The Artisan Edge – Personalized Japanese-Style Chef Knife

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.

I must say I love these sets.They are very well design, perfect weight and grip combine with a great pretty design.They are sharp sharp sharp, and you really must be careful about the blade.I use it to cut Makis ( sushi rolls) uniquely and can't be happier with it.

I believe it is a very well made knife. The balance is excellent, but I do have others I like better.

This would make a nice gift. So far, I've only used it to cut vegetables but the blade is sharp and cuts well. The knife feels light. The reason I'm giving this a 4 star is because of the handle. While the handle feels okay in my hand but I wouldn't say that it's ergonomic.

I have a couple of knives I hide from the family. I have two sets of knives they are more than welcome to use, but two are off limits. Now I have three.This Katsu Chef Knife is amazing .Once you open the decorative box, and set your eyes on the walnut sheath, you know you are in for a special treat. Once unsheathed, you see the beautiful acid etching.I have used the knife numerous times for slicing and chopping vegetables and slicing meat. The knife performs well and I have no complaints. The knife is lighter than some others that I like, but it does not hinder my use.I can see this knife becoming my go to knife for general kitchen work.

This Chef Knife is very impressive. It came nicely packaged rady to gift somone.