Messermeister Elite 4 1/2-Inch High Carbon Forged Stainless Steel Steak Knife

An excellent forged partially serrated steak knife. The cosmetic appearance is near perfect. The blade shape and thickness is ideal for the job. This forged knife does not exhibit any of the blade warpage that is common with less expensive stamped knives.

As with most fine knives, hand washing is recommended. This knife seems to survive occasionally being washed in the dishwasher without any staining or corrosion to the blade. Dishwashing gradually dulls the edge and very slightly lightens the handle. As with most knives, the possibility of blade corrosion is reduced by not allowing the blade to contact any dissimilar metals in the dishwasher.

One thing you might notice with this knife and other forged steak knives is that the handle seems to be a little on the small side. This is generally necessary to get the knife to balance properly. Even with the small handle, the center of gravity on this knife is slightly behind the first rivet on the handle. A larger handle would move the CG even farther back on the handle (or require a thicker blade). I have compared this knife to other forged knives with larger handles and this one definitely balances better.

Although I am giving this knife five stars and I am very happy with it, I can't help but wonder if the average consumer might be just as happy buying cheaper stamped or laser cut knives and just replacing them every couple years.