Dao Vua V4 Classic Santoku 165mm
SPECIFICATIONS
Knife Style:Â Santoku
Steel Type: Carbon Steel
Blade Material: 52100 (Mono Steel)
Blade Finish:Â Kurouchi
Blade Hardness:Â 60HRC (+/-1)
Bevel:Â Double
Handle: Ebony / Padauk
Blade Length:Â 165mm
Heel Height: 48mm
Spine Thickness: 2.00mm (tapered)
Weight: 130g
The new Dao Vua V4 Series is what happens when a handmade favourite keeps leveling up — especially when we keep poking the makers for improvements year after year. It still looks like the classic Dao Vua everyone recognizes, but under the hood, it’s a very different knife.
After a ton of real-world feedback (and a few “please change this” conversations), we asked Dao Vua to move away from their old leaf-spring 5160 steel and switch this batch to 52100 carbon steel. It’s more stable, holds an edge longer, sharpens beautifully, and reacts more consistently. Same rustic charm… just way more reliability.
One of the biggest changes in the V4 is the taper. Gone is the old “feather-thin but no taper” vibe. The new blades actually transition properly — thicker at the spine and gradually thinning out toward a precise, finer tip. The result? A knife that feels more nimble, cuts cleaner, and performs at a level earlier Dao Vua generations simply didn’t reach.
Still handmade — still perfectly imperfect. Even with the upgrades, Dao Vua hasn’t lost who they are. Every V4 is still forged by hand, one at a time. Expect light hammer marks, small inconsistencies, minimal machine finishing, and handle wood variations. Because of that, we don’t usually recommend them as gifts unless the person already understands what a handmade knife should look like.
These quirks aren’t flaws — they’re the signature of a maker working with real tools, real heat, and real hands. Some people want that character; others love that these knives make fantastic carbon-steel “platforms” for thinning, polishing, tuning, or sharpening.
If you want to try carbon steel without jumping straight into high-end Japanese pricing, the V4 series is one of the best entry points out there. The blade is reactive and will patina quickly — but that’s part of the charm and part of learning how a real carbon-steel knife behaves.
The Santoku is the classic all-purpose Japanese kitchen knife — perfect for everyday cutting, slicing, and chopping. Its shorter, well-balanced blade and gentle curve make it easy to control for veggies, meat, and general prep. Simple, versatile, and comfortable to use… it’s the go-to “do-everything” knife in most kitchens.
*Handmade, it's wrapped for transport with no gift box included. Optional blade guards are available:Â Click Here!
Product Information
Product Information
Shipping & Returns
Shipping & Returns
Dao Vua V4 Classic Santoku 165mm
Dao Vua V4 Classic Santoku 165mm
SPECIFICATIONS
Knife Style:Â Santoku
Steel Type: Carbon Steel
Blade Material: 52100 (Mono Steel)
Blade Finish:Â Kurouchi
Blade Hardness:Â 60HRC (+/-1)
Bevel:Â Double
Handle: Ebony / Padauk
Blade Length:Â 165mm
Heel Height: 48mm
Spine Thickness: 2.00mm (tapered)
Weight: 130g
The new Dao Vua V4 Series is what happens when a handmade favourite keeps leveling up — especially when we keep poking the makers for improvements year after year. It still looks like the classic Dao Vua everyone recognizes, but under the hood, it’s a very different knife.
After a ton of real-world feedback (and a few “please change this” conversations), we asked Dao Vua to move away from their old leaf-spring 5160 steel and switch this batch to 52100 carbon steel. It’s more stable, holds an edge longer, sharpens beautifully, and reacts more consistently. Same rustic charm… just way more reliability.
One of the biggest changes in the V4 is the taper. Gone is the old “feather-thin but no taper” vibe. The new blades actually transition properly — thicker at the spine and gradually thinning out toward a precise, finer tip. The result? A knife that feels more nimble, cuts cleaner, and performs at a level earlier Dao Vua generations simply didn’t reach.
Still handmade — still perfectly imperfect. Even with the upgrades, Dao Vua hasn’t lost who they are. Every V4 is still forged by hand, one at a time. Expect light hammer marks, small inconsistencies, minimal machine finishing, and handle wood variations. Because of that, we don’t usually recommend them as gifts unless the person already understands what a handmade knife should look like.
These quirks aren’t flaws — they’re the signature of a maker working with real tools, real heat, and real hands. Some people want that character; others love that these knives make fantastic carbon-steel “platforms” for thinning, polishing, tuning, or sharpening.
If you want to try carbon steel without jumping straight into high-end Japanese pricing, the V4 series is one of the best entry points out there. The blade is reactive and will patina quickly — but that’s part of the charm and part of learning how a real carbon-steel knife behaves.
The Santoku is the classic all-purpose Japanese kitchen knife — perfect for everyday cutting, slicing, and chopping. Its shorter, well-balanced blade and gentle curve make it easy to control for veggies, meat, and general prep. Simple, versatile, and comfortable to use… it’s the go-to “do-everything” knife in most kitchens.
*Handmade, it's wrapped for transport with no gift box included. Optional blade guards are available:Â Click Here!
Product Information
Product Information
Shipping & Returns
Shipping & Returns
Description
SPECIFICATIONS
Knife Style:Â Santoku
Steel Type: Carbon Steel
Blade Material: 52100 (Mono Steel)
Blade Finish:Â Kurouchi
Blade Hardness:Â 60HRC (+/-1)
Bevel:Â Double
Handle: Ebony / Padauk
Blade Length:Â 165mm
Heel Height: 48mm
Spine Thickness: 2.00mm (tapered)
Weight: 130g
The new Dao Vua V4 Series is what happens when a handmade favourite keeps leveling up — especially when we keep poking the makers for improvements year after year. It still looks like the classic Dao Vua everyone recognizes, but under the hood, it’s a very different knife.
After a ton of real-world feedback (and a few “please change this” conversations), we asked Dao Vua to move away from their old leaf-spring 5160 steel and switch this batch to 52100 carbon steel. It’s more stable, holds an edge longer, sharpens beautifully, and reacts more consistently. Same rustic charm… just way more reliability.
One of the biggest changes in the V4 is the taper. Gone is the old “feather-thin but no taper” vibe. The new blades actually transition properly — thicker at the spine and gradually thinning out toward a precise, finer tip. The result? A knife that feels more nimble, cuts cleaner, and performs at a level earlier Dao Vua generations simply didn’t reach.
Still handmade — still perfectly imperfect. Even with the upgrades, Dao Vua hasn’t lost who they are. Every V4 is still forged by hand, one at a time. Expect light hammer marks, small inconsistencies, minimal machine finishing, and handle wood variations. Because of that, we don’t usually recommend them as gifts unless the person already understands what a handmade knife should look like.
These quirks aren’t flaws — they’re the signature of a maker working with real tools, real heat, and real hands. Some people want that character; others love that these knives make fantastic carbon-steel “platforms” for thinning, polishing, tuning, or sharpening.
If you want to try carbon steel without jumping straight into high-end Japanese pricing, the V4 series is one of the best entry points out there. The blade is reactive and will patina quickly — but that’s part of the charm and part of learning how a real carbon-steel knife behaves.
The Santoku is the classic all-purpose Japanese kitchen knife — perfect for everyday cutting, slicing, and chopping. Its shorter, well-balanced blade and gentle curve make it easy to control for veggies, meat, and general prep. Simple, versatile, and comfortable to use… it’s the go-to “do-everything” knife in most kitchens.
*Handmade, it's wrapped for transport with no gift box included. Optional blade guards are available:Â Click Here!
