This Santoku Knife Now Has a Waiting List — And You’re Gonna Want to Get on It

Life is not a popularity contest, but if it was, Made In would be winning. The direct-to-consumer cookware brand got its start in 2016 and has since won the admiration of Tom Colicchio, Stephanie Izard, Grant Achatz, and other pro chefs. And the company keeps churning out pans and knives that consistently cause a frenzy among online shoppers. For example, their Carbon Steel Skillet began with a waitlist of 10,000 home cooks and keeps selling out. And just a few months ago, they launched the Carapace Knife, which was a limited-edition run that sold out in a mere four hours.

Why are we telling you this? Because Made In is at it again, this time, launching a limited-edition santoku knife. Of course, there’s a waitlist — and it just opened up this morning.

The knives are made entirely from recycled materials, the patterned handles are handmade in Spain, and the pieces are forged and assembled in France (in one of the only factories left that still creates their blades from a single metal rod, without stamping, welding, or laser cutting). The new santoku knife will retail for $189 and our sources say they expect it to sell out within hours.

Sign up for the waiting list here.

Don’t worry if you’re too late for the waiting list, though (they’re only making 650 of these limited edition knives!), there’s a NON-limited edition santoku in the works, too. It will launch on March 11: “We’ve decided to launch a full line of santoku knives or those who aren’t able to get their hands on the Limited-Edition release, these will be priced at $99,” a company rep tells us.

I actually got my hands on one of the santoku knives (not the limited edition one; those are legit going to be hard to come by!) and spent the last few weeks trying it out. And, good gosh, did I love it.

I used it to cube sweet potatoes, chop up delicate herbs, dice raw onions, slice cured meats, and more. Each time, it sailed through the task at hand like I was working with room-temperature butter. The knife itself is just heavy enough but still lightweight, perfectly balanced, and incredibly easy to manage. And the blade is so thin! I never had to pause to unstick what I was cutting from the blade, and found myself reaching for it instead of my beloved chef’s knife. 

While the limited-edition version might be nearly impossible to get, this one (with either red, white, or black handles) will be much more available — though I suggest you don’t dillydally, because you never know. (Again, look for this one online on March 11 or get on the waiting list now for the limited edition version.)