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Jill24295
January 19, 2017
but I do love to spend time in my kitchen and I do ...
Over the past couple of years, I have become a knife snob. I’m NOT a professional chef by any means, but I do love to spend time in my kitchen and I do love to cook. I have been using Dalstrong knives for over a year now because in my opinion, they are truly the best knives out there. I knew when the Phantom Series of Dalstrong Knives came out, I was going to want them in my kitchen.I own several Dalstrong knives. Every knife I get amazes me more in appearance, craftsmanship and performance than the last. So when the Phantom Series was recently introduced, I knew I had to experience them. I ordered the paring knife, Santoku knife and the Chef knife at the same time to begin building my set. They didn't disappoint.The Phantom Series knives are different from the other Dalstrong knives in several beautiful ways. The chef knife does come in a magnetic closure box that is perfect for gift giving, even if that gift is just for yourself. This is consistent with how the other knives in the other series come. Printed on the inside of the lid you will find detailed information about what makes the blade and handle of your knife so special. As you remove the contents from the box you will find several items included with your knife. New to this series is a small Dalstrong coin on a red string. This coin is unique for each knife in the Phantom series and is not included with the Gladiator or Shogun series knives. You will find a polishing cloth for your knife, a detailed and actually interesting color photo booklet telling you about the history, care and construction/design of your knife. A card is also included that tells you about their VIP program and another card giving you information about reaching customer service.When you remove your knife from it's custom cut cushioning inside the box, you will see it comes inside it's own protective sheath. What is new with the Phanton Series knives is how the sheath is designed. Unlike the sheathes that come with the Shogun and Gladiator Series knives, these are designed to open through a hinged system to expose the blade rather than to simply slide on and off the blade. This is a significant new safety feature in my opinion. Having been in the medical field for over 2 decades, one of the things we NEVER do is recap a needle when we are finished. This was to prevent accidental needle sticks to the practitioner. I see this as a similar safety measure for the kitchen since you are no longer trying to slide the blade back inside a sheath, but you can close a hinged sheath around it and help prevent accidental injury.Once unsheathed, you will see even more definitive design changes. The blade is beautifully engraved and branded on both sides. This engraving does not interfere at all with your precise cuts and the blade cleans up after use so easily. The entire knife is forged from a single piece of steel and it is exceptionally sharp, with fantastic edge retention. Looking straight down from the top of the blade, you will be amazed at just how thin and razor sharp that edge actually is. The traditional Japanese D-shaped handle fits perfectly into the palm of your hand and is made from black Spanish pakkawood. The handle is attached to the knife with a mosaic pin of brass and copper that is also quite artistic and beautiful. There is not one detail that has been overlooked in the design of this knife.Performance - ultimately this is what really counts. I was able to prepare my chicken for a beautiful stir fry dinner in just minutes using this knife. A chef's knife was originally designed primarily to slice and disjoint large cuts of beef, so in my kitchen it is my go to knife for preparing proteins like chicken, pork and beef (though most cooks today use it as a general-utility knife). Because of the handle design, this can all be done quite comfortably and with uniform precision. Clean up consisted of nothing more than a quick rinse under running water with a light dishsoap and a wipe with the cleaning cloth. It couldn't have been a more pleasant experience. I would have absolutely no problem recommending this knife to both professionals and amateur chefs alike.
✔ Verified Purchase
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Anthony M
October 13, 2025
Great knife, perfect weight and balance
I’ve got a few other Dalstrong knives in my kitchen, and the fit and finish is on par with this one. The edge was super sharp and i really like the look of the olive wood handle. For me, the weight and balance of this knife is perfect. It’s not too heavy but also not so light it feels like a toy. I could use this knife for hours and have no problems. Another winner from Dalstrong, highly recommend this knife.
✔ Verified Purchase
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Travis Kuenning
January 05, 2026
Amazing knife!
Just shy of Excalibur! Amazingly sharp. Excellently crafted. I felt like King Arthur pulling it from it's sheath!
✔ Verified Purchase
Four stars for the knife. 0 for the sheath
First off the knife is pretty nice. I expect mediocrity from Dalstrong as they've failed me in the past. I wouldn't recommend most of their knives to a professional prep chef. This one I might though just because of how lightweight it is and it feels pretty good in the hand. But it's prefect for cooking around the house as it's quick, sharp, and easy to clean/maintain.Things stick to the knife, but whatttayagonnado? It's not the end of the world, Cutting a potato is a nightmare with my Bob Kramer I just use a mandolin and call it a day. You may wonder why I even bought this knife when I have two Bob Kramer brown handles. I don't have a good answer other than I really like looking at them and I'd rather use a cheaper knife for everyday cooking; sue me.Here's the big problem and why I no longer have the knife:Dalstrong sends a sheath with this knife. It's rigid plastic on the outside and some kind of felt cloth on the inside (I imagine to help keep the blade shiny). All of that is totally fine. Unless you get the sheath wet. Then your life, your knife, and your wife are all gonna be disappointed in your inability to, once again, be the man of the house. Stupid! Stupid!The sheath is a black plastic box with slots cut into it for aesthetics and to prevent suction inside the sheath (I'm assuming). When I was using my blade on my prep station some water or juice from a vegetable got inside the sheath and I had no way of knowing there was moisture in it. I put my clean blade back into the sheath and a few days later it was rusted and completely FUBAR (fugazi for you Italian chefs out there).It's not the company's fault honestly I can't say it's a design flaw. Just really bad luck. I usually notice these things and man I really wanted to blame the sheath. The super absorbant felt cloth inside I imagine is next to impossible to dry without using a hair dryer. I just never noticed until it was too late.It's a nice knife but you could probably put it on a magnetic strip and just toss the plastic sheath in the trash.It is one of the lightest blades I've used while still having a decent amount of integrity (I'm really hard on knives in professional kitchens I use Wustoff).TL;DRBuy the knife, throw away the sheathLeave the gun, take the canoli
✔ Verified Purchase
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Jason Moonsmith
July 15, 2018
Perfect knife for a beginning chef.
This is not a $300 knife. Which is great, as I am a new pantry chef with no prior experience. The first thing this knife will do, is teach you how to hold and handle it. Screw up, and it will draw blood. The light weight means your hand tires less, and gives you more control in your cuts. It is also made from a lower grade metal, and is easy to sharpen. Thats another skill a new chef needs to learn. It took me 2 weeks to finally get the edge right, and I haven't had to touch up the edge in 2 days now. My chef who uses a $500 knife as his primary, was impressed with this thing. IT DOES NOT RUST QUICKLY! I don't know what the reviewers are doing to rust their knives in one day, but I soak mine and cut crap for 5+ hours a shift, no rust. I leave it sit in tomato juice and have onion bits on it. It's fine. Don't use any type of scouring pad on it though... it scratches. After using everything from a $10 house knife, to a $1100 Shun slicer, this knife is on point in price, style, and functionality. The saya is very nice, (the blade guard) not many knives come with a saya, so that's one hell of a deal for under $100. You don't have to open the saya, just slide your knife in or out like a sword. Grab yourself a cheap whetstone with this, and welcome to the kitchen.
✔ Verified Purchase
