I love using this knife especially in front of a crowd. The knife is as beautiful as it is functional. The acute angle of the Japanese blade gives thin accurate slices both of cooked meats and raw fish. The Pakka wood handle with the gold accents and mosaic pin is very comfortable to hold. The blade is very sharp and the high carbon steel stays sharp and is easy to maintain. More of the artistry is shown on the blade itself with the hand hammered design fading into the sand blasted portion just before the traditional Katan watermarking by the blades edge.
The steel on this knife is top of the line. Sg2 steel is made with a powdered steel and then its forged. All the markers of a premium knife. The outer layers of softer steel protect the very rigid center layer, keeping it as sharp as can be. This is a very special knife.
This is an excellent blade with which to slice raw fish, or cooked fish, or raw meat, or cooked meat, or poultry. In short, it is a terrific long knife to slice with. The hammered SG2 micro-carbide steel is sharped to an acute 9.5 degree angle making each stroke glide leaving no ragged edges. Minimal maintenance required. Just hand wash and dry, hone regularly and you're good to go for a long time.
My husband added to his collection. He raves about the sharpness and comfort of his Artisan knives. As long as he keeps cooking for us, he can have as many knives as he would like.
This knife is awesome. I love the look of this knife and how it has certain features that make it a true Japanese knife, like the mirrored finish aspect to the blade and the shape of the handle. I like that it’s a Cocobolo wood, really beautiful look that accents the blade perfectly. This knife slices through anything with ease and smoothness, clean slices every time. It has a nice balance to it as well, and the D-shape handle contours nicely in your hand. The steel is really solid for a Japanese knife, so I’m not worried about it chipping down the road.