JapanBargain 1563, Japanese High Carbon Stainless Steel Fruit Knife, Paring Knife Made in Japan

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.

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.

Pros:Durability and WeightThe Sekiryu "Chinese" Chopping Knife is a great overall product. The product is made in Japan, and with that offers great sharpness as well as durability. The knife is very well balanced, whereas the blade is not too heavy and the handle not too light; giving the person chopping very precise control (excellent for chopping very fast, although do be careful due to how sharp this thing is). In fact, the blade itself is very light, lighter than any other Chinese knife I have used (Note, I am Chinese and I have used the so call "cleaver" a lot).SharpnessDid I mention the knife was very sharp? You will have no problem slicing any vegetables or meats to thin little slices with this knife. I have been using the knife for a few weeks, almost every night, and the blade still perform great. Although, keep in mind most Chinese knife have cleaver-like blade because it is meant to be warn down and resharpened. I have no doubt a knife like this will last five to ten years if properly cared for.Cons:Feels Very BrittleYes, I did say the knife was durable and it shows in the craftsmanship. The knife will definitively last if one use it properly. However, the light-weight nature of the blade makes it feel very brittle. I almost fear using the knife on any real hard substance that would damage or chip it in anyway. When I tried cutting some small bones with the knife, it was very ineffective. Using it on bones for too long would definitively result in chipping the blade. My real problem with the knife (also the reason for taking a star off), is that it called itself a Chinese chopping knife when it is just a light weight knife. Even a cleaver does a reasonable job at cutting through bones.SummaryThis knife is by no mean bad in any stretch of the imagination. For meats (with no bones) or vegetables, this knife makes quick work of it. However, I would not call this a Chinese knife or a cleaver because it does a poor job of cutting hard material like bones. The quality of the knife is also better than many other I have bought, so I expect this knife will last a long time when only using it for vegetables and meats.