If you hang around Williams-Sonoma, you're sure to know about the Shun Classic Santoku knife. If you hang around professional kitchens for a while, you'll get to know some lesser-known Japanese brands that are just as good.

Kanetsune makes their knives with similar materials as the Shun -- it's got a 33-layer Damascus-patterned blade ...

You've got to digest a few things when checking out this knife you may never have heard of.

First off, the style. It's a gyuto - basically the Japanese equivalent of a western chef's knife - an all-purpose knife sharp enough to cut through multiple meats, vegetables, and fish.

Next up, the brand. Kanetsune is not ...