Zelite Infinity Alpha-Royal Series 4.5 inch Japanese Honesuki AUS10 Steel 67 Layer Damascus Razor Sharp, Deep Blade, Versatile Boning Knives (Specifically for Chicken)

Best knife for the money. Great quality and looks great.

Très bien pour le prix

Mon deuxième couteau japonais pour désosser il est redoutable d'efficacité et de plus superbe

There are not words to express how excellent this knife is. I have had the knife for over a year and a half. I wanted to give it at least a year before I wrote a review so I could comment on longevity and durability. The knife has gotten quite a lot of use in these 18 months, so I think I have a representative sample.When you first open up a Zelite knife, you get the chills and your heart flutters like it's Christmas day. The packaging and presentation are superb. Then you get your first glimpse of that beautiful Damascus blade, with its mirror polish. It is immediately apparent that the build quality and precision are first class. There are no gaps, spaces, rough edges, flaws, or blemishes anywhere to be seen.And then you pick it up. The handle is very smooth, yet has a tactile quality that lets you know it will not slip out of your hand. The shape is perfect for the chef's-preferred pinch grip, although I found the handle could use an extra millimeter or two in length (although, that could simply be due to my condition, being a 6'5" tall male). The handle is comfortable and allows utmost control.And then there's the edge. Out of the box, it was razor sharp. In fact, one of my first acts as a new Zelite owner was to inadvertently inflict a minor flesh wound on my left index finger. It bled like stink. That's what years of handling dull knives will do for you. And the blade has stayed extremely sharp for the entirety of the last 18 months. I do about 8 passes of the blade on a ceramic honing rod about every 4-5 uses, and it's still as sharp as the day I opened it. There has never been any hint of dulling (as opposed to micro-burring, which is fixed with the honing rod). The steel is extremely strong and has not sustained any chips or cracks.As an experiment, I decided to compare the Zelite side-by-side with a decent-but-cheap Calphalon utility knife over the past 18 months. I made sure to sharpen up the Calphalon to so similar level as soon as the Zelite arrived. The contrast between the two knives couldn't be more apparent. I've used the cheapo about half as often and have had to hone it twice as frequently. The edge has numerous chips and is starting to dull beyond what the honing rod can do for it. There is no doubt the Zelite is a far superior product.What about the price? For your standard home cook, it might seem a little bit pricey. But, you have to think about this knife as an investment. It WILL last longer than any of your other knives if properly cared for (see sob story below). For the build quality, the steel, the design, and edge retention, you would expect to pay double or more for a similar product from a name-brand knife company. The Zelite really is an incredible value.BONUS SOB STORY: About 2 days after I received my Zelite in the mail, my wife dropped it, tip down, into the sink. Let's just say that was one of the more difficult times in our marriage. Since the tip was so wicked sharp and pointy, it did fold over a little, although not as much as I expected. Luckily I had recently purchased a set of sharpening stones and was learning the art of sharpening. With not much effort, I was able to restore the tip to the blade (for the most part). It saved our marriage!

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 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