edge for a couple of months. When it was time to sharpen it I got out my honing stone and refined the edge to my tastes. I prefer a finer edge of about 10-15 degrees. Most factory kitchen knives have a 20-25 degree edge. They don't dull as fast, but also don't cut as easily as a flatter sharpening angle. Of course that is subjective to the user and just my perception/experience. After a month of daily use we have been able to maintain that new edge with a butcher's steel. It is holding up very well.This knife will see lots and lots of use. It has already seen daily use for our first 2 months with it. The price was very reasonable to me at $30. The price seems to swing between $30 and $75 for this knife. The high end price is a little steep for me. My kitchen knife cost $20 and came from Walmart years ago. This Calphalon knife has a more comfortable handle than my cheapie knife but the stainless steel is comparable between the two. The fit and finish is better as well but not 3x better. If you see this knife in the $30-$40 range I think it is a good buy and an excellent gift.

Remarkable value in a very decent knife. I own some pretty serious (& expensive) knives (from manufacturers such as Shun, Wusthof, Kyocera, et al), and I bought this sub-$20 Santoku for the sole purpose of keeping my wife away from my expensive knives that I'm quite anal about anyone using other than me. I bought it for her knife collection so she could beat it to death with her special "ninja talents" of extreme knife-abuse, and I would remain a calm husband.So this "cheapo" Santoku (that I selected because the price made it disposable in my opinion) arrived this weekend and is blowing my mind at the quality of knife I bought her. Forged (not stamped) which is almost unheard of at this price-point. Full-tang, which is also almost unheard of at this price-point. And super-sharp right out of the box. Just a crazy good value all around. I may steal it from her, and buy her some other cheapo knife to replace it. Yes, I know I'm the devil, but I cook amazing meals for her so she puts up with my crazy/compulsive knife shenanigans.So I now know what I'm sending people on their birthdays and for Christmas this year. This dandy little Santoku is such an easy choice. Buy 2 (one as a spare or to have ready some day when you need a last-minute gift for someone).

I'm completely happy with the function of the knife, but am giving it four stars instead of five, because, even though the number on the description (2023113) matches the number on the Calphalon website for the 5" Santoku Contemporary Knife, the knife I received is not a match. I have a 17 piece set of Calphalon Contemporary knives and the tip on the handle end isn't the same shape. Also, the true Contemporary knives do not have the word, “Contemporary,” on the knife itself (Calphalon's choice, not sure why), but the new knife says, "Select," on the side. I've included photos to show these.Other than that, it handles well, feels beautifully weighted in my hand, and is completely sharp enough to quickly cut fingers that are in the way if one isn't being careful! The difference in the handle tip shape / wording on the side isn't enough for me to return the knife, especially since the 5" Contemporary Santoku Knife is out of stock on the Calphalon website, and they don't give an estimate of when it will be listed again. I would probably purchase again in the same circumstances, but would like to have been better informed.

I purchased this knife to match the Calphalon set of kitchen knives I already own. This new purchase has written on the blade "Select by Calphalon" instead of Calphalon full forged " as written on my set. The handle is also missing certain markings. I contacted the seller who explained why the picture was different and told me I could return it. I decided to keep the knife because of the quality, the price (20$ for it) and the seller backed his product. If I had paid any more or if it had been of lesser quality, I would have returned it. Accordingly, I gave it 4 stars.

Received my knife today. Expected the “Calphalon Select” brand of knife as other users’ reviews stated. Trying to match my set but was okay that it wasn’t going to match extactly since I just wanted the function of the knife itself (learning/having to cook during quarantine). Was excited to open the package and find the CORRECT knife (as pictured) that exactly matches my set!! NOT the “select” model!! Used the knife tonight - I think this will become my favorite go-to knife! It’s the little things....

I’ve been wanting a Santoku knife for a long time. Just couldn’t justify the purchase because I have a ton of knives. We bought an RV recently and I’ve been stocking it with things for camping. While I added a bunch of knives (not so well loved) from my kitchen I found this little knife and thought hey what a perfect knife for the RV. It’s quickly become my go to knife in the RV and those not so loved ones from the house I added to the RV have become my not so loved in the RV too! Great little knife and great price. I think I might spring for another down the road. Pun intended 😂

I absolutely love this brand of knives I had a single set of these knives and somehow I broke the top of it I don’t think it’s due to quality issues it was probably poor management of the knife on my end to be honest I also bought another set of other knives through this dealer as well

Some kitchen jobs don't require the big chef's knife and this one is perfect for the smaller tasks. Well made, hefty balanced feeling, and superior cutting edge. The blade is discoloring slightly but to me it enhances the patina of a real working knife. Excellent instrument and definitely recommended.

It hold a good edge. I am totally pleased with this knife.

Perfect for my need

Excellent 👍👍👍