This knife is the one to own. MUCH better than the more expensive german style big kitchen knives, which are very slippery to handle and seem to dull very quickly.You can really whack big stuff like melons (I even did a coconut once), but also do delicate work on tomatoes. The tip (corner) is very sharp and more maneuverable than you would think.The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is because there are other, cheaper asian knives though maybe not quite as solid, which you can buy in any china town for a fraction of the cost. But you really can't go wrong either way, especially if you want the designer wood handle.