As I know many of you will agree with me, I don't like the looks of the santoku. I know there is obviously a ton of people who disagree with me and love santokus. The reason for this thread is to try and shed some light as to why santokus are good and what purpose they serve in a kitchen. I know they could be used as a chef knife on vegetables and herbs and things but why not use a Nikiri. Next I assume they could be mediocre for cutting meats and fish but why not use a gyuto or a suji. Then I think about small tasks and small areas, I know that a fellow KKF member has told me he uses a santoku in his kitchen 99% of the time because he has a small space to work with, but why not a short gyuto or a small petty?
I want to reiterate that these questions are not personal attacks and I do not want to make anyone feel like I am belittling their knife choices. If you have seen me talk bad about a santoku in the past it is because I hate the look and think that the shape is pointless.
Please tell me why you like santokus over other shapes and what the original purpose for them was and why they began.