JapanBargain S-1548, Japanese Kitchen Deba Knife, Stainless Steel

This is an amazing knife, a true bargain for the money! First off, to all the connoisseurs and afficinados, PLEASE compare like for like, quit bringing comparisons with a $200-500 knife, wherever it were made. Grow up and review THIS knife, not your expensive toys! That being said, I am glad I took a chance and didn't let the low-star reviews shake my trust in the Sekiryu brand. This is one for the books. I had purchased a filleting knife about two years ago and back then I was fairly new to Japanese cutlery, I knew mostly about swords and steel, much less about kitchen ware. This knife is touted as stain resistant, which it is, but not stainless. Stainless is soft and doesn't keep an edge. This is more in the line of white Japanese steel and it holds an edge very well. Sharpening this knife will not be simple, but with the right Japanese water stones and some elbow grease, you'll be able to keep this blade sharp. Truth be told, most Japanese custom cutlery comes unsharpened or unfinished, so you'd have to complete the sharpening process yourself. There is a bit of heft to this Deba, and the knife feels good in the hand, blade-weighted for those of you in the know, so it isn't balanced. I was planning on purchasing a Santoku but I'm satisfied this Deba can do most jobs in the kitchen. For the money, you can hardly find a better blade. I would expect this to be the type of knife one can use for a lifetime if you know how to care for it. A bit of Japanese knife oil on the blade will keep it from rusting. I read reviews stating that the knife may rust at the handle, so I made it a point to dip the handle and the ferrule in clear epoxy. I further painted some more epoxy around the insert point and will maintain this as needed based on visual inspection. BSI 30-minute epoxy is my recommendation if you'd like to protect your knife. One last thing, spend a few bucks and purchase a PVC sheath for your knife. It may not be an expensive piece of cutlery, but it deserves protection, so you can keep enjoying it. In terms of sharpening stones, I recommend a NATURAL Japanese stone, if you can afford it. If not, at least make sure it is a Japanese-brand water stone. You'll probably need around 1000 grit for starters, then a 4000-6000 grit to finish. Nagura stones could help with the slurry, which is why you should use a natural stone. Stropping is optional, this is not a showpiece, nor will you need to shave with it, so don't go overboard. Everything considered, just the whetstones will set you back ten times the cost of the knife. I don't recommend sharpening this knife on a 'system,' although I haven't tried different ones. The one I've used is hard to keep uniform without wearing (dishing) the stones. You're better off with a cheap angle guide and the whetstones. To sum it up, this is a superior knife and a great starter for anyone who wants a Japanese-quality blade without spending a small fortune. Sekiryu is a reputable manufacturer, check out more about them and rest assured you're getting a fabulous deal! FYI, I owned German-made knives since I was in culinary school, also owned French-made blades, Swedish knives, Finnish knives, and Norwegian blades. I'm not sure what the Rockwell is for this knife. If anyone can test, I'd appreciate it!

Purchased this as a why not, and I was surprised with that I got. It is a very heavy knife! I mean heavy! Single bevel, and once sharpened, very sharp! I didn't know what I would use it for until I needed to cut frozen bacon. This knife cut it like it was butter.

Product is good not extremely sharp, however it took long to get delivered.

Not for everyone, as I'll explain below, but still a great value for a Japanese steel blade. No frills, no fancy, just a nice, hefty, decently balanced and made knife. The Deba is a heftier blade than a santoku or nakiri, meant for chopping. It's not a heavy cleaver, but for every day stuff like poultry, large batches of veggies, and the like, it does an admirable job. You should know that this is a single bevel knife, meaning that, unlike western kitchen knives, only one side is beveled and sharpened. As such, it takes some knowledge, skill, and practice to keep these sharp. They are also high carbon steel, meaning they must be cleaned and dried immediately after use. The grip is unfinished, something you'll want to remedy for long use. I sanded it lightly, and then used Rock Hard as a finish, but you could use thin super glue every bit as effectively.

Love it! Exactly what I expected. The blade is thick and heavy. Note this knife is different: The profile is not symmetrical. the left side of the blade is flat and the right side is machined. If you haven't used a knife like this it may take you a while to get used to, especially when you try to cut something straight down like slicing a potato. The wooden handle tends to get greasy so wash it and keep it dry. After using it the handle discolored a bit but It still feels good in your hand.