MIKARTO Chef Knife, 7 Inch Santoku, Professional Grade - Japanese AUS-10 Super Steel Kitchen Knife with Tsuchime Finish - Ultra Sharp, High Carbon Kitchen Knives - Quality, All Purpose, Precision cutting.

I have quite a few $300 to $500 high-end EDC folders so I am very familiar with high-quality blade steel and this 7" Santoku Japanese Chef Knife is no exception. The VG-10 super blade steel in the center is encapsulated by 33 layers of stainless steel on either side for a total of 67 layers. This blade composition makes the cutting edge very hard at HRC 62+ and the whole blade is still flexible enough to withstand bending during normal use. The grind angle is 8 to12 degrees per side and makes this blade a very thin edge and super sharp. The angled bolster makes pinch gripping very comfortable and natural. Since the blade, bolster and tang is all one continuous piece of steel there is no gap to harbor any dirt or bacteria and also makes for a very smooth eye-pleasing transition. The G10 grip handles are fitted perfectly and super ergonomic. The weight of this knife is just right, holding just the handle will give a very slight front heavy if you want to chop, and pinch-holding at the bolster will give a very slight tail heavy when you want to do slicing cut and for precise control of the blade. The overall fit and finish of this knife are superb. This knife cut like a dream and I particularly like the feel, balance, and the Damascus pattern. The only drawback I could think of is the knife is so perfectly finished and so beautiful I found myself taking extra steps to pamper it. I would not let it lay on my stone counter top to prevent scratching it, I would wash it immediately after use and hand dry it with a dedicated towel and carefully and slowly insert it back into the wooden knife block. You might say I am a knife nut and yes, this nut highly recommend this knife to anyone who appreciates and enjoys working with fine tools.

As a career cook I have worked with a lot of different knives and know there is no one size fits all knife. I have found there is generally one large misconception/mistake that amateur cooks make when purchasing a knifes. Many people buy knives that they do not have the skill set and resources to care/store/sharpen for. The biggest contributing factor in this hardness. Hard steel knives are actually not idea for most applications.Hard steelPros-Needs to be sharpened less often-Can maintain a low sharpening angleCons-Needs more skill to sharpen (whetstone is recommended)-Will chip and crack instead of bend, cannot be dropped-Shouldn't be stored where the blade is knocking against other metalSoft SteelPros-Will bend instead of chip and crack, can be dropped-Can be sharped easily using any kind of sharpener-Easy to storeCons-Needs to be sharpened often-Years of sharpening will change the sharp of the blade-hard to maintain the tip onSo as it relates to this knife, Damascus, especially Aus-10 is a hard steel. So this will knife will hold an edge longer, but it is also more difficult to care for in several ways. You cannot drop it on the floor or you run the risk of chipping the tip. I would recommend sharpening it on whetstone. But if you are willing to put in the extra work to take care of it, it will stay extremely sharp and flow through the toughest veggies and meat like butter.

The knife is beautifully crafted and exceeded my initial expectations. It makes cutting anything extremely easy, it is very sharp! The case is nice and protects it well. I was a little disappointed that it isn’t made in Japan but nonetheless it’s very high quality compared to the kitchen knives I’m used to.2 year update: My original knife began to get micro cracks in the blade, a little disappointing but considering it was my primary knife for two years it held up well. Hats off to Tina in customer service, the warranty process was faster than any other business I’ve dealt with! She sent a replacement immediately and it showed up on my porch the next day. Goes to show Mikarto really does care about their customers! I contacted them directly through the website, I was expecting to have to buy another since it had been a while since the original purchase but they made it quick and easy, I’m definitely considering buying their other knife because of this experience. Thanks again Tina!

I bought this knife as a birthday gift for friend who specifically asked for a Japanese kitchen knife. The Amazon description doesn't mention that the manufacture of this knife is in PRC (peoples Republic of China). When I looked on YouTube for a faked Japanese knives, I saw a video that demonstrates this particular knife as a faked product. Very disappointed! Maybe it is a good knife but the advertisement is deceiving.

Beautiful knife, that practically made me lose a finger the first day. A very sharp, and heavy knife that just helps chop things down in any way you like. Despite the heavier grade of steel, it doesn’t behave that way. It needs to be honed almost before every use, which I would assume heavier grades of steel would need far less since they should hold their edge better. It’s also a very thick knife, which makes it hard, even with its hefty weight behind it, to cut simple things like onions.I’m not saying that they’re not being truthful to what this knife is made of, which is a Japanese style chefs knife, but maybe that I just don’t have any experience with them to know any better. I’ve used German knifes nearly my whole life.

I purchased this knife years ago for myself and loved it. My niece loves to cook and I always have to check my secret drawer to make sure its there when she leaves. I gifted her one for Christmas and cant wait to see the look on her face when she opens it. well worth the price and you cant beat the quality.

Very sharp and easy to use far better than comparable items.