This knife set from Satake's Ame series contains three Japanese knife types: Petty, Santoku and Kiritsuke. Petty is a type of paring knife that is well suited for the nitty-gritty tasks in the kitchen. The Santoku knife is a versatile all-round knife that is equally suitable for cutting vegetables as it is for fish and meat. The Kiritsuke knife has a long blade that is optimal for filleting fish or other raw materials that you want to slice extra thin. Ame is Japanese for "rain," which in this case refers to the special look of the handmade knife blade. The pattern is not only handsome but also functional, as the uneven surface prevents the foods you handle from sticking to the blade. The wooden handle on the knives in the Ame series is made of Vril, or Masur, which is a much sought-after and incredibly beautiful material that comes from an outgrowth of larch, peach, camphor or maple tree. The direction of the wood fibres goes in different directions, which creates a very special grain and means that each knife handle has a completely unique look.