This is a Splurge – Love It!!!
You get what you pay for. You pay for what you get. I often advocate paying less, getting less, and only getting what you need. Sure, quality pays you back, but at what timeframe? That said, I do agree if you use something every day you will appreciate the quality investment more than something you only use sporadically. For my kitchen knives, I use a chefs knife, a Santuko, and a paring knife every day; I like nice and I invest in quality. Usually forged, although right now I admit I am using ceramic. For the bread knife, or other knives I only use periodically, stamped (cheap) is fine. It is how I prioritize which knives I spend real money on and which I simply buy cheap.So when I got a chance to review this Damascus Steel paring knife, I jumped. Steel is real when it comes to knives and long-term investments, and folded Damascus Steel is at the top of the steel category. My “daily” paring knife is German carbon steel forged from ~25-years ago (company still makes them, not nearly as nice today); I spent far too much (at the time) but looking back at 25-years of service I got my value out of it too (and continue). It is my control here; wickedly sharp and more importantly easy to put an edge on (carbon steel is relatively soft), just the right amount of feel, and for a home kitchen has basically lasted a lifetime.This knife has an odd 8-sided handle but is remarkable comfortable to use. It is weighted perfectly (my biggest criticism of ceramic I am using now). It is maneuverable. One concern I have is that Damascus Steel is hard; much harder to put an edge on a knife and this is common maintenance. However I have stones for ceramic, and ceramic is harder yet so I think I have this covered. Only time will tell here, because straight out of the box this is wickedly sharp (as you would hope) and edge maintenance comes later.This is truly the nicest knife in my roll. Treat this like the heirloom it is. Hand wash only. You will use this for a lifetime, and you will enjoy it every day you do. Every paring knife you touch somewhere else will frustrate you in comparison.
✔ Verified Purchase
Gorgeous, and Deadly Sharp
This Cangshan YARI Series 501271 X-7 Damascus Steel 3.5-inch Paring Knife with Sheath is even more striking in person than it is in the product page pictures and these that I'm posting. It definitely is "Damascus" steel and it was RAZOR SHARP right out of the box. It went through grilled steak like a hot knife through butter. The Damascus pattern itself is nothing extravagant, just your basic pattern but, I certainly don't need it to be extravagant, I'm very happy with the pattern this has. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the hexagonal handle but, it's actually quite comfortable in the hand and works very well. The G10 handle material was a great choice imho. The bolster and butt-cap look fantastic as well and the mosaic pin is just icing on the cake! I found the sheath to be a little overly large, really thick, and just a little bit clunky feeling.. to me. It's not held on by any traditional means, it's magnetic. There's not a real strong grab there, but enough to hold it on under normal circumstances.I've been in love with knives since my first jackknife as a kid. Now, in my later years, I find myself gravitating more to kitchen knives, something I can get a little more use out of than some of the others I've collected over the years. Unfortunately, primarily due to disability, my finances don't allow for me to have some of the knives I'd love to have but, I do have a couple nice ones, I have to say though, this is my favorite of the bunch. I'd be ecstatic to be able to afford a full set of these knives.Highly recommended
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T. Crist
September 12, 2023
Very nice little knife (updated, still five star)
Update about 4 months in... The true five star review is not only do we keep using it, it becomes a favorite, and we order another. That's the case with this knife, just bought #2 and still loving the original...Original review:The heft, fit, and finish of this knife is excellent. Time will tell if the blade hardness maintains an edge. I will re-review if it is substandard. Initial thoughts are that it is well made. The handle is beautiful and stands up well with our Shun knives.My only complaint on this knife is you can see on the heel and the edge that the "Damascus" stops. This is more of a "Damascus plating". If you have a great knife, it does not need to be a Damascus process. Obviously that adds processing cost. I was tempted to drop this to four star as I think it is false advertising, but in the end it seems to be an excellent little knife.
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Daizy4070
October 03, 2023
Very, very sharp!
This is the first time I've owned a quality "individual" kitchen knife, having only had knives in the past that were part of a block set that sits on the counter. The first time I used this, I thought my apple had gone bad for a brief moment because I couldn't feel it "slicing" at all! I looked down and was amazed to see a perfect slice, it went through like butter. I've since used this knife for multiple cooking sessions and continue to be impressed with its cutting capability and love that it's easy to clean and store. The craftsmanship of this knife is also beautiful, with the knife having a decent heft without being too heavy to work with. With proper care, this should last several years.
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Heather
September 26, 2023
Pairs well with pears
Thus far I've used this paring knife to slice a dozen or so limes in half, and remove the skin from a potato. This knife is super sharp, very well balanced, and easy to maneuver if you prefer to choke up tight to the neck of the knife and use your thumb for leverage.Time will tell how long the edge stays sharp, and how easy it is to return it to a sharp edge with my whetstone.Only complaint is that I'm not a fan of the angles of the handle, but I suppose I'll get use to that over time.
✔ Verified Purchase
