good communications from the seller and the knife came directly from japan. :) i was pleased as punch to find that the metal was of excellent quality. i am still using the factory sharpness even after weeks. some flaws are: the spine is not smoothed out, the thickness of the nakiri usuba (vegetable) knife is way too thick. i am certain that this would have been a better knife if it was thinner. it would not be less strong if it were thinner, so i don't know why they did not make it much thinner.the dimples are not enough to prevent sticking. it still deserves 5+ stars because if i could i would give it a 6 or 7. why? because it is just excellent in so many ways. the small 7cm knife is superb. the other mini santoku is my wife's favourite for meat because it is light and cuts like a hot knife through butter.*** additional observations and thoughts after 6 months of use ***1)honing tips: i have only had to do the gentlest of leather strops to get it back to the factory sharpness (if not more). even extra fine stones and diamond whetstones are way too coarse and not advisable as this knife is capable of a very fine edge. --> this ultra fine sharpness stays good for 2 months of everyday use!2)it has become a frequently used knife. so far it has been 100% stainless. we are a family of five and our kitchen is a busy place. so not having to worry about the knife being wet is good.3)storage tips: do not throw it naked in a cutlery drawer or knife block if you can help it. if you can find a wooden tray or box to store it safely then that is best as this is a sharp knife with a very long taper. so the knife gets very thin halfway from the top, or the spine as it's called. we still use the paper box it came in which is inside a drawer. so in my opinion it is a good idea not to throw away the little cardboard gift--box it comes in!4)after 6 months of use i still think it deserves more than 5 stars! thanks for reading.