This is now my main cooking knife. Lovely quality, perfect price, sturdy and well-made. I've been wanting a decent Santoku to tide me over until I can get a Damascus steel Shun Santoku, and this knife fits the bill perfectly. Well balanced and extremely sharp, hollow ground on both sides of the blade, tactile grip that does not slip in the hand. Perfect weight. Handles every job I've thrown at it like a champ, from mincing garlic to thinly slicing onions or tomatoes to preparing meats and poultry.Some advice: Clean this knife properly and dry it thoroughly as soon as you're done using it. Also, be sure to buy a good blade guard for it. I received the Victorinox 47302 Cutlery BladeSafe for 6-Inch to 8-Inch Knife Blades at the same time. Fits perfectly, snaps shut securely, holds blade firmly, does not come open unexpectedly, yet easy to open when it comes time to use the knife. All in all, one (well, two) of my favourite Christmas gifts ever!