Mercer Culinary M21078 Genesis 8-Inch Short Bolster Chef's Knife,Black

The blade arrived sharp. The weight and balance are correct. It is somewhere between a thicker German knife and a thinner Japanese style. For the price point, I am satisfied

Most of my knives are expensive Japanese and German models. I wanted something I could use for tougher foods, and a knife I could let others use without worrying they might damage a $150+ blade. This knife not only serves that purpose, but I find myself picking up the Mercer for many routine prepping jobs. It has good steel and good balance and is comfortable to pinch grip. At first I was disappointed because out of the box it wasn't very sharp, but just a few passes on a 1000 grit water stone imparted an impressive edge. It has since proven to hold a decent edge and is actually a pleasure to sharpen, and sharpens easier than my Japanese blades. At $70 this would be a good value; at under $40 it's a steal. My only complaint, and I feel obligated to come up with something, is that the rubbery handle is not particularly attractive and is a tad thick for my smallish hands. Overall nice fit and finish, though. Hardly anyone would be disappointed with this purchase.

I love Mercer knives. Handle is a rubberized material that gives a solid grasp adding safety and security when cutting. Well balanced. Blade is sharp, sharp, sharp that lasts quite a long time without requiring frequent sharpening. All my kitchen knives are Mercer.

For such a low price, it's a decent knife. I wouldn't use this as my main chef's knife. The balance feels off to me, and it's a bit difficult to cut through tough things like carrots and onions. I don't think it holds an edge as well as my more expensive one either. However, it works fine as a second knife for when I have help in the kitchen. It cuts through most foods without any trouble and holds an edge fairly well. If you're looking for an inexpensive chef's knife, this one works.

This is my "daily driver" knife that I use for most general tasks at work. Its comfortable, stays sharp, and its affordable, so if anything ever happened to it, I could always afford another one.

As you can see from my picture, I built an entire knife block out of the Mercer Genesis series. I was turned on to Mercer culinary products by my friends who went to culinary school which was attached to my college. I'm not a professional chef, but I'm an avid home cook who occasionally cooks for events and gatherings. I use my knives daily, with my chef's knife, bread knife, and vegetable clever being used constantly.I was given a gift of $200 to build a knife block I used that and got most the knives in my picture and have added a few since. Without comparing this knife to other brands I would say it is the best knife in its category.However, if you're more of an avid cook you might be asking yourself if you should get this or the other top German brands. You cannot go wrong, they are both good choices. However, after borrowing a Wusthof for a month and comparing it with this there are some differences but to me personally it is not enough to warrant $150.The only difference I experienced is that the wusthof held its edge for a longer period of time which is not a surprise given the price difference but it wasn't an astounding difference. As a home cook, I was just able to hone the edge and return it or use my whetstone to maintain an excellent edge. The Mercer knife has better balance and feel to me personally. Aesthetically, I really like the short bolster I think it looks really professional.In my experience, the only weak point on these knives are to be expected because they are high carbon steel. If you leave water or have water spots on them for a very long period that you did not notice they will rust. I used to have my knife block by the sink and small droplets of water got on the bolster. This led to small spot rust on the bolster by the handle which was easy to remedy and not on every knife. Now, every month or so I take all my knives out to give them a look over (you pay good money for good equipment so you should take good care of it).If you want to spend the money and get something that is objectively better you can, but for myself, buying a brand that while not made in America is an American company, is better looking and handles better than the expensive brands with 90% of the edge made with the same exact steel compound it was a no-brainer for me. To test it out I had a friend or two trial both of the knives to see which one they thought was more expensive than they thought the Mercer was the more expensive knife.

I saw a Yahoo! article mentioning this knife was on sale and I was replacing a well loved Kitchen Aid chef's knife. I purchased this thinking it was an adequate replacement. It is much more than that. Usually someone doesn't blame their tools but this knife is such an improvement.I can't explain but it makes mincing so much easier. First meal I made was tuna salad and cutting the onions, pickle and carrots so fine to blend in. I will definitely try this brand again