Kyocera ceramics are the sharpest knives I've ever seen or used in a career marked by years of professional cooking. But that is well known; an argument that need not be advanced by me. I want to respond to the reviewer who complained that his knife lost its keen edge after two months use. I've been slicing tomatoes and other soft fruits and vegetables with this knife for more than five years, not just on weekends but day in and day out in a commercial kitchen. It remains as sharp today as when I took it out of the box. I suspect that the unhappy reviewer was misusing the knife by cutting on the wrong type of surface, dragging the blade against bone or otherwise asking the knife to do things that it was not designed to do, and which the manufacturer clearly says not to do.
Use it properly and you may never find out how well and quickly Kyocera can resharpen it for you.
Best knives ever just be careful not to drop them, as they are more brittle than steel, and will break under certain conditions. I'd recommend getting a knife sharpener that is meant for ceramic blades as a steel sharpener will ruin a ceramic blade. Finally, don't use on stone, glass or stainless steel cutting surfaces, as the super-fine edge will wear much more quickly.
One feature (some like it/some hate it) is they are very light in weight, and if you are used to a nice set of steel knives, it might take a while to get used to the feel.
Great knives.
Buy Kyocera Revolution Series 5 1/4-Inch Slicing Knife Now
I had never used a ceramic knife before, but I must say that it cuts tomatoes and meat like butter! I am very happy I invested money in this knife. The company sends along a free knife sharpening coupon redemable at their company because you can't use the traditional knife sharpener on the ceramic blade. This adds a level of comfort since the blades can chip if you drop the knife on a hard surface or use pressure with it on bone.
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I bought this knife to supplement my Henkel, Wusthof, and Messermeister knives. I've never owned a ceramic knife, and having read the reviews here, thought this might be a nice addition to my burgeoning collection (I love sharp knives). I especially wanted it for my fruit/veggie art carvings, where a really sharp knife is necessary.
The knife is certainly very well made, and feels fairly well balanced. The absence of rivets makes the blade end a bit heavier than the handle, however. As the handle totally encases the tang, I cannot tell if it is full tang or not. But the handle is a little light to my feel but that may be just me. It still feels pretty good despite this shortcoming.
The first time I used it, it was amazingly sharp. I had no problem slicing the thinnest radish, cucumber, carrot, or any hard veggie slices I could get my hands on. Being a honing (sharpening) steel freakazoid addict, I was disappointed that I could not use that prior to returning the ceramic knife to my wooden butcher block, but I knew that going in.
Now, after a month, it's not so sharp at all. Note: I cut ONLY on cork or end grain wood boards, so that is not the issue. I can't see any burrs, but I know they must be there because it does at times snag on foods, and doesn't give thin slices as it did just one month ago. I know I can return it to Kyocera for sharpening, but at this price point, I'm not going to invest more money.
For those with limited funds (read as: me), I believe it is better to get a high quality carbon steel knife from the three mfgrs I mentioned above, use the honing steel before and after every use, and the Chef's Choice sharpener (or its equivalent, although there really IS no equivalent in my experience) to reset the edge once/year (that's my average) and you'll do fine. (I also own the simpler Accusharp device, but it is not all that great.)
Bottom line? Ceramic may be great for some things, but in my limited experience (and perhaps this only holds true for the Kyocera brand) this was not worth the money invested.
Whatever knife you choose, best of luck in your cutting. Be sure to invest in the best cutting board you can find (end grain maple is consistently rated the softest). It does not matter WHICH knife you buy if you use a cheap board (glass is the WORST by far). Been there, done that. I've seen good knives dulled by just one use of low quality cutting boards. It amazes me when people spend $150 or more on a high quality knife, and I see them using a glass cutting board. Just stupefying to me.
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This knife has to be the sharpest knife I have ever used. Effortlessly cuts. Really nice. The only issue is that it does not come with a sheath as many I have seen do. It is too sharp to leave in the drawer, and I would be wary of damaging the blade as well. I don't use a block due to limited counter space. A protective sheath would be perfect.
Have purchased several of these knifes and I'm very pleased with all of them. Also nice that they have a cover because they are sharp! I recommend these to anyone.
