Kyocera Revolution 5-1/2-inch Santoku Ceramic Knife, White Handle, White Blade, 5.5-inch

I love this knife.But I just found out the hard way that this thing goes through fingernails just about as easily as anything else.I had been using my previous knife, also a Kyocera ceramic, for almost 20 years now. Never broke in all that time, except for the pointed tip, which I broke off in the first year or two (so I actually like that this one comes pre-rounded on the tip). I also never sharpened it, except once or twice with a simple manual sharpening tool, which I'm no good at using. So that knife had accumulated plenty of tiny chips etc (its edge is quite ragged if you look close), and it had gotten pretty dull, relatively speaking (though was still quite useable). Unfortunately, I also apparently learned a very bad habit in recent years with this knife, letting it bounce off my fingernail if I accidentally got too close.Well, the other night, I had the "perfect storm," using my new knife:1. I had not yet gained sufficient respect for / fear of the sharpness;2. I was cutting some kale leaves into very small pieces, bunching them up with my fingertips and cutting very close; and3. I was in a hurry.Ugh. I hit my nail pretty close to the cuticle, and the slice kept going almost half the length from there to my fingertip. I considered going to the emergency room, but I've had enough experience to know that it wasn't *that* bad, and an ER would really just patch it up the same way I could at home, only with a lot more waiting. So I kept direct pressure on it until the bleeding was almost gone (bleeding is good because it pushes out any bacteria), and then out came the superglue. That worked overnight, and since then I've been adding layers of liquid bandage, and keeping it dry as possible, and so far so good.So the moral of the story is: for super-sharp knives such as this, be afraid! Be very afraid! Then it'll work fine for ya'.

If you've never used a ceramic knife before, I highly recommend starting here. It's the perfect introduction to the wonderful world of ceramic cutlery, and although I own the lethal-looking Kyocera Advanced Ceramic Revolution Series 7-inch Professional Chef's Knife, Black Blade as well, I find myself reaching for the Santoku 99% of the time. Why? It's the perfect size and shape for a vegetarian kitchen. The handle is supremely ergonomic (if somewhat slippery when wet), and the blade is perfectly balanced.Don't believe the hype about the merits of hulking German steel blades—if you cook a lot, you want something light and fast that won't wear out your tendons chopping parsley. The experience of cutting with this knife is totally unlike using steel. You place the blade against something, apply the slightest whisper of pressure, and suddenly the blade has gone through that something and is resting on the cutting board, awaiting your next command. It's almost spooky how sharp this thing is, but the superb handle design and blade shape never make it feel unsafe. And it seems to stay sharp indefinitely. I got mine in December of 2013, and aside from some small and entirely cosmetic nicks in the blade, the knife still performs like it did when new. If and when you manage to wear the blade out, you can mail it to Kyocera for free resharpening.Between this and the Kyocera Advanced Ceramic Revolution Series 3-inch Paring Knife with Red Handle, White Blade, you can glide through 90% of all prep. I'd recommend keeping a cheap cleaver on hand for grittier work like cutting squash and mashing garlic, but for almost everything else, the Santoku is downright surgical perfection.

I got my first Kyocera about 10 years ago as a gift from my mom. Fell in love with it. Durable, stayed sharp, overall wonderful knife. Somehow it was lost during our move, so I decided to get another.Within months the new knife is discolored and chipped. I’m very careful with my knives and always was them by hand. I can’t explain the deterioration except that these are either knock offs, or production value has taken a steep nose dive.

This is the best knife I have ever owned. I keep giving this as a gift when I’m at someone’s house and I use their dull knives. You do have to be careful when using their dull knife because it can give you a good cut if you’re not paying attention.

This is my fourth kyocera knife. I keep buying them since they cut vegetables so smoothly. It’s amazing how easily the knife cuts through everything in comparison to my other knives. I seriously hate cooking without it.The only downside is that because they are ceramic all my past Kyocera knives eventually did break. Admittedly I put them in the dishwasher and use them practically everyday so they received a lot of wear and tear. They have each last probably 2 years before breaking.Despite that, I still think it’s worth buying especially if you cut a lot of vegetables, fruits, and herbs. The price is reasonable for the quality and personally I don’t want to cook without it.