Global GS-1 - 4 1/4 inch, 11cm Preparation Paring Knife
High-tech from tip to handle, Global knives from Japan created  a sensation when they burst onto the world's culinary stage as an  alternative to traditional European-style cutlery. Blades are made of  hard molybdenum/vanadium stainless steel and "face-ground" with a long  taper, rather than a short bevel, so edges remain sharp longer than  even the best high-carbon stainless-steel knives. Edges also are ground  at a more acute angle than traditional European-style knives and arrive  from the factory razor sharp. Although Global also makes a heavyweight  line for cooks who prefer hefty knives, its original knives--of which  this 4-1/4-inch paring knife is an example--have thinner blades and are  lighter than traditional European-style knives. Global also dispensed  with bolsters on its original knives to reduce weight. Global achieves  balance on these knives by injecting a precise amount of sand for a  particular blade style into a hollow handle. To ensure balance is  continuous, the sand flows inside the handle as the cook maneuvers the  blade. A finger notch between blade and handle provides safety.Stainless-steel handles are Global's most striking feature. They're  molded to fit the hand and dimpled to resist slipping. Smaller around  than many European-style handles, they're easy for small-handed cooks  to grasp, and the seamless construction between handle and blade is  more sanitary. This knife's wedge-shaped handle is particularly well  engineered for grasping securely with a relaxed hand. Global recommends  using aceramic  sharpeneror a diamond steel instead of a metal sharpening steel  for its knives, supplemented by a synthetic whetstone, aceramic whetstone, or aShinkansen Sharpener.  Global also makes asharpening guide setso  blades can be honed on a whetstone at the proper angle. Global knives  should be hand washed to protect edges. They carry a lifetime warranty  against defects and breakage.--Fred Brack