An excellent pro- or serious-home-cook sized damascus-steel chef's knife. At 240mm (9.5") this size is perfect for someone looking for larger addition to a growing knife collection or for the dedicated santoku user who also now wants a chef's knife shape that doesn't overlap the standard santoku size. And yet since it's a Japanese knife and so it lighter and thinner than an equivalent European-made knife of the same size, it still feels very comfortable and easy to handle. In other words it does NOT feel clunky or cumbersome! It's a high-performance knife.
These knives really are very sharp, with excellent construction quality and they just look spectacular with the layered steel, hammered finish and gorgeous wood-grain handle (NOT plastic or molded like so many low-cost knives you'll see in stores). The handle is made of Pakkawood, which has that nice wooden feel and look, but it is impregnated with resin/epoxy so it won't absorb water or warp or crack -- an excellent material!
If you like the damascus layered steel look but don't like the artificially high prices by domestic knives and kitchen stores, this is a truly excellent choice. You get a super sharp and long-lasting VG-10 steel cutting core (this is a very hard steel, with a Rockwell hardness of approximately 60), with a 17-layer hammered stainless steel surface and a beautifully finished natural wood handle. This makes an excellent choice as an all-around knife.
Comes in a beautiful textured yellow papered gift box.
I'd recommend the fine ceramic hone (see below) for regular/daily maintenance of the edge. As with any knife, use the hone regularly and you'll keep the edge in good shape for a LONG time before you need to think about doing any serious "re-sharpening" or real grinding and refinishing of the edge.
NOTE: This knife is sharpened 50/50 (equally on each side of the edge), so it will work just fine for right or left-hand use. Some have a slight right-side bias, but it's so subtle that it's impossible to notice in use and so it really work fine for lefties too and you can just sharpen it normally on both sides without worrying about individual angles. |
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