Miyabi Birchwood SG2 Japanese Chef's Knife, 8-inch, Chef's Kitchen Knife, Karelian Birch Handle, 100-layer flower Damascus pattern, Handcrafted in Seki, Japan

i am very satisfied with the performance

Amazing chefs knife. Beautiful birch wood handle. Plenty sharp out of the box, but I'll be sending it to my sharpening guy to make it even better. I've always wanted to own this knife, but it was slightly out of my price range ($350USD). Now I have it and for the amazing price of $240 Canadian!!! Everyone needs a knife like this in their lives :)

I saw these online when I was looking at high end knives for me to buy one. There are a couple options you can go for. Some brands have student kits with entry level blades you can get for cheaper. A couple have some knives that are more expensive. I liked this one because of the gorgeous design which was the only criteria I could judge from a picture. The blade is beautiful - I thought you would only find these on japanese made katanas and in movies. The handle is a fine looking light birchwood, sanded or polished to a silky smooth finish. The knife is perfectly balanced at the bolster (the little metal bit where the handle ends and before the cutting edge begins). I could rest it on the back of another knife and have it balance. As for the performance of the knife, I am in awe. It is a pleasure to wield (see the aforementioned balance) and the cutting edge is a thing to fear. I held up a wet washcloth and brought the knife to it (sideways - gravity was not helping the knife). No slashing was needed; I simply rested the knife blade against the cloth in mid air and could feel it bite into the spongy fabric. I pulled back on the knife and could feel no resistance from the cloth as I watched it fall away. This is now the only blade I use in the kitchen (this and a matching paring knife). Over the years I have had many knives as part of knife block sets or general cutlery sets and they now all reside in a container hidden in a low drawer. Meat, fish, vegetables all slice apart effortlessly now. It was advised not to cut through bone with this knife as it could damage the blade, but a chef's knife is not for that in the first place. I think the only knife sharper than this kind is the Korin with carbon steel blade but it requires a lot more care and cleaning around acidic food (like tomatoes). This blade is more corrosion resistant though and still unbelievably sharp. You get a nice knife box that it comes in (I'll take pictures and edit this post) and instructions to hand wash only with a mild detergent, and then wipe dry. This is no grocery store knife, this is a work of art. All that being said, this knife is not for everybody. It costs a lot, so if you are a student or now starting out there are knife sets you can get from reputable brands that might be more value for you. If your knife handling is sub par, then stay far away from this blade. If you are a professional chef you would likely know better than me or already have a favorite knife. However if you spend a lot of time preparing food or you know someone who does and if you/they have the money for it, then it is an excellent choice. Miyabi has other knife styles and blade materials but this one gets my recommendation.

Tiene uno de los mejores filos que he probado hasta el momento. Lo he usado ya casi 1 mes y hoy me di cuenta de que la hoja esta doblada (no se si vino ya doblado y no lo vi) Un cuchillo de este precio no puede estar asi. Decepcion

If there is a piece of advice I can give on this; is to handle it before you buy. The knife feels very comfortable to me however that's quite personal. The attention to detail is great on this, every finish is perfect and the box it comes in looks great (just a bonus!) The blade is quite sharp Out of the box and edge retention (so far) is great. Obviously you cannot put this in a dishwasher as that would destroy the handle.