WALLOP Damascus Chefs Knife 8.5 inch - Kitchen Chef Knife with Japanese AUS-8 HC Stainless Steel, Unique Solar Pattern Blade & Full Tang Ergonomic G10 Handle

Being an everyday cook, my knives get used plenty. I have always taken good care of my chefs knife but it was time for a new one. My new Wallop knife was priced great, looked great, and was made with some of the highest quality for the price range. I actually bought 2 8.5' chefs knives. I have been using 1 daily for almost 2 months now. Works amazing. I can hardly tell I'm slicing most of the time. Its like a perfectly balanced scalpel. I wash it very often and just hone 2-3 times each shift and its still as sharp as when I first opened the package. I havn't even opened the other one yet. I highly recommend this knife for work or home.

First let me say, that except for the weird pattern that is "carved into the blade" this knife seems to be well made and balanced. The fitting of the handle material to the blade, tang, and butt cap areas are smooth and seamless. The knife handle is well formed and large enough that, even for someone with large hands, it fits well in the hand, with plenty of room between your index finger knuckle and the blade.The handle is made from G10. That is a man-made material which is constructed from layers of continuously woven fiberglass, impregnated with epoxy. This provides a very strong handle. If there is any complaint about G10 as a handle material is that it is sometimes slippery when wet. The handle on this knife has enough texture so that should not be a serious issue.The steel used to make the blade (and tang and butt cap - since it is made from one piece of steel) is a Japanese steel called AUS 8. This steel is of the carbon steel type, with an addition of Chromium (1.5%) to give it a stainless capability. In addition to the Chromium, the steel also contains percentages of Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, and Vanadium. These add to the toughness of the steel. AUS 8 is not of the very highest grades of steel, but is considered by knife makers to be in the same category as D2 or 440C - a very high middle grade steel. One advantage that AUS 8 has over D2 or 440C is that blades can be stamped from sheets of AUS 8 versus having to be ground from either D2 or 440 C bar stock. Nowhere in the product literature does it say that these blades are made from the stock removal method, so it is unclear if they are ground to shape, or stamped.One other thing that must be stated is that AUS 8 is produced in sheets or as bar stock steel. It is not a forged steel that is folded over and over to produce traditional "Damascus" steel. As a reviewer, I do not understand why Wallop calls this a "Damascus Chef Knife", since the blade is clearly not made from a Damascus steel. (Although Wallop says they do make knifes from Damascus steel, this Chef knife is not one of those.)As to hardness - the write-up says the steel is hardened to 56+ on the Rockwell C scale. These is a significant difference between knifes in 56C, versus 57C, versus 58C, or 59C. 56C is the softest of the group and thus easier to sharpen, whereas 59C holds an edge a lot longer, but when it gets dull is a bear to sharpen. So, on this blade, I expect to sharpen it more often. All of these hardness ratings are good for slicing, but certainly not for chopping - unless you want a nice little scalloped area marring the edge of your blade.Now, to the really unusual (and here I am being kind) design that has been "carved" into the steel of the blade. Are they trying to imitate the fold lines of Damascus steel?, did they think this would make the blade pretty?, who knows, but to me a purely smooth polished blade would have been preferable. These grooves serve no purpose, other than to make the blade harder to clean and dry after use.The packaging is very nice and is suitable for a nice gift.But, to me - it all comes back to that weird design they cut into the blade, and it keeps me asking WHY?!

Very nice knife

For the price this is an awesome knife. It's a bit on the weighted side however it is still easy to use, plus it's got a great look.

the blade feels gross and the handle feels like it’s a 10ib weight and it doesn’t hold a edge you constantly keep sharing it

This is a very beautiful knife. It made a great gift for my friend who loves cooking. He loves it. Good package too. Very satisfied.

Let me start by saying that this knife is not Damascus Steel, it's just a regular SS knife with an imprint. That being said, this knife feels very good in the hand. It has a thick and weighted tang and handle. It has a pretty good balance, a little heavier on the handle side which I prefer.When it comes to the blade, it is very sharp and cuts very well, whether it be potatoes, or carrots, or meat, just about anything you want.For the price, well, I'm kind of on the fence here, I can't really say it's worth $80, but it is a nice knife, maybe $40 I would give 5 stars.

great knife, more beauty that funtion but still a must buy