Update International (KGE-11) 11" Forged Butcher Knife

Appears to be sturdy and decently made. Not as sharp as I'd like.

This knife was very sharp out of the box. It easily sliced newspaper so you can imagine how it easily cut through large hunks of meat. I honed the blade to an even sharper edge. The handle is very large, even for the largest hands. At this price point you usually get a thin stamped blade rather than the heavy forged blade on this knife. I am very happy with this purchase.

The rivets are not there to securely hold the handle to the tang. They seem to simply be decorations. Two of the rivets have fallen out of my handle... one of which before I even took it out of the box! I will not buy another piece of equipment from the update international brand nor will I recommend it to any of my industry peers.

I purchased this knife to take over my heavy duty cutting of meats and bone so not to sacrifice my quality knives. This does have a good size blade, however the blade wasn't as sharp as it should have been but that was remedied by giving it a good sharpening which seems to hold well. The knife isn't as balanced as I would like it to be, slightly blade heavy, but it isn't unmanageable. It's big drawback is the handle is very small even for my less than average size hands, which are a size 8 glove, and this makes the knife a little difficult to handle. I plan on putting a para-cord wrap around the handle to increase the circumference and improve the grip and stability.This would be an excellent 5 star knife if the handle had a little more weight and were larger both in circumference (measures about 3" now) and length (measures 4 1/2" now); the blade is 11" and the bolster is about 1". The knife weighs about 10.5 ounces even though in the Product Details it is described as weighing 12.8 ounces, yet it also states the shipping weight is 9.6 ounces -- I don't know how anyone can ship an item with less shipping weight unless they fill it with helium; maybe someone can explain this to me.I would buy the knife again... maybe.

Though it uses the same materials, this isn't quite a Wusthof. The bolster doesn't extend out to the edge, and the way only the last couple of inches of blade taper, it seems like they could have stamped out the blade, then forged the tang and bolster onto it. The Update Internationals use a bit thinner metal than my 35 year old Wusthofs, but so do newer Wusthofs. Aesthetically, it doesn't look like a beautiful example of European craftsmanship, but that doesn't make it any less functional. Contrary to what was said in a review from a few years ago, the rivets in the handle seem perfectly real, and are not mere cosmetic add-ons.I've got nothing much harsher to say about this knife, than that it seems slightly inferior to one which costs twenty times as much. It works perfectly well, keeps a decent edge, and is meant to survive a dishwasher. At the widest point it is 2 1/8" wide, and between that and the 11" length, it may pose problems in some knife blocks.Not quite a world class knife, but definitely a fine bargain.

As A Professional SousChef Cook I find - opposite to others - that this knife is high quality Carbon stainless steel , well designed and functional well for its purpose , nothing wrong with the blade shape or its well build Handle , you find it easy to use if you know and/or willing to learn Update International KGE-11 Stainless Steel Forged Butcher Knife, 11-InchUpdate International KGE-11 Stainless Steel Forged Butcher Knife, 11-Inchprofessional handling of knives . Highly recommended as it also reasonably price its value and features

Decent knife for the money. Trimmed up three briskets so far on it and it keeps sharp with minimal sharpening. Good Handle and balance

best buy ever...........and its german steel . great butcher knife