You'll forget this is an almost 10-inch chef's. It maneuvers so well, moving back and forth or side-to-side. That's because it is tough and it is hard. It will stand up to hours of work and hold an edge for months on end.  It has 133 layers of super-premium steel, ice hardened to 66 on the Rockwell. All that means to me is that I love cutting with every one of these knives. It is effortless. It makes my strokes elegant and I easily get into a rhythm when I am using a Miyabi Black. I love this line!