Miyabi Black 7" Rocking Santoku Knife

This is an extremely fine tool. Very balanced and quite light compared to other knives of this size. Great hand feel. The 66 hardness should be a warning to inexperienced owners. If improperly used, I can see this blade cracking or chipping early on in its life. Better to start w a German blade, or if Japanese is preferred then something more ~62 hardness (and perhaps a fraction of the price) is the better choice then dropping $350 on a single implement. Also, the 12 degree bevel Is so extremely sharp out of the box — this bad boy will take a finger off if you don’t respect its exacting ability. I’m absolutely loving this upgrade to my collection.

Knives are definitely a very personal preference. Don't even think of having a pretentious argument over which is better "German vs. Japanese". They are BOTH awesome for different jobs. It simply boils down to personal preference, and the right tool for the job at hand. I do A LOT of vegetable slicing, dicing, and cutting thin pieces of meat. The Rocking Santokus have become my all-time favorite knife shape & size. Very easy and comfortable to maneuver. If I could use a razor blade in most of my cooking, this knife right out of the box comes very close to that. I LOVE the weight and feel of this knife. The blade itself feels slightly thinner and slightly sharper than the Miyabi Artisan SG2 Rocking Santoku (which I also love). The handle is also slightly thinner - for those with medium to smaller hands - this will be a very nice feel for you. If you are familiar with using Shun or Miyabi, you will love this knife. The blade definitely feels a little more delicate - so if you are hard on your knives, clueless in how to use or take care of them, or haven't narrowed down your own personal preferences, I would not recommend this treasure to learn on . . . you're going to damage it and blame the knife. If you're still trying to figure it out - I recommend the Miyabi Artisan SG2 Rocking Santoku when it's on sale. I quit buying knife sets 20 years ago and have opted for that one, two, or three great "go to" knives. This is one of them!