名翔兼經「KC-1000 系列」180mm 牛刀

I wanted to test the waters of Japanese kitchen knives. As an avid collector of EDC blades this was a realm of interest yet still foreign.

Shipping - The packaging appears to be standard, yet of good quality. Though it shipped from halfway around the world it somehow arrived within 4 business days; amazing.

Finishing - The blade is well ground and finished. There is a beautiful orange peel type finish on the taper above the edge. The handle material feels good, is shaped well, and has zero hot spots. I do not understand how this is considered a "budget" blade; It is at least 5x better in quality than most everything western that I've held in stores or in friends and families kitchens(including big brands like Wusthof, Henckels, etc).

Use - It is very light and well balanced. The edge is very finely ground. I've not had to sharpen it yet, but the blade is already thin and then tapers from the spine all the way to the edge. This knife truly *cuts* material. When cutting something like a potato with a western chef's knife it feels like you're splitting it, like an axe through a log. With this knife you can feel it slicing through the material like a laser beam, its breathtaking.

Maintenance - We clean the knife after each use, though a few times my wife has left it overnight with material on it. Even with this abuse it only has the every so slightest golden patina on the edge only visible under bright light. I very much look forward to seeing how beautiful the carbon steel core looks after a year or two. I have not had to sharpen it yet, but assume like most all Japanese carbon steel knives it will be easy to apex and deburr thanks to the pureness of their steel and consistent heat treatment.

tl;dr This thing is a lightsaber, just buy it.

This knife is definitely worth the price and maybe more. So far it is holding its edge, even after cutting on some not so nice surfaces, and one of the better knives I have bought recently at this price. I am definitely enjoying and look forward continuing to see how well it will hold up especially after one of my previous knives I purchased from here, the handle busted after some usage.

I couldn't have asked for a better knife... unless I were to pay more than double the price. This is a steal! Loved it since the first moment I had it in my hands. It is on the smaller side, but it's just the right size for me cause I have small hands and don't like big knives. Perfect balance, light, and really sharp. The pictures in the listing are exactly what you get; no need to add more.