Amazon.com Review
High-tech from tip to handle, Global knives from Japan created a sensation when they burst onto the world's culinary stage as an alternative to traditional European-style cutlery. Blades are made of hard molybdenum/vanadium stainless steel and "face-ground" with a long taper rather than a short bevel so edges remain sharp longer than even the best high-carbon stainless-steel knives. Edges also are ground at a more acute angle than traditional European-style knives and arrive from the factory razor sharp. Although Global's original knives have thinner blades and are lighter than traditional European-style knives, Global also makes a European-style heavyweight line for cooks who prefer hefty cutlery--like this 8-1/4-inch chef's knife, whose broad blade is as thick as a traditional European knife's. Global also dispensed with bolsters on most of its knives, including this one. Most Global knives have hollow handles, but the handle on this knife is solid.
Stainless-steel handles are Global's most striking feature. They're molded to fit the hand and dimpled to resist slipping. Smaller around than many European-style handles, they're easy for small-handed cooks to grasp, and the seamless construction between handle and blade is more sanitary. This knife's wedge-shaped handle is particularly well engineered for grasping securely with a relaxed hand. Global recommends using a ceramic sharpener or a diamond steel instead of a metal sharpening steel for its knives, supplemented by a synthetic whetstone, a ceramic whetstone, or a Shinkansen Sharpener. Global also makes a sharpening guide set so blades can be honed on a whetstone at the proper angle. Global knives should be hand washed to protect edges. They carry a lifetime warranty against defects and breakage. --Fred Brack
Product Description
The two most innovative features of Global knives are their edge and the way they are balanced. The most important feature of any knife is its edge, and the Global edge is truly its signature. The majority of the Global knives are sharpened or ground on both sides of the blade like western style knives. However, their edges are ground straight to a point rather than beveled resulting in a dramatically sharper knife which stays sharper longer. The edge is so large and prominent that it is easily seen with the naked eye and extends a quarter inch or more up from the tip of the knife. To balance their knives, Global uses a hollow handle which is then filled with just the right amount of sand to create the correct balance. Global uses this method rather than using a full tang and a bolster to balance their knives for two reasons. First, it is a far more precise than using a tang and a bolster. Second, Asian knives typically do not have bolsters, since they only serve as a hindrance to cutting and sharpening.
