The knife is fantastic value and looks gorgeous in person. The fit and finish is excellent, as is the out of box sharpness. The handle is in sakura (cherry) wood but it is a deeper shade when compared to the standard sakura handles--which I love. The kasumi finish gives it a unique look and something I enjoy. The knife is in between a workhorse and a laser and suits my style of mainly prepping large meals on weekends at home for hosting. Not sure how it will handle in a pro environment but it is perfect for me. For a knife with this type of quality, at this price, other brands would be asking more. Hokuto was extremely helpful with the order and provided exceptional customer service. Knife arrived within two weeks and carefully packaged. Very generous of Hokuto to include a unexpected gift too!
