Yu Serie Chefmesser

Way back in 2017 I was considering a major-brand 10-inch Japanese, Damascus chef knife at a cost of $600.00 but, largely due to my lack of worthy culinary prowess, including maintaining & sharpening, I couldn't justify it. But the prospect of owning such a masterpiece stayed in mind... In 2019 I spent around $200 on a German brand, for an 8-inch chef, and 7-inch filleting knife - both of which I was reasonably content, but not ecstatic, Then I experienced a Japanese knife first hand. It has a HRC rating of 56 +-2, and instantly showed me what a good knife actually is. It may be difficult to imagine, as I found for myself, but there really is little in comparison. Accuracy & effortlessness come to mind. Naturally, recollection of the original Japanese knife sprang to mind. I went "on-line window shopping," and finding the original Japanese knife, I marveled over it again...Then I stumbled onto XINZUO's version with hefty price savings & HRC rating of 62+-2. Harder & more delicate, just like a sports bike or car, is fabulous for what it's designed for, but more prone to damage if not used and maintained correctly. (Stay clear of bones and don't drop it. And it will "bite like a Viper" if you place your fingers within its reach. It's a serious culinary tool.) The beauty in craftsmanship yells volumes. But I believe it's greatest asset is the control it provides - even in small hands, such as mine. It's considerably lighter than my 8-inch German knife, contributing to safe, accurate slicing and dicing - to transparent, minuscule sizes if required. It is literally "razor sharp" out of its beautiful box. (I tested in on my forearm.)While I have a dedicated Japanese stone set for sharpening, I'll be using the leather strop to maintain it's beautiful, single-taper, hardened edge.The XINZUO 10-inch chef knife is a shear delight to experience - aesthetically and physically. Any slightly serious home cook, or professional, deserves such a wonderful tool. I only wrote this review, with genuine parse, hoping it may save like-minded cooks from wasting money on more expensive options - as I have.

SHIPPED FAST IN PERFECT CONDITION.

It comes well packaged, nice boxes. They're very sturdy. I used it to chop some veggies and cube 2 chicken breasts and I've had harder times cutting through butter than I did those veggies amd chicken with this knife.

After 2 weeks of heavy use in a professional farm to table kitchen, this is what I've got.PROS: Well balanced yet hefty, holds edge well, is actually clad with damascus (not engraved), comfortable handle for pinch grip, good blade geometry, high finger clearance, handle is shaped good and not slippery, and is VERY GOOD for the price! Especially for an upgrade from let's say Mercer or Victorinox (my humble opinion). Also I'd like to point out that many people dislike harder steel because of its tendency to chip rather than fold and let me tell you this: refine your knife skills and this blade WILL PREFORM well for you. I've accidentally cut through a duck thigh bone and didn't even realize it wasn't cartilage. The blade did not chip. Don't make it standard procedure and it should hold up fine. I sharpen once a week for vanity.CONS: Not sure why but this blade is hard to clean. The mirror polish can be seen but even after several washings there's a weird film after it dries (perhaps the water here in Kansas City?) The handle does not have a great polish and absorbs liquid immediately. I'd recommend sealing or oiling it. Regularly. Continuing on the handle the emblem has a small blemish and you can see where it was cut, a burr was present and it was sanded down. The rivets aren't completely flush nor is the end cap (however that could be from the handle absorbing water and then shrinking, or qc tolerance). That being said it isn't uncomfortable, blister inducing or sharp. Also it's very minor (less than half a mm but you notice when you run a finger along). Finally it could have been much sharper out of the box. I had to resharpen after the first day of use but after that, a touch up on 1000 grit weekly and it's razor sharp. Of course your skill in sharpening has an effect.SUMMARY: this knife is great for the price and anyone super skeptical such as myself. I knew a sub $100 dollar knife wouldn't be perfect, especially a Chinese made western style Japanese knife (I know). The fit and finish is the difference between a $90 knife and a $250 miyabi or a yaxel. Be that as it may I am more than pleased and just bought the utility knife from the same series (yu). I'd recommend it for anyone who is getting serious about cooking but is still on a budget. Hope this helped!

Excellent knife! Very sharp and well balanced!