Review on Gyuto Chef’s Knife: 8 inch Japanese Knife with Alloy Steel Blade - Perfect for Sushi & Kitchen Use! (Gift Box Included) by Courtney Knight

I've given each of the following reviews 5 stars as the first rating - easy to hold (long handle for balance in the hands); the ability to give as a gift (nice soft linen-look gift box) and value for money (20% coupon offer with purchase). When I opened the box today I noticed three things: 1. I was pleasantly surprised that the blade is dark in colour. Steel (9Cr18MoV is a high quality stainless steel; modified 440B steel with 0.9% carbon and 18% chromium), and the word "high quality" in the material description tempted me to buy it the first time. 2. The whole knife I weighed 7 ounces. or 200 grams on a kitchen scale. It's a good beefy weight on par with average 8-inch kitchen knives. In combination with the sharp blade, the heavy weight makes it easy to cut, even for men with large hands. The handle design is slightly different from most other 8 inch kitchen knives. You can see in the picture that the blades of the knife start about half an inch past the handle. I suspect this feature allows the knife to be held properly when my thumb needs to rest on that area of the blade for a better grip. I peered at the junction of the blade and the hilt, and the hidden hilt is round. I hope it's a complete smell that I can't identify. The blade measures 8 1/2" and the steel portion measures 9". 3. The material of the handle is not listed in the product description, but looks like real wood (premium product, no plastic used). If it is actually real hardwood, then the manufacturer has done a great job to bring it to furniture finish level. It's smooth but not "sticky" like a synthetic stick. The end of the handle suggests that it is real wood with a grain. That means I shouldn't soak this knife in water and ruin the wood. I tried the new knife on a large navel orange and it cut easily in one go, like a very sharp knife compared to a 7 1/4 inch kitchen knife. (Rancher's Reserve, probably German steel, very sharp) which I have and had to use the "saw" action to cut the same fruit. i am a believer I recommend this 8 inch gyuto knife (Made in China).