The best part is the smooth gliding RAZOR edge this knife has out of the box. It's a Chinese made VG-10 steel, damascus style (I can't verify how many layers this really has), but VG-10 steel has a great reputation. The knife shipped OVERNIGHT and by coincidence, I bought fresh Walleye AKA Pickerel today at the grocery store. I've used a survival knife to do this before, but it left way too much meat on the skin. This knife just slid right through. If you're OK buying a knife made in China, I'd pick one of these up. The hype is real. Downsides: 1) Nobody can really say if this is damascus or just damascus style, nor have I used it for more than one task, but without seeing the manufacture process, it may or may not be. Fun facts: The VG10 steel is native to Japan. 9CRMOV10 or whatever the top rated Japanese knives are made of is a Chinese steel, copying the VG10. How can a genuine Japanese chef knife (like most of the top rated ones) be made out of a Chinese composition steel, yet still be Japanese? This Japanese STYLE chef knife is made from higher grade steel than any of the Chinese 9CRMOV10ABC steel used in most top rated competitors and it's cheaper. Good stuff gets made in China, and so does junk. For the price point, VG-10 steel and quality so far, I'd have to say this is an excellent knife and not junk. Update Several months later: I can still shave with the blade. To be safe and remove any micro burrs, I dragged it through a ceramic v shaped sharpener for three passes, applying no pressure other than the weight of the knife. The blade is still scalpel sharp and glides through EVERYTHING. USE A WOODEN CUTTING BOARD! ANY blade will eventually suffer damage if it's slammed into a glass cutting board or countertop enough times. I didn't HAVE to use the ceramic either. Removing any micro abrasions from any blade helps them stay sharp, but not essential for this knife. It stayed razor sharp on it's own, so I take good care of it. The hamon line on the edge and damascus pattern in the blade are incredible! From one steel worker to another: great job! Worth EVERY PENNY!
