MIYABIKoh 8-inch Chef's Knife, Stainless Steel

This 8” chef’s knife was everything I wanted and more. It arrived razor-sharp out of the box and, even after three months of regular use, it has maintained its edge remarkably well. It’s a beautiful looking knife too. The balance is spot on, making it incredibly comfortable to use—especially with a pinch grip. The handle feels natural and secure in hand, which makes long prep sessions much easier. I was so impressed that I ended up purchasing the rest of the set, and every piece has lived up to the same high standard. For anyone looking for a well-crafted, durable chef’s knife, this is an excellent choice.

I am very discriminating about cutlery-especially chef’s knives. Love the feel of this knife. It is very well balanced and has nice weight. Feels very sturdy in hand and makes cutting vegetables and other items very easy. Excellent value for the price

This knife is exceptional. I don't think there's a better value from any of the major manufacturers.Miyabi's edge is 7/10 out of the box. The knife has good geometry and is well finished on the spine and in the choil. The distal taper isn't extreme, meaning I don't worry about the point doing fine work with the point.The edge profile is perfect for professional or home use. Particularly for someone used to a Western profile, this is a good entry point.The copy I received had excellent fit and finish.With the integral bolster, the balance point on mine is just in front of the bolster, not as far forward as a lighter weight gyuto. I actually think this makes it easier to work with and to utilize the entire edge.My one comment is about the esthetics — to me, this is a perfectly elegant and functional knife but I don't know why they sandblast the blade. It doesn't add anything to the functionality. Its simplicity is what sets this apart from other Miyabis which typically feature demascus finishes. The rather pointless sandblasted finish takes away from what would otherwise be a timeless design, to me. I don't see it helping with food release.Aside from that, I think this is where the search for a Japanese gyuto should end for most people. This is an exceptional knife, better than similarly priced knives. Superior to Tojiro, Mac, Global in the similar price range.

The knife looks great and changes the game for cooking making much better cuts at a great price point compared to other Japanese knives. Looking forward to adding more Miyabi knives soon

I feel like I just graduated to the next level, I have a high appreciation of quality knives and that why this one caught my attention, beautiful out of the box, light and balanced, looking forward to many years with out needing to sharpen the knife!

High quality, balanced, and extremely sharp. Exactly what I was hoping for.

The media could not be loaded. Very minimalistic and elegant looking knife. Quality control, not so much. This is a very beautiful and functional chef's knife but I own multiple Zwillings and let me tell you, their craftsmanship is poor. I cannot give it 5 stars. This knife is not symmetric, and that is not acceptable for the price we're paying. This maybe minor to some people as it does not affect the functionality.Picking it up for the first time at a quick glance it is quite elegant, like its name. I'm used to Western style chef's knives and this knife felt familiar. There's a whole "science" to this and you can watch it explained on Youtube, I'm not going to get into it here. Zwilling claims it's a "Japanese chef's knife" but it's really not, it's the German's vision of what a Japanese knife would look and feel like. It's designed to resemble one, but the functionality more closely resembles a German/French knife. The wooden handle is solid and flushed with the pin and bolster. The octagonal handle is ambidextrous and quite comfortable to hold. The octagonal edges form parallel lines that draw the eyes right up to the bolster that tapers gently to where it meets the thin machi. In my hand it feels like how it should weigh. It is not heavy and does not feel like an effort to handle. For not being a true full tang knife, I am very impressed how solid it feels, the tactile feedback you get as the blade passes through various densities/textures while cutting food can be felt by your fingers. The balance point is exactly where the machi meets the bolster. With the pinch grip it feels almost perfectly balanced. After about a year, the silvery pin has now patinaed into a golden hue, pretty neat.I liked the glossy finish of the blade and the hazy waves near the edge, but after a while the gloss will get scratched up just from normal use and lines/scratches will show. I suggest oiling the blade with food grade oil and using a silicone guard protector (that you regularly clean out) to prevent rust and scratches. The blade did come slightly curved which I had to gently hammer down with a rubber mallet, not a big deal but a little disappointed, but what can I say, almost every Zwilling I own came with defects. The spine was smooth and round which was comfortable to rest my index finger on for finer cuts. The edge was pretty symmetrical left and right and it came very, very sharp. The knife was shaving sharp right out of the box and honing it on a ceramic honing rod made the edge even finer. You know a knife is sharp if all you need to do to slice through anything is to just simply drag the knife across that material without having to put weight on, just let gravity do the work, that's how sharp this knife is. We never use it to cut through bone, frozen meats, or sandy/dirty vegetables, and absolutely no dishwashers. Held an edge pretty well haven't had to sharpen it yet.I am unsure if you can use a regular steel honing rod on these due to the blade/edge being made from harder material which can dig into the honing rod and damaging the edge. I always use ceramic rods on these mid or higher end knives.Overall, the knife is pleasant to wield in the kitchen and fun to use. Friends who come over really like the way it looks. It's a conversation starter when hosting dinner. Some considerations, I think it's worth reconsidering the options if you were to pay >$130 for this knife. IMO there are knifes with much higher quality with lower maintenance for this price that will still suit your needs better.

So far, it's been great in the kitchen. Looks great and the balance is nice. The edge has been holding up with my moderate veggie and meat prep. A sharp knife like this will help you in the kitchen.