The Miyabi birchwood nakiri is a beautiful work of art. It came incredibly sharp out of the box and cuts as good as it looks. Fit and finish is outstanding and while I’ve only had it for one week, my cutting experience with it is fantastic so far. Balance of the knife is right about at the middle point. Handle comfort is great. As is evident from photos this nakiri has a little bit of curve and a slighlty slopes tip rather than a squared off edge. This makes its shape slightly different than most nakiris although for all practical purposes it performs the same. There are many good nakiris that can be found at a lower price point but the birchwood series is clearly for a buyer who is also interested in the aesthetic of the knife. And this is a work of art.