Review on Mercer Culinary Collection Yanagi Sashimi by Christopher Foreman

I'm used to using a western chef's knife when cooking, but I've noticed that I'm cutting vegetables 99% of the time. I find a Japanese nakiri or a Chinese paring knife much better for cutting vegetables. I have a cheap carbon steel workshop cleaver. It's thin and cuts well, but it's carbon steel so it will rust. Also, the handle is made of wood, so you can't just leave it in the sink. I was looking for a Chinese paring knife and ended up buying a Shibazi F208-2 knife, a Winco KC-601 knife and a Daways knife (a fake Dexter 5198 found in Asian stores). Winco and Daways have thicker blades. It's more of a heavy duty utility knife that can be used for both slicing chicken and slicing vegetables. The thicker blade won't slide over veggies like a wokshop cleaver. Shibazi and Mercer have lighter and thinner blades and cut vegetables easily. I wouldn't use them for bone-in meat. Shibazi has a better fit and finish and stronger steel. I also prefer the flatter Shibazi blade profile. The Mercer blade is somewhat flexible and the blade shape is more rounded. However, the Mercer's plastic handle makes it very easy to maintain. Between the plastic handle and the stainless steel, I can leave it in the sink and not worry about the blade rusting or the wooden handle soaking up water. The softer steel means more frequent sharpening and a whetstone are required, but so far the blade has really held up. Now I go to the knife.