Shun Narukami Blue #2 Carbon Steel 6.5" Master Utility Knife

I tend to like larger chef or gyuto style knives for most prep tasks, although I do use a 6" utility for some smaller things, and a nakiri for some vegetables. I have a small kiritsuke that I used as well, but it always seemed like not quite enough knife. Enter the Narukami 6.5" Master Utility. It's bigger than my other utility knives, so it has a bit more heft, more reach and more edge. The profile is like a kiritsuke, so it's not for rocking, but for prepping veg, smaller cuts of meat, poultry or fish, charcuterie, or most other general prep work, it's pretty hard to beat. Comfortable handle, good balance, and the blue #2 takes and holds a shaving sharp edge. I find I am using it more and more, and tend to reach for it instead of an 8" chef unless I really need the length or the curved edge. No, it can't go places that a 9.5" or 10" chef knife goes, but it has found a spot in my rack of most used knives.

This Bue Carbon Steel knife is a very handy size for most kitchen tasks, equally at ease cutting proteins and/or vegetables.

All the usual suspects -- onions, bell peppers, hot peppers, tomatoes, celery, garlic are cleanly dispatched, with onions sliced so cleanly (sharp edge, thin kerf), that no tears are shed.

A nice tenderloin was effortlessly and superbly sliced for making a Steak Caesar salad.

Came razor sharp from the box, and seems to hold a very keen edge, yet one pass or two thru my Chef's Choice sharpener followed by the honing/stropping stage adds that 'out of the box' pop.

The handle is attractively curved, functional, and even with my very large hands the beveled front portion of the bolster works with the pinch grip and is perfectly balanced right at that pinch point.

The blade is gorgeous, the top of the blade just barely but perfectly rounded the slightest bit so as to appear finished in the nicest way. the frosted/sandblasted top portion of the blade transitioning to the polished edge portion through the icicle-like treatment tapering to the blade edge.

With the full tang showing through the handle, and the polished edges and rivets, this looks classy and feels wonderful in the hand. I'd buy the rest of the Narukami lineup if I didnt already have way too many knives in the kitchen kollection/kollective.

This will be an 'every-day' knife here ... flawless.