Happy Sales HSSR100, Japanese Kitchen Cooking Chef Sushi Santoku Knife

I have read several fair reviews, and they are mostly positive, but owning several of them, I feel compelled to point out a couple of oversights by other reviewers.Firstly, I have read several reviews that describe some of the knives as being "too light" or "less sturdy" than others of the same type. They are indeed substantially lighter than many knives of similar style, BUT this is a positive for those folks who actually know how to use a knife. I'm no professional chef, but I know how to use a knife for cutting. These knives are razor sharp, and hold a good edge for a long time when properly used and cared for. They also sharpen relatively easily. That said, if you are looking to cut through bone, get a saw or a cleaver. These knives are designed for cutting flesh and vegetables, not quartering a steer. If you use these knives for cutting up food, they are wonderful. If you use them to chop down walnut saplings in the back yard, there are other, better knives. Think of them as surgical instruments, not hatchets, and they'll serve you well.Secondly, the handles are raw wood. When you get the knife or knives, buy a small can of polyurethane and simply dip the handles and then hang the knife point up, allowing the excess to run off onto a newspaper. leave the knife hanging for 24 hours to allow the finish on the handle to cure. Steel wool the handle lightly with 0000 steel wool, and repeat the dip-hang-cure-steel wool process to get 3 or 4 good coats of polyurethane into the handle. This brings out the beauty of the wooden handles and toughens them considerably as well. It also prevents oils from hands or foods to build up in the wood's grain. I did this to the first of these knives I bought 4 years ago, and the finish is lasting and makes the knife cleaner as well.Lastly, hand wash and then hand dry these knives. They are not for the dishwasher. the hidden-tang handles hold moisture against the blade's tang and will eventually corrode even stainless steel (which is really stain-resistant, not stainLESS). Oil them occasionally with a drop of mineral oil, and sharpen as necessary.With a little care, these knives will be among the finest you own, and after acclimating to the different weight and balance of them, they will quickly become your favorite knives, lasting you for many years.

Very sharp knife that works like an expensive Japanese or German knife. Cuts great, everything from mincing garlic to cutting up a watermelon. I love the affordable price of this knife. It isn't maybe as strong as expensive knives, but it isn't flimsy, either. The handle, as other reviewers said, is unfinished, which in time may be an issue, but for now I really really like this knife and it's sharp blade.

Good Solid Santoku for the Price.Okay, this knife is no Shun or Miyabi, but for the price it is a good knife. I did sharpen it a bit more when I got it but it was pretty sharp out of the box. It is a pretty sturdy knife that can be used for many purposes and doesn't rust. I would treat the handle with a bit of oil and that made the handle feel a lot better. It stays pretty sharp too. Overall, I think this is a great santoku who wants a really good value. Like I mention it will never as nice overall as super high quality knife, but for the price it is the best santoku I have found.

This knife is pretty good for its price. I compare it to Ikea knives of similar value; sharp when you receive them, will last for a year or so but it's better to replace rather than take to a professional to sharpen. It's extremely light due to the thin blade and wooden handle. I saw some reviews concerned with the untreated wood, but using the mineral oil I rub on my cutting boards seems to improve the look and could keep the handle from splitting after washing.The blade on mine is not perfectly straight, you can see from tip to the base of the handle there is a bit of a curve (even prior to my first use) but it isn't noticeable when cutting things. Its not as comfortable in my hand as my other knives due to the handle shape where it meets the blade and I wish it had the grooves on the edges like many santokus that keep food from sticking after cut. I also prefer a heavier blade when breaking down meat or trying to cut through chicken bones. I feel like I could break this knife by doing so, but it's ok for prepping vegetables and fruit.

I own more than 10 Japanese knives of various quality. My parents used to own a Japanese restaurant in Japan. Although I am not a professional chef, I learned some intricate cutting/slicing skills while watching the chef at the restaurant. Since there were many positive reviews, I decided to try this Japanese knife. It looked too good to be true to get a decent Japanese knife for the price, less than $12. In fact, it WAS too good to be true! This is the dullest Japanese knife I have ever used. Even the cheapest Japanese knife I own was sharper than this knife when it was new. My 20 year old Japanese knife which has not been sharpened for 3 years is sharper than this knife. I wonder this Japanese knife was made specifically for the American market. If you have never used a good quality Japanese knife, it may be still sharper than average knives commonly sold in the local stores. However, if you know what a good quality Japanese knife is like and if you intend to do some intricate cutting/slicing, this is not for you. I returned this knife and decided to sharpen my old Japanese knives.

Excellent knife that is sharp, looks great and is very reasonably priced. The build quality is not the best, the handle is unfinished and light and the black piece between the handle and blade is made of cheap plastic. However, the knife serves its purpose well, and you really can't go wrong with this knife for 10 dollars!