Chef Knife - 8 inch Blade - AUS-10V Japanese Steel - Full Tang - Black G10 Handle - Chef's Knife - Shogun Series ELITE - Razor Sharp Kitchen - Professional Premium Sheath

I've been using this as my "daily driver" in the kitchen for a couple months now and I must say it is excellent. It is very sharp out of the box (not beard shaving razor sharp but more than sharp enough for the average kitchen chef like me). It is as sharp out of the box as the previous knife that I've sharpened with a whetstone by hand, which is impressive. It can chop any regular meats, vegetables, and fruits with ease and passes my "magazine paper" test with flying colors. 10/10 appearance - Don't have to elaborate on this too much, the appearance is great. It comes with a cool looking box and a sheath which is great for displaying, but that's not too important to me. 10/10 durability - After frequent use (average 10 minutes of chopping, etc. per day for a couple months) of meats, vegetables, fruits, and fish (through bone and everything), there has not been any visible damage to the cutting edge. All I do for maintenance is use a honing rod every couple days to keep the fine edge alignment good. With proper honing with a steel rod, I have not noticed any dulling of the blade after couple months of use. I don't plan on actually sharpening this blade for a very long time with a whetstone due to how good it performs and how well it retains its edge. 10/10 functionality - It is sharpened all the way to the base and has a sharp tip and slightly rounded cutting edge. For "push" cutting style (which is how I chop 90% of the time) it feels amazing especially ending the cut in the middle to base of the knife. For "draw" cutting or slicing (meats and tomatoes mostly) it feels great as well both at the tip and towards the base. For the "rocking" chop I don't have too much information on since I don't often chop using that style, but I reason it would work quite well. If price is not an issue, then based upon my experiences I would recommend this product to any home kitchen enthusiast or anyone who cooks at home frequently. It makes chopping food way more enjoyable than with a dull knife that's for sure!

extremely sharp. Scary sharp. The weight of the blade is perfectly balanced. The handle is beautiful quality. The rocking of the blade is a little weird though.

Excellent quality for the price. I am not an outright expert, but I own a-lot of higher end knives (benchmade balisongs, Sog etc.) and only buy good quality tools. Most people do not usually buy higher end kitchen knives without trying them out in my hand first, but the reviews of these knives and my need for a new Santoku led me to taking the leap. I was highly impressed right out of the box with every aspect of these knives. I bought 3 (8" chef, 7" santoku and 5" santoku). I am writing this generic review for all 3 because I'm lazy and I type slow. These knives feel great in the hand, they promote a natural pinch grip, are weighted very well, are extremely sharp, were a great value for the steel quality and overall build quality and are truly beautiful. They are heavy enough to provide plenty of chopping power, but not so heavy to fatigue your hand or wrist after a long prep. They zipped through everything I wanted to cut and provide clean small cuts with ease. The first time I used the 7" santoku I was cleaning it with a sponge and was applying almost no pressure but I moved the sponge across the blade accidentally and the end of the sponge fell off. Eventually I got overconfident with the 7" santoku and inevitably cut myself, I didn't even notice the cut until I was a couple inches down the vegetable I was cutting, it is that sharp out of the box. Great product and I intend to stay with this company in the future as I upgrade the rest of my knife block.

I purchased this knife four years ago and will review it based on my experiences with it. Arrival/packaging: The knife arrived in a beautiful white rectangular box inside of a sleeve with the companies insignia printed on the front of it along with the 'Shogun series' logo. Upon opening the box itself on the top the box you're greeted with summary of the knife specs and materials used, and nestled in a fitted felt mould is your new 8" knife inside of an awesome looking sheath, along with a FAQ booklet, a polishing cloth, and a lapel pin which looks really nice, I would definitely present it on my chef coat if I wasn't so concerned with it becoming weathered and dirty, it just looks so great in its packaging that for the time being I prefer to preserve it. Overall, the presentation of opening the box, really gives you the feeling like you purchased a high-end item that you're going to enjoy for a long time. The knife itself: From the stainless steel, engraved end cap, that supplies a perfect counter balance, through the ergonomic full tang G-10 Garolite handle with a unique copper pin that adorns the center rivet, all the way to the tip of the 8-inch Japanese AUS-10V super steel blade, with amazing hammered finish, I can't say enough good things about this knife. When I pick up and use coworkers knives, I scoff at the inferiority of the build quality of these supposed 'high-end' knives. There's just no competition in this category of knife, you get exactly what you pay for, a sharp, precise instrument that wont let you down. Overall: This is a 5 star knife, from the packaging presentation, to the craftsmanship, to the performance, it is just second to none, I have recommended this knife to many people, and actually had a co-worker purchase a Dalstrong knife from their gladiator series, and he loves it. I would buy every knife from the Shogun series if I had the spare funds to do so, but this knife is so versatile that if its the only one I ever own from the series, I'm okay with that, because it does everything I ask it to.

See updated review below the initial one: Ok, overall I must say that it seems of high quality and came out of the box extremely sharp. The single complaint I will share may seem petty but it matters to me and I offer it primarily as feedback for the company. I am typically concerned about purchasing Chinese products, not only because of my intense determination to support US made products but also because of the reputation they have for producing “cheap” products with less focus on quality and more on mass, cheap production. Despite that concern, I bought it after reading a bunch of stellar reviews ( no doubt this company has a fantastic marketing team and strategy also). I bought it with the hope the quality ( considering the lower price) would be well beyond the $130 price tag. I can not say that the quality is lacking as I just received. I will follow up with later review after I have used it for a while. What prompted the early review? I read another review about the quantum1 series sheath being cheap and glued rather than laced as it appeared and it reminded me of my immediate feeling when I opened the pin that was included with my shogun series knife. The pin is very poorly/cheaply made and from cheap materials. The clasp or pin is something so flimsy and cheap, that is something you would typically expect to see with a “made in China” sticker on the back. This may seem trivial ( and perhaps it is) but my first thought was “if they are obviously combatting the “inferior quality” reputation of other Chinese companies, and they talk so much of details, quality materials and meticulous packaging, why would they potentially undermine it all with a gum ball machine pin? They would have been better off not including a pin at all ( which no one expects anyway and they only included as a way of “wowing” the customer.” I can assure you that it did not wow me. That comment about the poorly glued sheath seemed consistent with that to me. Packaging is so very important with emotionally impressing the customer. Having said that, poor and short-cut packaging could be worse than sending the knife in a shrink wrapped cover with a simple thank you letter for purchasing. I promise to follow up with a meaningful review on performance. As I said, so far, it is a beautiful looking knife ( the Damascus design seems to have been done for decorative purposes after forge process but still attractive. It just further tickles that suspicion in me I guess.). Out of the box, it was the sharpest knife I have ever seen. It cut through paper without slicing at all. I just pushed it through the paper like I have never seen ( not even with a scalpel as they are too light)—very impressive. The next day I went to make a video for my son showing how razor sharp it was after using it once on broccoli prep for dinner. I deleted the video because it did not press through the same. Half of the strokes bent the paper. I still like the knife but wanted to offer my honest opinion so far. I bought this rather than a Wusthof or Shun because of the price. I will keep you posted. I was NOT paid by the company or given discounted product for leaving this review ( duhhhh—lol) Updated review: I have had this knife ( and now have bought others in the line) for well over a year now and have also bought other high end ( very well reputed brand—Wustof, for one) knives, expecting the reputation and much higher price tag, would translate into superior product. I can honestly say that the big name brands have NOT come close to topping my Dahlstrong chefs knife. I found myself at a crossroads where I needed to decide whether I would go all in for one brand or the other in order to collect full collection. Logically, it would seem that I would choose the Wustof ( especially considering I plan to leave the set as heirloom), but I honestly find myself reaching for the Dahlstrong about 95% of the time because I simply like it better from an aesthetic, balance. sharpness and edge retention standpoint ( just more enjoyable). Accordingly, I have chosen Dahlstrong. They are beautiful, sharp, very comfortable and just plain enjoyable to use

Solid knife at a perfect price. The sharpness lasts so long. It actually dulled when I used a ceramic honer. Don't use ceramic on it. It actually didn't even need sharpening for 7 years surprisingly. I used it moderately for that long.

Husband loved, loved, loved it!!

The Dalstrong 8" Gladiator Series Chef Knife offers a perfect balance of performance and style. Crafted from high-carbon German steel, it boasts excellent edge retention and a full tang for durability. The ergonomic G10 handle ensures a comfortable grip, making it ideal for both professional chefs and home cooks. Its sleek design and sharp blade make meal prep a breeze.