Extremely Well Crafted Knife
When I received my DALSTRONG knife, the first thing I noticed was the high quality the packaging. The box was extremely well made and the fit and finish was perfect. The inner box was wrapped by an outer sleeve, and it took some work to slide the box out. The knife box was very well crafted, which is rare these days. Most companies would skimp on the packaging, but you can tell that DALSTRONG feels very strongly about the quality of anything with their name on it. That says a lot, people.Upon opening the box, I was impressed that my Gladiator Series Cleaver was firmly secured in a rubberized form contained within the box. The knife was also secured within a protective sheath. I removed the knife from said sheath and was impressed with the shine and beautiful finish on the knife. The knife is very well made and heavy. No cheap, poor quality Chinese steel here. The blade was razor sharp, with a near mirror finish, and the well crafted handle felt good in my hand. Very balanced.I have very large hands, but this knife felt very substantive and comfortable.I couldn't wait to use it. I normally use standard chef's knives and not a large cleaver. I will use this knife primarily for chopping vegetables and splitting chicken. We eat a lot of vegetables with every meal, and I separate or split whole chickens 2-3 times a week, so it will get used almost daily. This was my first DALSTRONG purchase.I separated two whole chickens and diced mirepoix and some potatoes with ease. The knife did all the work and it made quick work of the chicken and vegetables. I cleaned the knife with hot water and soap and quickly dried it and placed it back in it's sheath and box, which fits nicely into my cutlery drawer. I'm very particular about my tools and keep everything from my shoes to my car in excellent condition. DALSTRONG makes it easy to store and keep an edge on this knife with their packaging.I am not a professional chef, but I know my way around the kitchen and will use this knife to prepare meals for my family. I would highly recommend this knife and I certainly will be buying more products from DALSTRONG. I can see that this knife will easily last many, many years. I'm big on quality cutlery and couldn't be happier. This type of quality would be a value at twice the price.