Yoshikin Kitchen: Global 8-Inch Chef's Knife

Average Rating:

The light weight of the knife allows for easy chopping without the wrist strain that heavier chef's knives tend to give. The grip is comfortable, making the knife easy to grasp without slipping, and the blade only needs the occasional sharpening. I use mine for all sorts of duties, like chopping veggies, crushing garlic, and even slicing through tough meats. This particular knife has never let me down, and it could cut through a shoe and still slice a tomato paper thin. And with the aformentioned qualities, it makes any novice slice like a pro.

The price might seem a bit high, but when you think about the durability of this particular knife when compared to less expensive, lesser quality knives, you can see why it is worth the extra money. A cheaper quality knife will dull, ship, or even break over time, meaning that it will need to be replaced more often. You might as well get a better knife. This is the one I would recommend, and myself and my friends use it, and we have no complaints.

At heart I am a traditionalist and the appearance of the Global range had put me off them. Fortunately I recently read Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential and noted his ringing endorsement of the Global range. I decided to buy the 8-inch chef's knife to see how I got on with it. I have never looked back!

Despite its rather unconventional look, the knife has excellent ergonomic design. It is well balanced, readily gripped when wet and astoundingly sharp. TMOT, you are unlikely ever to meet a sharper knife. Hold a sheet of paper from the top with one hand out in front of you and then cut downwards with the other - this knife readily cuts the paper without it being tensioned. That is what we mean by a sharp knife.

As noted in the Amazon description, the knife's handle is fairly small. My hand is a medium male hand - about 3.25 inches or 8.5 cm across its back. The knife is an excellent fit for my hand - and could probably accommodate a hand upto 4 inches or 10 cm across the back. However, I have seen some chefs with meaty hands that might find this knife a less than perfect fit. The knife is fairly light - it weighs 5.5 ounces or 160 grammes.

In all I am well satisfied with this purchase and shall go on to replace all my Sabatiers with the Global equivalents. Oh yes - and if you haven't yet read Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential, buy that too - but be careful not to cut yourself when you start laughing thinking about some of the things he has to say about professional cooks...