Mercer CulinaryM20707 Genesis 7-Inch Santoku Knife,Black

(Written by the cook of the house: the wife): I bought this Santoku knife after some research online of what makes a good knife. Many of the really highly rated knives that are super expensive are made from German carbon steel (as this knife is). The last Santoku knife I had was quite weighted in the hand and made the knife feel stronger and less likely to break or bend - I finally bent the blade on it when stupidly trying to chop through a thick piece of lamb leg bone (Don't try that with any santuko knife). Every cheaper santoku knife that I have found these days, tends to be too light weight for my taste.I was looking for a replacement that wasn't flimsy feeling and had some weight to it and came across customer reviews on the Mercer Culinary Genesis. Some people complained about how heavy the knife feels. However, I am a petite person and I don't find it too cumbersome to use at all. I actually find the blade to be sturdy and I am not worried that it could bend easily. I like that the handle is well attached to the blade but still has a comfort grip on it, making it easier to hold while cutting. It came in a nice sealed plastic package and was SUPER sharp upon opening it. It cut through thick fruit like nothing (ie. Watermelon, Cantaloupe, pineapple). Many of my friends that come over have said that they really like this knife and ask where it came from. If I had to make a complaint is that it took a very little bit of sawing motion to cut through the skin of a tomato; however, once the skin was broken it cut it very nicely and cleanly - not squishing the tomato at all. It gives clean cuts and the weight actually makes it feel like you have more control over the blade and what it's doing while cutting. I have had some flimsy knives at that just bend and seem to warp as I cut through something thick and leaving behind a very squiggly cut line - This DOES NOT do that! Overall, I really am enjoying this knife. Compared to other more expensive knives in the stores, I think this is worth getting and it will save you a lot of money compared to getting one for $100 at a large retailer. Definitely try this knife out, I think you will be happy with it.

I bought the Mercer Knife to replace my other two knives I've have for 10+ years. I only used it once, to cut some parsley. It's very nice to have a knife that cuts herbs, and not squish and bruise it. Even after sharpening my old knives, they still wouldn't cut parsley the way the Mercer knife does. It is definately a good entry level knife to hone in your knife skills and pinch grip, without killing the bank.I'm no professional, but I do love to cook. I like that it gives me the confidence to better my pinch grip. Not gonna lie, I was a bit skeptical about the handle, not being wood, boy I was wrong. It feels great in my hand and the balance is great. It is light in weight, but has enough weight to slice easily through herbs, and still have complete control. I can see it slicing through potatoes and other harder root vegetables eith ease. There's enough weight so you won't have to press hard, just let the knife do its job.I highly recommend this knife and I know what knife I'll get when I have to replace mine. I'm hoping I won't have to for a long while. Thank you for my beautiful knife.

Great knife. Great value. I have high end Japanese knives, Wusthof knives, K Sabatier, Zwilling, you name it. Some reviews claim that it doesn't retain its edge long and to get a Japanese knife. Well... It does retain its edge but this is GERMAN steel. Rockwell hardness is on the medium side so you need to know how to use a honing steel. The edge will roll under normal use so you must hone it. 5-10 quick strokes and it will be razor sharp again. You can keep the edge sharp for 6 months to a year of normal use before needing to take it to a stone. People that say it is dull after being sharpened obviously don't know how to sharpen blades. This blade sharpens very easily. It takes me 15 minutes on my wetstone or 10 mins on the Spyderco sharpmaker to bring it to a razor edge at 20 degrees each side.Japanese blades are cool, and yeah they hold an edge longer without honing but they are also fragile and can chip if you cut into a bone or something hard. They also are harder to sharpen, and in fact, a novice will find Japanese knives difficult or perhaps impossible to sharpen correctly.This blade is a fantastic value because it's steel is identical in composition to Wusthof's steel. I use my knives every day and I am hard on my Mercer knives because I know they can take it. I can whack the counter and it won't break. If I dull it up, I can hone it ten stokes on my honing steel and it's back. I only need to sharpen it on a stone every 6 months. Don't use a pull sharpener. Those set the angle but leave the edge looking like barbed wire.

This knife is a great value, but lets be honest, its not a 200 dollar quality knife. I prefer the santoku over the traditional chefs knife for my typical prep with meat, fruit and veggies.It has a good steel, came with a good edge and stays sharp fairly well, I'd say within 50% of my high dollar kitchen knives. It has a nice grip for my average hand size even when wet and is well balanced. You should not dish washer knives but I am guilty of doing it on occasion with no issues yet, which is something I don't have to feel guilty about at it's price point. I've sharpened it a couple times and the steel isn't hard to put an edge on.I've gifted several to people who aren't too into cooking any they have all been very well received. This is my top knife choice in the 40-80 dollar range for its good materials, good ergonomics and wide range of uses.

I've owned this knife for over 5 years now and it is pretty much the only knife I use. Well-made, holds a keen edge, easy to clean and cuts through everything with ease. I replaced a much more expensive knife with this one, thinking I'd buy a "good one" later. No need, this knife preforms as well as a knife costing 2-3 times as much. I just sent my son one as a housewarming gift.