Professional Japanese Knife with Personalization

This is an aesthetically stunning knife - the understated pattern welded blade, combined with the dark hardwood of the perfectly finished octagonal handle, makes for a beautiful knife. Everything else here is "presentation grade" as well, from the box it comes in to the walnut blade guard. This is a very attractive package overall.This is very much inspired by Japanese kitchen knives, but has been "westernized", and not always for the best - the short and thin blade is not well balanced with the large and heavy hardwood handle. A more traditional Santoku would be two to three times as thick as this blade, and the extra mass contributes to proper cutting technique. The blade grind is the biggest difference here, and for me a disappointment - this is an even taper from the spine to the cutting edge, like a standard chef's knife. A Japanese knife of this sort would be flat on the left side, and beveled on the right side only. This makes a difference in terms of technique and sharpening. That said, the blade here is not only aesthetically pleasing but it is also good steel, and well tempered. Ours arrived sharp and stropped, and cut well right out of the box.I personally prefer this blade shape for most kitchen tasks, and I find the handle comfortable enough for home use.

Japanese combo knife design, wide blade like a chef's knife and long flat blade like a sashimi knife. Super sharp and holds a decent edge should be used with whet stone 600 grade or better. Keep the blade straight with a honing steel. Note, those honing steel rods don't sharpen they just align the blade. You need a fine grit stone to sharpen. Knife comes in nice wooden sheath and giftable box. Easy to hold, but not perfectly ergonomic as it has a hex shaped handle, while traditional for some Japanese knives, is on perfect for a good and comfortable grip. Overall still a winner. Recommended.

It sharpens to a very fine edge but dulls quickly. I cut 3 bell peppers and had to resharpen in order to chop 2 onions immediately after. I wish the handle had smoother edges is a 5 star as a gift to a culinary friend.

Beautiful knife!

It is beautifully made with a good quality. It is lightweighted and comfortable to hold. The knife is very sharp as well.