JapanBargain 1560, Extra Long Sushi Sashimi Knife Japaneses High Carbon Stainless Steel Sushi Chef Yanagiba Knife, Made in Japan, 11.75 inch Long

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.

Super sharp, super light weight. Mostly use it for small fruit and utility.Work in a high pace kitchen, lots of bouncing around and overseeing others. With the saya it can go in my pocket, ever at the ready in the kitchen, easier than carrying my utility.

Ten bucks gets you a thin little utility knife to beat on around the kitchen. This reminds me of the cheap mass produced Japanese knives you used to see in the 60's and 70's that made Americans complain endlessly about their manf. quality when Japanese quality was the Chinese quality we see today. It's not real sharp out of the package, but I fixed that by putting a great15° edge on it. I let the kids use this but it's a great knife to open plastic and do some quick slicing for me. It's straight, I love the little sheath, and I find it much better than the $40 dollar KAI that I bought a few months back which was NOT straight and has a cheap plastic handle. Don't leave it in a sink or beat it. Strop it with a good 1 micron leather strop to maintain it. If you beat it up, do you care? You paid $10 dollars for it. Looks like it could be picked up for $5 dollars at a dollar store. But it is decent when you put an edge on it. It will dull, so just make sure you can sharpen it and you can use it until someone craters it, then buy another or something expensive you don't want anyone to touch.

This is an excellent Chinese chef's knife. It is very light and can be sharpened to a razor edge. The steel is not as hard as some Japanese knives, but not quite as soft as the typical western chef's knife. This is a good balance - it stays very sharp under heavy use but you can still easily maintain the edge at home. Harder steels are harder to sharpen and this does not suffer from that issue.It arrives with the typical Japanese "factory" edge so will need to have a proper "Western" edge put on by a knowledgeable knife sharpener. Be aware that it is a Japanese knife making tradition to not presume to know the kind of edge that you, the customer, want. Once that edge is on, you can maintain it to razor sharpness using a ceramic honing rod. Do not use a steel honing rod - if you have one, please throw it away as they are not really recommended anymore for maintaining an edge. It is not made of the same kind of stainless steel that many European knives are made from and it will rust if you leave it soaking or with water/food on it for prolonged periods.Also, be aware that it is not a cleaver - those are made of thicker, softer steel, have much more weight, are sharpened to an axe edge, and are intended for cutting hard items like bones and coconuts.All in all, this is an excellent chef's knife for the price. I use it daily and love it. My knife-shop sharpener who used to be a chef also loves it and thinks it's a great deal.More tips: When you have it sharpened, have the spine rounded so that it does not cause a callus to form on your knife hand. Un-rounded spines are common among all knives except for very high end (expensive) ones. I also find it is well-suited to use with a pinch-grip.

For $17.99 you should not be expecting much out of a knife. However, straight out of the box the knife was quite dull. It would cut paper but not smooth and cleanly. And it was nowhere near shaving sharp. Took quite a bit of time to sharpen however it took on a very nice edge. It is now shaving sharp and will push cut a piece of paper cleanly.The handle itself feels cheap and lightweight. It is unfinished and seems porous. I stained the handle and gave multiple coats of waterlox. It is now quite nice looking however the weight stills feels light. The knife is also not balanced well due to this.Im not sure how well it will hold the edge, time will tell. If you are willing to put a bit of time and work into this knife it is a nice addition to a collection for the price.