Zelite Infinity Kiritsuke Chef Knife 9 Inch - Alpha-Royal Series - Japanese AUS-10 Super Steel 67-Layer Damascus - Razor Sharp, Superb Edge Retention

UPDATE:After nearly a year of use, I am still impressed with these knives. I got a second Chef's knife and use both regularly. I have had to sharpen these ONCE in 12 months, where my old knives needed sharpening with nearly every use. I am so glad that they are adding more variety to match what I have. I am ordering the nariki knife for a holiday gift (to myself).ORIGINAL:I am an adventurous home cook, spend a crazy amount of time doing prep and I love to cook from scratch. Years ago, I replaced a costco henckles knife set with Wusthof classic; as I felt that the classic was a good price point. I bought a WC 10" chef, 8" chef, paring, filet and bread knife. These have received a lot of love and helped me to create some great food, but they seem to need sharpening far too often. When I bought them, I contemplated Japanese knives but my sushi knives seem like they need too much TLC. Recently, I started to question the decision of German over Japanese knives, and decided to try this knife. I prefer the 8" chef in my Wusthof batch but the husband prefers the 10". I thought this 9" would be a good first, maybe last, zelite infinity. Out of the box, I was in awe. It fits my hand really well and has decent weight. It's also beautiful. My husband also loves the fit and feel. Ours was sharp upon arrival, although the website says that some might need to be sharpened. Veggies do not stick to the blade. It glides through food so effortlessly, I have to relearn my technique. The husband asked why this knife was so much less expensive than the WC. I have no idea why, since for me it is so superior. I will definitely be replacing the German knives with these; as there is no competition - not even close.I have to add that this knife cut through raw eat like it was butter. Some of the thick fat from a lamb roast left the slightest layer of goo on the blade. Some meat was slightly frozen and it did not phase this blade at all. I am very impressed.

i am kind of an expert on swords ,knives,different types of steel,damascus , woot ,etc.. do not know how you made the actual blade, it looks like you welded a thin layer of woot design damascus steel onto the aus-10 blade. then welded the handle onto the blade. the problem with your picture and the description of the blade is it is a bit deceptive in regards to damascus 67 layers. most people see damascus as wavy layers not a woot latered design.i expected the blade to look some what like the picture on the site. i personally like the wavy type damascus steel. other than all that i like the knife, holds a good edge, good balance,comfortable handle, not real hard to sharpen, wood on handle might look nice in a brownish type wood. i guess that is all. ladyhawk

Cook daily and would recommend these knives to everyone. Hold a sharp edge longer then most highend cooking knives. Solid designed and quality steel.

Used this one to carve a roast the day I got it and all I can say is WOW ! Chopped veggies and smashed some garlic cloves before using it to carve the roast and it kept the edge from start to finish ( Razor sharp ) . Very nice heavy knife and the handle is very secure to the blade . Nothing flimsy or cheap feeling to it at all . I own several older high quality Molybdenum knives. and have always found them adequate to the task , but compared to this sweet baby they're like butter knives ...LOL... This knife has a wonderful feel to it and just glides through whatever you're working on , no having to force or saw your way through items . I am VERY happy , well worth the money .

love this knife! i am a sous chef and everyone wants to use this knife!!

A beautifully crafted knife from Zelite. It is shorter and broader across the blade than most kiritsuke. It is a double bevel and very sharp, balancing forward of the pinch point. It is quite heavy, but can be used easily to cut very fine slices. This knife is supposed to be a cross between a yanagiba and nakiri or other vegetable knife. It has the length for long cuts to slice sashimi and the width and geometry for chopping vegetables. The wider blade and shorter length make this one more of a cross between the nakiri and a gyuto, but it serves well, if you don't need the narrower blade or the greater length.

This knife is so useful. I cut cabbage today for coleslaw and it was very easy to do. No more sawing to get through anything with this baby. Thank you Zelite. You have a very satisfied customer. What a beautiful Happy Birthday to me present. Love my new knife.

Me encanta este tipo de cuchillos por la versatilidad que se le puede dar, 9 pulgadas es perfecto, no demasiado grande ni pequeño...

My husband recently purchased some Alpha Royal Series as we already have the Japanese version of these knives and have used them for about a year (they are still super sharp and a pleasure to use) and my mother got a bit jealous as she was still using her old knives, had been going on about how excellent they were, so I thought I'd buy them as a gift to keep her happy!!. The previous Alpha Royals were superb and I expected that these would be no different....I wasn't disappointed!!. The range of photographs attached show the variety of foods that were prepared using the set.Firstly, the Knives arrived in quality packaging. I was particularly impressed, once opened, with the look of the knives in the box....they look super cool, the Ziritsuke has a distinctive end which curves upon and looks fantastic, and were in keeping with the quality look of the other Zelite knives I've seen and used.The knives themselves are super sharp and you need to be extra careful when you first use them and remove them from the pouch. I cut my finger despite expecting them to be this sharp from prior experience with the Japanese versions!Since they arrived on a Saturday my mother was cooking a Sunday dinner the following day , so it was a great chance to try them out for herself. She was particularly impressed at how very well balanced and easy to use they are and don't feel overly heavy in the hand. They sliced through whatever food was being prepared with ease and all done their jobs with extreme ease.These are on a par with Zelites previous range as they continue to produce outstanding quality knives whether for the occasional chef or the more hard-core ones. Either way they are a definite plus for any kitchen and I can't recommend them highly enough. Now the big question for me….. "Do I keep these and give mother my Japanese ones"!! I don't think I would notice the difference either way!!Sleek Looking, Super Sharp....Sensational Zelite Infinity

Superb blade. Maybe a little heavy, but cuts superbly and stays sharp. Had mine for around 6 months and still had not had to sharpen it at all. Still as sharp as the day I bought it. Used with a little common sense I am sure it will stay that way. For instance, I never scrape chopped food into a pan using the cutting edge. The rear edge is straight. Much better to use the back of the blade. So impressed, I then bought the matching pairing knife. Equally impressed.

I don't think it is actually 100% Damascus, I think it is probably plated with it. That being said, this is a very nice knife. Feels great and comfortable in the hand. It wasn't very sharp when I took it out of the box, but a few strokes on the honing rod, sorted it out. Felt great sharpening the knife, and is fantastic for all manner of food preparation.

Whilst I cannot complain about the sharpness and balance of this knife the picture of this product on Amazon and indeed in the box is not representative of the actual finish on the blade, there is very little or none of the pattern visible that should be there on a damascus forged blade, it just looks dirty.

Never indulged myself in such an extravagant kitchen knife before but wish I had earlier. I bought this in the Black Friday Sale - only way I could afford it. It's truly a beautiful piece of art. The weight, balance, sharpness, how it looks, how it feels in the hand. All of it... stunning! I think I'll buy a new one of the range each Black Friday. Only gripe is the lack of an individual knife sheath which comes with the lower quality range. Seems a bit bizarre and would like an explanation from the manufacturers tbh - only reason I gave it a 4 rather than a 5. Recommend it though.