KANETSUNE Minamoto Kanemasa series, Gyutou 210mm w/Plywood handle

Love it! Fantastically sharp. Was worried about it being carbon steel because I've heard they altake a lot of maintenance, but it's been surprisingly easy to care for. Wash+dry after using and it's perfect. Maybe a little mineral oil if I'm feeling like it. It's also really light and comfortable.

a more expensive chef knife has slightly convex sides, so that food will not stick so much. This knife has a very flat grind, which can lead to food sticking to the blade after it's cut.also, the wood handle material on the knife I received had shrunk slightly after manufacture, such that the exposed tang was somewhat protruding above the level of the wood.This is a very nice knife for the price, but it might be spending more for a better grind and fit and finish. Misono EU Carbon series comes to mind and can be purchased from Amazon.

I LOOOOOOOOVE this knife!!!!! This knife takes such a sharp edge that it is scary. I love Japanese gyutou knives and Japanese kitchen cutlery regardless. I am in the process of replacing a lot of my kitchen cutlery with Japanese made cutlery preferably in VG-10 and/or high carbon steel. The only thing I'd change about this knife is to add a little bit more weight to it, but it is still a 5+ star knife in my opinion.

A real high carbon knife . . . My ALL TIME favorite! Soooo easy to sharpen and stays sharp. Looks beautiful once the patina sets in. Really not hard to prevent from rusting, just dry off the knife after you wash it.

As already mentioned in other reviews the price to value is good although a bit deceptive, when I sharpened and smoothed out some edges this knife is easily comparable to knives that cost 2-3 times the price. I know because I own them and as a person who has worked with sharp tools for 48 plus years this is my go to knife in my kitchen. It is well balanced and ground properly and fits my large hand well. If you know how to sharpen on stones this is a bargain! I own 2, one 7.1 inches and the other 8.3 inches. I prefer the 7.1 inch.