Wow! We're very impressed with the quality of this Santoku high carbon damascus steel chef knife. The balance is perfect, with the ergonomic African pakkawood handle, and it has enough weight to really move thorough anything quickly and easily. It's so sharp! We have paid more than $200 for knives of this quality, so we were skeptical of the potential for this blade, but happy to say we are pleasantly surprised. This Chinese manufacturer has done a fine job creating a truly fine general purpose chef's knife at a fine price that's made to last a lifetime. Bravo.