Absolutely amazing knife, price is justified.
I never really understood why chefs were willing to spend so much money on their knives... until now. I had a brisket that was in dire need of some trimming. I knew, already, how my current knives perform on brisket. I know this knife is brand new, and new knives always peform well. However, thiis knife performed beyond anything I've ever used...For context, I am not a chef. I am not a butcher. But I know a quality utility when I see/feel/use it. The trimming took me a little over half the time it would have taken with those knives I had on hand. The stroke on each cut took nearly zero effort. The weight of the blade, when cutting vertically, is sufficient to remove the fat.The feel of the handle was so comfortable I can't even describe it. This is, obviously, a subjective characteristic. I can speak only for myself, in this regard. I have to state that I prefer the feel of the handles on my previous set, but this comes pretty close.German steel has long been highly regarded, and this knife is a fantastic example of why. Front to back, the blade and bolster (where the actual blade meets the handle) are flawlessly smooth. The rivets are equally smooth finished, flush with the handle sides, undetectable to the touch. The tang (the extension from the hilt that extends to the end of the handle) is a full tang. This makes for the most solid type of utilization.Almost all quality German steel knives are high carbon. The high carbon in the 10 inch blade is readily apparent. Because of the overall shape, the knife is lighter than one would expect in a butcher knife. I've only had it for a day, but I surmise that the blade will require sharpening FAR less often than any other knife I have (or have ever had). The ability of a blade to hold an edge is critical, and I will update if I find otherwise.A word to the wise:NEVER leave this knife wet/unwashed. As soon as you're done using it, wash it, DRY IT, and put it back in the sheath. This is a must, if you are going get the maximum life out of your investment. $80 for a single knife is not a small or insignificant investment (as much as I've paid for most SETS I've owned). Protect it by treating it lovingly. Again, I am neither chef nor butcher. I am, however, willing to listen to those that KNOW, and everything I've stated here is simply quoting others. Just passing on wise words...Is it worth $80? I'd bet my bottom dollar that it is. My favorite knife style is the Santoku blade. I will DEFINITELY be looking for Ganshan's version of this. Most definitely a 5-star showing from Gangshan, in my humble (and rookie) opinion.