Mercer Culinary M21078 Genesis 8-Inch Short Bolster Chef's Knife,Black

Very durable. Fits my hand well. Stays sharp for long and easy to sharpen. Great for the price I’ve used mine for years now.

Wow! Maybe I’ve just never had a good knife? I’ve only had it a few months, but I LOVE it! VERY sharp out of the box. I can’t speak to long term, but it is lighter weight which I like, and sharp enough that it doesn’t need more weight.

Great knife!! My son bought me one for Christmas along with a magnetic knife stand, and I ended up buying another one that’s a different size. Cut extremely well, but do be careful that you don’t slice your hands, which my husband did the first time he used it. They’re extremely sharp! They do need to be washed and dried immediately after use so they don’t rust. Will be buying more to use as regular steak knives, and they’re holding up really well!

Really like the Mercer knives. They have a nice feel to them, and do the job. Took one star off due to packaging. I ordered 5 separate Mercer knives, and they all came packaged in a cardboard and hard plastic casing (just like the packaging batteries come in), making them difficult to open without the risk of cutting yourself. I ordered a set of six steak knives from this same company, and they all came packaged in separate sheaths. Overall, I really like these knives.

I started doing a lot more cooking during the quarantine. Or maybe instead of cooking, I should say "cutting raw ingredients and heating them in the oven to make them edible". My signature dishes are chicken, steak, and roasted vegetables. You heard me right: vegetables. It turns out they taste pretty good when you roast them and add a little bit of seasoning. Previously, I had a very cheap chef serrated knife that I bought from the grocery store. Food preparation involved a lot of vigorous hacking and sawing. At some point it dawned on me that my knife was super dull and it was dangerous to be using my other hand anywhere in its vicinity. So I put on my consumer hat to find the perfect chef's knife. After some research, I decided to avoid getting a knife with a full bolster or serrated edge because of the potential to interfere with sharpening. I decided that a Japanese style knife would likely be too expensive. For German-style knives, something like a Wusthof would also be out of my price range. The Mercers eventually stood out because they are a respected brand, and have some highly rated offerings at budget price points. Specifically, it was between this knife (the Mercer Genesis) and the Mercer Millennia. I chose the Genesis because of the forged construction and full tang, so it has a more premium look and might be more durable over time. The difference between the Genesis and my old knife has been like night and day. Out of the box, the Genesis was like a freaking light saber; anything I threw in front if it, it cut with barely any effort. I became even more worried about cutting myself than I was before, so I try to be extremely careful whenever I am handling it. The handle is very comfortable, and the weight feels very well balanced. The blade has a high quality look to it, and shows no signs of rust or discoloration so far. Along with the knife, I picked up a cheap honing steel, and have been using it every time I use the knife. After about a month of daily use, the edge is still very usable but not as light saber-like as it was initially. At some point, I'll pick up a set of whetstones and have a go at them. So far I am very pleased with this purchase. If you are looking for your first real chef's knife, I would say to definitely consider Mercer's lineup: - the Genesis if you can justify spending around $40. - the Culinary Renaissance looks to be even a little nicer at around $50. - the Millennia at around $20. - the Culinary Ultimate is currently around $12 if you're really hard up. There are a large number of other highly rated (and very nice looking) alternatives on Amazon under $40 if you are less concerned about brand recognition.

As you can see from my picture, I built an entire knife block out of the Mercer Genesis series. I was turned on to Mercer culinary products by my friends who went to culinary school which was attached to my college. I'm not a professional chef, but I'm an avid home cook who occasionally cooks for events and gatherings. I use my knives daily, with my chef's knife, bread knife, and vegetable clever being used constantly. I was given a gift of $200 to build a knife block I used that and got most the knives in my picture and have added a few since. Without comparing this knife to other brands I would say it is the best knife in its category. However, if you're more of an avid cook you might be asking yourself if you should get this or the other top German brands. You cannot go wrong, they are both good choices. However, after borrowing a Wusthof for a month and comparing it with this there are some differences but to me personally it is not enough to warrant $150. The only difference I experienced is that the wusthof held its edge for a longer period of time which is not a surprise given the price difference but it wasn't an astounding difference. As a home cook, I was just able to hone the edge and return it or use my whetstone to maintain an excellent edge. The Mercer knife has better balance and feel to me personally. Aesthetically, I really like the short bolster I think it looks really professional. In my experience, the only weak point on these knives are to be expected because they are high carbon steel. If you leave water or have water spots on them for a very long period that you did not notice they will rust. I used to have my knife block by the sink and small droplets of water got on the bolster. This led to small spot rust on the bolster by the handle which was easy to remedy and not on every knife. Now, every month or so I take all my knives out to give them a look over (you pay good money for good equipment so you should take good care of it). If you want to spend the money and get something that is objectively better you can, but for myself, buying a brand that while not made in America is an American company, is better looking and handles better than the expensive brands with 90% of the edge made with the same exact steel compound it was a no-brainer for me. To test it out I had a friend or two trial both of the knives to see which one they thought was more expensive than they thought the Mercer was the more expensive knife.

Excellent knife, easy to handle. I purchased the cover separately which I find very useful.

I have worked in professional kitchens for over 20 years and have used more kinds of knives than I can remember. Forged, stamped, cheap, expensive, American, German, Japanese, carbon, stainless, etc. I bought this as a go to kitchen kitchen knife to use at work, knowing that it will get abused, dropped, left with wet, acidic foods on it and so on. I have been very impressed with how this knife functions. Steel is on par with more expensive knives, does not stain, holds an edge well, hones easily. I absolutely love how this knife is shaped, especially that it has no bolster. Now I read through some of the negative reviews and it seems that many people have an unrealistic view of what a knife should be capable of. You will need a honing rod and eventually it will need to be put on a whetstone. It is not a cleaver so don't go chopping bones with it. If this knife can handle heavy restaurant use than it can easily handle home use. The negative comments are from people who don't know how use use and care for a knife. Also, I prefer the santoprene handles as they allow a better grip when using gloves when having to deal with slippery blood or fish.

Great knife, very sharp from the packaging. Good balance and a nice handle. Definitely a great budget knife!

Sharp, sturdy and really nice to use knife! Good value for money!

Hermoso cuchillo, vale cada peso, el mango es muy elegante, tiene un peso adecuado y es de una sola pieza, muy buen filo y tamaño de la hoja, lo recomiendo a ciegas!.

This knife has a good weight and grip. I use is as a multipurpose cooking knife. It’s of course not as luxurious as the higher priced Japanese/German knifes but for this price, it’s worth it!

Después de comprar un cuchillo en el supermercado, y que éste se rompiera en poco tiempo, decidí buscar un mejor cuchillo. Este cuchillo es sumamente filoso y es ideal para rebanar verduras finamente como papa, zanahoria, y calabacitas. El cuchillo de 8" (20 cm) es de tamaño normal para la mayoría de las personas, sin embargo, algunos podrían pensar que es un poco largo. Para esto recomiendo el de 6" (15 cm) que a lo mejor se adapta mejor para quienes tienen manos pequeñas y poco espacio para cortar. Recomiendo también estuches de guarda para evitar que la hoja se golpee en el cajón donde se guarde, y para evitar que alguien accidentalmente se corte con el filo, ya que es bastante afilado. El cuchillo está hecho de acero al alto carbono lo que quiere decir que aunque es un poco más suave que el acero inoxidable, el filo que tiene la hoja es muy fino. También debido a esto el cuchillo requiere de afiladas más constantes para mantenerse en óptimas condiciones. Esto no es un problema para uso casero, pero aquellos que utilicen el cuchillo diariamente de manera profesional deben recordar afilar el cuchillo regularmente con una piedra de acentar.