Global G-4 - 7 inch, 18cm Oriental Chef's 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  7-inch Oriental chef's knife (or santoku) 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 in 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 a 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 a ceramic  sharpener or a diamond steel instead of a metal sharpening steel  for its knives, supplemented by a synthetic whetstone, a ceramic whetstone, or a Shinkansen Sharpener.  Global also makes a sharpening guide set so  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