This is the most capable slicing knife I’ve ever used. It is beautiful - design, aesthetics, function, balance - I use it every opportunity I have.
I own a 10-pc set of the Kaizen and three Black knives (9.5” slicing, 5.5” prep, and 5.5” santoku). There is no comparison between the two lines. These knives are lightweight but with substantial heft - the blades feel more solid than what they initially look. But I could use them all day long. They slice through all food types like a hot knife through butter.
It is easy to finely cut yourself with these knives. I have had several instances where I removed only a layer or two of skin with no bleeding. But a slight knick once did lead to a relatively deep 1mm cut on my knuckle with almost no pressure, simply a lateral move,ent (like a knife should). It healed very quickly because it was so clean.
The handles are a bit small for my hand, so an adjustment had to be made to hold the smaller prep and santoku, but the sujuhiki is perfect for my hand. Even so, the blades are very comfortable to use.
These knives are expensive. They maintain their edge exceptionally well and are easy to sharpen (use a quality water stone). The tungsten steel is better than the regular sharpening steel to remove burrs from the blade given the hardness of the blade. I opted to not get the Black version with the ash handle due to the price - it’s the same steel.
I will round out my collection with Blacks from this point forward. …
