DALSTRONG Butcher Knife - 10 inch - Shogun Series ELITE - Japanese AUS-10V Super Steel - G10 Handle Cimitar Breaking Knife Gift - Vacuum Treated BBQ Brisket Knife - Sheath Included

Dalstrong Shogun Knife Collection Review: I’ve been gradually adding the Japanese-made Dalstrong Shogun knives to my collection, and I’m thoroughly impressed with both their craftsmanship and appearance. These knives have quickly replaced my previous high-end German-made knives due to their superior quality and eye catching design. However, one important thing to note is the blade edge. The Shogun series features a 10-degree edge, which is relatively uncommon. Because of this, you won’t find a sharpener that accommodates this precise angle. I own a high-quality sharpener, the Chef'sChoice Trizor XV EdgeSelect Professional Electric Knife Sharpener with 100% diamond abrasives and precision angle guides, which I purchased from Amazon. It’s an excellent tool that can sharpen any knife, no matter how dull, but it sharpens at a 15-degree angle, not the 10 degrees required for the Shogun knives. As a result, I ended up purchasing the Shogun Whetstone Knife Sharpener Kit specifically designed for these knives. If you decide to purchase a Shogun knife, be prepared to hand-sharpen it to maintain the optimal edge. Overall, the Shogun knives are a fantastic addition to any collection, but just be aware that they require manual sharpening to maintain their 10-degree edge.

In all seriousness, a good knife. Blade length and shape are ideal for long slicing motions on larger cuts that might be difficult with conventional straight blade. Grooves keep the blade from sticking. The design is beautiful, and the packaging comes with extras like a pin and microfibre cloth that I don't see the use in, but otherwise nice to have. Would make a great present with the extras to someone who loves kitchen knives. One downside is that the edge of the blade next to the handle is rounded, so it doesn't stay up on my mag board. There's just enough curvature on the place where the blade meets the handle to twist off the board. Perhaps it's my board's limitation more than the knife, it is bamboo-covered magnets. A conventional metal mag board would hold it but then you'd be scratching up the beautiful Damascus steel, so I wouldn't put it up there. The knife comes with a nice plastic sheath to protect it, but unfortunately the handle is left exposed. Think about where you're going to store this thing, it's long. There's a dirty joke in there somewhere, but I'll behave myself. DECENT value for the money, but I think a more fair price point for this piece is probably in the $70-80 range. Not that you'll be disappointed, though. However, do ask yourself if a long slicer is specifically what you need, because it's not overly convenient for anything else. But if, say, you have a freezer full of meat to process or buy butcher boxes regularly, then it's worth it

Absolute high quality knives. Extremely well made. I really like all the different series that are offered as well as other kitchen tools and items. They have some very unique items and one of a kind. I got some of the gladiator series for my oldest son and the show gun series for my youngest son for Christmas. I even got a couple for myself. These knives will last a lifetime and beyond if they are taken care of. I'm a very happy and will be a life long customer. Many more items I will be ordering in the future.

Updated review! I was contacted by dalstrong within an hour of posting my 3 star review concerning my review. I was impressed with their genuine concern about my issues with the knife I purchased. The one I received had a less than perfect edge as I stated. They insisted on sending me a replacement, via expedited shipping. They followed thru on their promise and I received the replacement today. Again, packaged perfectly as expected. When I removed this knife from its sheath it has a perfect edge. I am very pleased with this one. The original knife is fine after I corrected the edge. This one came as it should have been. Thank you Dalstrong. My faith is restored in the company. They are upstanding and fair. I can only assume the first one I received slipped thru the finishing process. The replacement is perfect. Received the knife, it is very well packaged. Nice sheath, nice box, few things in with it. They say hand honed edge, I think not. This is a machined edge, and not very uniform. Wasn’t what I would call super sharp by any means. I tuned up the edge, took about an hour. It seems to be a decently hard blade. The knife itself is beautiful. Was only disappointed with the edge. Haven’t gotten to use it on meat yet, but glided easily through some tomatoes and onions. I’ll be buying a whole ribeye this weekend and will put it to the test. I’m pretty happy with the purchase. Just don’t expect a professional edge.

Update: 8/17/18: I reached out to Daltrong via their website to advise them of my dissatisfaction. They promptly and very courteously responded, and immediately sent out replacement knives. The replacement knives were what I hoped for, nice and sharp. I put them to use immediately and they performed to perfection. I am updating my one star review to 5 stars as a result of their outstanding customer service, and the high quality & performance of the replacements I received. This review is for the scimitar knife. I also purchased a pairing knife with it and will be posting the same review as below because the feedback is the same. So beyond disappointed in this. I read all the reviews across all the Dalstrong knives and all I see is how sharp and amazing they are...I ended up choosing Dalstrong over the Cangshan because of it. I was extremely excited and hopeful when I opened up the package. The box and presentation is absolutely perfect, everything you’d expect from a very high end product. The weight of the knife was a little lighter than I expected but nothing that would cause alarm. The blade definitely is not representative of the photos in terms of appearance with the Damascus lines. But the blade itself...was as sharp as a spoon. Absolutely positively awful. I couldn’t believe it. It was like having a Ferrari with a weed whacker engine vs a v12. This thing couldn’t cut a strawberry let alone a piece of meat. I do not recommend this at all and will be returning.

Update 2: +1 star (now 4 stars). I received a replacement unit. The unit was sharp for the entire length of the blade. This unit also had no issues on handle connection/adhesive leakage like the prior unit. The damascus pattern is different as one would expect although I can still say this damascus on these knives is not my favorite. I'm hopeful to get it under a microscope sometime to give insight in how the pattern is exposed. I suspect laser engraving. Cutting Testing Update 2: I tested this unit with a skirt steak that had been marinated with salt, lime juice, etc. Notably these are corrosive agents. The knife held up fine and as required I followed usage with an immediate wash. The knife held it's edge well cutting up around 4lbs of carne asada. I'll see how it holds it's edge long term but was happy with this short term result. Update 1: TBD direct compare against my other cimitar style blades. These are from my fishing filet set and I'll use to butcher another prime rib roast currently being dry aged (bone in). Review Method: Compare directly to my Wusthof Culinar and Yaxell Gou knives. The Yaxell and Dalstrong arrived the same day with factory edges. The Wusthof's are around 10 years old and I use the wicked edge for sharpening. Note, these are different styles of knives. Wusthof boning and 8" chef, Yaxell 8" Gyoto (Chef), and Dalstrong Shogun 10" Cimitar Sharpness: 1st Yaxell Gou 2nd Dalstrong 3rd Wusthof Culinar Fit and Finish 1st Yaxell 2nd Wusthof 3rd Dalstrong The first cut test was with a 40 day dry aged prime rib that needed the the pellicle trimmed. With the hardened pellicle the knife sharpness made little difference and the Wusthof boning knife was easily my preferred instrument with the cimitar being second given it's rigidity and ability to force it's way through the endcaps. The boning knife is just a lot more controllable and flexible for this style of cutting. The sharper Yaxell was less effective. Once past the harder pellicle the sharpness was clear. The Yaxell was significantly sharper than the Dalstrong with the Dalstrong being similar to the wicked edge sharpened Wuthof's. The Good: - Sharp enough for most people - A japanese steel AUS-10V or VG-10 Cimitar Indifferent: - Balance, the knife itself was balanced but felt heavy given its size The Bad: - My unit was sharp across the entire length but the last 3/4" or so of the tip was less sharp than the rest - My unit had adhesive that had squeezed out between the tang and the grip. See the white stuff in the photo - Damascus looks cheap to me. I can't describe it better than that. It's damascus but it looks like they it was an after thought to be more competitive with other makers. Photos are next to the Yaxell Gou 8" Gyoto. Overall, it's a good product but not above average (4-star) or exceptional (5-star) at this price range. Especially given the fit, finish, and attention to detail. There are now a lot of options out there competing in this space. Had there been a cimitar made by a Japanese knife maker I probably would have considered exchanging it. I do plan on purchasing more Dalstrong's in the future that also fit a nitch or are a good value/price. Most likely the Galdiator steak knives (VG-10 seems too chippy to be cutting on a plate) and the Shogun S Yanagiba (Nothing competitive in this price range).

Bought this to assist in the kitchen when I need longer cuts. The quality of this knife is unreal. The handle is very nice and has good feel and grip to it. But what amazes me is the sharpness. Is has more of a bevel on the blade than our conventional knives, that it creates a razor-like edge. Perfect for cutting off a chunk of Ribeye for the grill, slicing a ham or turkey, or even practicing your ninja skills (you might want to leave the sheath on for that one). I have been so impressed with this knife that I have since then purchased 6 more of Dalstrong's Shogun and Gladiator Series, such as the chef's knife, filet knife and others. All equally just as nice. Next purchase will be their 5" Santoku (Shogun series).

I'm not a professional butcher, but I know a lot about knives from my father who made exceptional knives starting from wood / metal files. I have purchased 5 Shogun series knives. With one exception, all were perfectly sharp (e.g.,cutting 1/16" slices from grape tomatoes with no down pressure at all). The 6" boning knife was too dull in my opinion. I sent a message to customer service and within 3 days, a new knife was at my front door. The CS rep told me to keep the defective one (I'll have it professionally sharpened). I worked for a company for >30 years which won the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality award both in the US and in Europe. It is a very rigorous process in which your company has to prove (across 3 year period) that you place customer satisfaction in everything one does. I believe Dalstrong is a small family business and they show the basic elements of concern for the customer. Moreover, all the knives work perfectly with no defects.