MITSUMOTO SAKARI 8 inch Japanese Kiritsuke Chef Knife, Hand Forged 67 Layers 440C Damascus Steel Kitchen Knives, Professional Meat Sushi Chef's Knife (Blue Pomegranate Handle & Sandalwood Box)

Great knife. Sharp straight out of the box. I may be a Japanese knife convert. I've used German knives, exclusively, in my career as a chef (been a Henckles fan for 20 years) but recently wanted to get a few Japanese knives and compare them. I am not disappointed in this knife at all. Not super expensive, looks good, handles well, lightweight, handle feels good in my hand, holds an edge well. I made every one of my cooks try it out on day one and I'm pretty sure a couple of them will be buying one for themselves.

Domo arigato to the craftspeoptreet le who made this wonderful piece of functional art. Balance, ergonomics, sharpness/cut feel and quality are all sublime. (Street cred: professional with chef level knife skills going back 4 decades. Quality knives a passion and benefit of being a retired old fart: cut gloves. Never had them and never will need one. And my affection for cut gloves is almost on par with the bubonic plague. Start slow and easy - and burn the skill into the motor pathways! Protecting from stupid only protects stupidity. Death To Cut Gloves!!!!)

Beautiful knife, extremely sharp and well-made and balanced

Nicely crafted and came in a really nice box. Super sharp

I can see it in the pictures, so I should have known better. The sharp tip at the heel of the blade will get you in the dish drainer if you aren't careful. The blade is plenty sharp and thin, great for dense foods like carrots or potatoes. It's a nice knife, we'll have to see how it holds up long term (ease of sharpening, how long it holds sharpness)

I bought this knife a year ago, and as a sous chef at a super busy restaurant my original knife was used for nearly anything and everything I used it for. I unfortunately dropped the first one, (the pearl colored handle) and only lost just the very tip of it. Was able to hone it back to a decent tip, but used it so much and didn’t give it proper care regularly as I should (I didn’t realize how essential this was at first, for all knives) so my original took a beating. Only complaint is that eventually one of the pins on the handle did fall out. However, I loved the comfort, the weight, the look, and the durability of this knife so much I went ahead and got it again in red with the intentions of treating it right this time now that I know better. Best knife and best price. It’s beautiful. They are both so different and individual and I’m so happy with the new one. I’m not one to order the same knife again but was so satisfied with this one I couldn’t help it.

Does everything I want it to. Stays sharp longer then my other knives. Well built

Update: This knife continues to impress. I bought it for the hubby, but it’s my new go-to, even passing up the Shun. It’s balanced and sharp, slides through even the toughest bone cutting jobs. I’m glad to have added it.Original: This knife was a gift for my hubby’s culinary collection. He loves the knife which says something bcz he’s a knife snob. He put it right next to the Bob Kramer. The knife’s been in the kitchen a week now. It slices thin, has a comfortable grip for male and female hands, it’s balanced and not too heavy or light weight. I like the tip for lifting meat silver, it’s thin to cut sushi or tiny veggie strips, and it’s very very sharp. We bought the blue handle and it’s pretty. Certainly the blade will have to be maintained as all knives do, but the metal work indicates the steel hardness is well done. Recommend.