Global 5-Inch Cook's Knife Review

For many people it probably is.
I've had this knife for nine years now, and I also have a full set of Global knives, but this little beauty is the one I reach for most often.
Why?
Because it is superbly sharp,lightweight in the hand and well balanced.Unlike those huge kitchen knives you see on tv cooking programmes,this knife is small enough to be easily manipulated, but large enough to tackle all routine kitchen duties. The 5" blade is long enough for almost all kitchen tasks, but short emough to give the user complete control.
Like all Global knives the GS 3 is SHARP !!!.Try chopping up vegetables, or slicing tomatoes or potatoes.The knife just glides through as if the veges were cooked.
This superb Japanese knife is streets ahead of European knives.
To maintain the blade, I recommend using a ceramic sharpening rod, made by Global (or Kyocera, which is cheaper). Every few months the blade will need resharpening.You can do thisyourself, using Japanese waterstones (King, or Shapton,or Norton in grit sizes 1000 up to 8000) and cheap Mino Sharp guides to maintain the edge angle (check my other reviews for more details).
If you can't be bothered doing this yourself,take it to a competent expert knife sharpener and tell him you need a 12 to 15 degree angle on the edge.

addendum:- since writing this review I have purchased other Japanese kitchen knives from japanesechefsknivesdotcom, and the Hiromoto AS carbon steel knives are even better.

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Product Description:
This 5.25-in. Utility Knife is hardworking.Excellent for preparing snack, sandwiches or salads.Great all purpose knife for those with small hands or those that feel more confident working with shorter blades.Loved by professional chefs around the world, Global knives are an excellent choice for the serious home cook.The thin and razor sharp Global blade allows the cook to cleanly slice through foods, preserving the integrity of the ingredient and maximizing its flavor.The majority of Global knives are ground to a straight point rather than the western style of beveling the edge. To balance their knives Global uses a hollow handle that is filled with just the right amount of sand to create the correct balance. The handle has its own unique darkened dimples for a non-slip grip.Because the knives are very light weight they reduce hand fatigue.Global knives have a smooth contour and seamless, all stainless construction that eliminates food and dirt traps.Global knifes are forged in Japan from CROMOVA 18 Stainless Steel, a blend of 18 percent chromium for good stain resistance plus molybdenum and vanadium which gives excellent edge retention.

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Global 7-Inch Deba Knife Review

Professional cook here. I don't use this knife as an all purpose knife. It wasn't intended to be one. I've tried to, but it doesn't work very well as one. It being single bevel, it tends to make the wrist turn while cutting hard objects like carrots, which is why it shouldn't be used in place of a chef's knife. Debas are meant to be used for breaking down whole chickens (not cutting the bones though) and butchering fish (can cut fish bones).

While the Global deba (and all Global knives in general) is very sharp out of the box, it is because of the concave edge they put on it, not the traditional V edge. It stays sharp longer, but without special equipment, one cannot sharpen Globals to the same factory edge with just sharpening stones.

I don't see how Global can really classify this knife as a deba though. It's too thin to be a real deba and rather light. Debas are usually twice as thick and have a tougher edge, rather than the delicate edge on the Global deba. I had to sharpen this knife to a more obtuse angle to use it for its intended purpose because the edge kept on rolling or chipping. Plus, it's rather expensive. There are much better debas out there made with better steels for the same price or cheaper. I applaud Global for being unique in their designs, but function over form is extremely important with knives in the professional kitchen. A deba is meant to be used and abused with no babysitting.

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Product Description:
This 7-in. Asian Deba Knife is sharpened on the right side of the blade only, making it suitable only for right handed cooks. The mirror finish near the blades edge encourages ingredients to fall away from the knife and allows the cook to keep ingredients pristine. Loved by professional chefs around the world, Global knives are an excellent choice for the serious home cook.The thin and razor sharp Global blade allows the cook to cleanly slice through foods, preserving the integrity of the ingredient and maximizing its flavor.The majority of Global knives are ground to a straight point rather than the western style of beveling the edge. To balance their knives Global uses a hollow handle that is filled with just the right amount of sand to create the correct balance. The handle has its own unique darkened dimples for a non-slip grip.Because the knives are very light weight they reduce hand fatigue.Global knives have a smooth contour and seamless, all stainless construction that eliminates food and dirt traps.Global knifes are forged in Japan from CROMOVA 18 Stainless Steel, a blend of 18 percent chromium for good stain resistance plus molybdenum and vanadium which gives excellent edge retention.

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Global GS 11 6-Inch Flexible Utility Knife Review

Global makes terrific products and this knife is no exception.I suggest buying a ceramic "steel" to maintain this knife's razor sharp edge.

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Product Description:
Flexible Utility Knife

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Global 8-Inch Heavyweight Vegetable Knife Review

The first time I used this knife, I knew from that second that this would beone of the most treasured items in my kitchen.I LOVE it.I have Henckels & Wusthof knives, but this knife is by far the best.When I prepare a meal, my favorite part is when I get to use my knife.I cannot possibly express to you how truly wonderful this knife really is.Buy it!Buy it!BUY IT!You won't be sorry (except when you aren't paying attention and cut yourself)!I only wish I had the money to purchase a whole set; I will one day...

Update: I also purchased the "Global 10-Inch Diamond Sharpening Steel" and WOW - it's amazing.If your knife is a little on the dull side, run it over the sharpener a few times, and BAM!It's as sharp as it was when you bought it.Simply amazing.

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Product Description:
Global 8 in. Heavy Weight Forged Vegetable Knife Global GF-36

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Global 4-Inch Paring Knife Review

While renovating my meager kitchen, I recently splurged, spending over $330 on two Shun Elite knives. They were hand made Japanese knives--sexy and sleek, beautiful to look at it--and very sharp with a gleaming edge. They caught your eye with a dazzling patterned blade.

A friend, inspired by my kitchen equipment renovation, went out and bought Global knives, preferring them for his high-tech shiny stainless kitchen. He asked me over for a cutlery show-down with my new Shun Elites. I was ready to rub his Globals into the dust with my Shun Elites!

After an entire afternoon of chopping and comparing, we both came to the same overwhelming conclusion--the Globals were sharper and easier to use. It's not that they are sharper per say, but if you examine them closely, the Global's edges are slightly concave, and are burred and rough, while the Shun Elites are polished to a gleaming and shiny finish, and taper to a much more straight point. My friend and I both felt that the Global's burred concave edges allowed the Globals to sorta gripe and slice/slid through everything from carrots to meat with more ease than the Shun's polished and acute edge. Because of this ease, we can also logically foresee the Global's staying sharper longer as well, despite the higher rockwell rating of the Shun's high tech SG-2 powder steel. However, who knows...?

We even tried shaving hair off of our arms, and the Globals won this test with ease. They are incredibly balanced and just seem to bounce in your hands.

This "Spear" 4" paring knife in particuar has a funky "ergonomic" handle that many have critizized, but I LOVE it! I fits my large manly man hands WONDERFULLY and makes this knife everything I have wanted in a small paring style knife. I can see where if you had smaller hands, this might not be the right choice for you--you might want to check out Global's Western style paring knife, which feels like the same ol' Henckels or Wusthoff to me--MUCH prefer the more comfortable and molded feel of this much more modern design...!

I loved my Shun Elites--they were sexy and beautiful. But the Globals were obviously designed by and for chefs--they are much easier and nicer to use, and as I said, they just effortlessly (read rip) through any food with no effort at all; I was very impressed--so much so that I returned my Shun Elites and exchanged them for a complete set of Globals, which are less than half the cost of the Elites--and I got twice as many knives (never have had a good bread or boning knife before!)

I highly recommend that if you are searching for truly sharp (as in Hello, Mr. Winter Squash!), easy to use kitchen cutlery, that feels like an extension of your hand and arm, that you check out Globals--the Shun Elites possibly as well. They are both wonderful knives, but I genuinely have to say I see why Globals are so popular with professional Chefs--they are awesome knives--maybe not as sexy and hand crafted as the Shun's, but they more than make up for that with an incredible ergonomic ease and free flowing sharpness that makes them a joy to use.

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Product Description:
Global GS-7 4" Parer

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Global 3-Inch Paring Knife Review

Just bought this Global GSF-46 paring knife for my wife for Mother's Day. I am a huge fan of Global's forged knives as I like a heavier knife that is wicked sharp. The blade is wicked sharp as expected, but unexpectedly wafer thin. Note the dimensions above (I didn't) at .02 inches.

I'd describe the handles as being about the same width as a butter knife or letter opener. That is not to say it's bad, just thinner than expected. Smaller hands may especially like this feature. The pictures don't convey this aspect at all and as normal, most Global descriptions focus on how Global knives are different from other makers, rather than the attributes of a particular knife.

Since we just started using it I'm remaining open minded to the new handle style (compared to the relatively cylindric regular handles). After using it to peel a wide variety of fruits and vegetables I am getting used to the new style, and may very well end up liking it better this the larger handles of the competitors conventional knives.

Most importantly, the blade is sharp and holds an edge like all other forged Globals. I am confident I'll have no problems sharpening it with the Global ceramic rod.

Overall, great little knife that easily usurped several of our lower quality paring knives in one fell swoop. I look forward to many years of dependable service.

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Product Description:
Global's three-inch paring knife, with its thin and razor-sharp blade, allows serious home cooks to cleanly slice through fruits and vegetables. High-tech from tip to handle, Global knives from Japan are made of hard molybdenum/vanadium stainless steel. They feature a long taper so edges remain sharp longer than high-carbon stainless-steel knives. Global achieves balance 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 you maneuver the blade. A finger notch between the blade and the handle provides safety. The stainless-steel handles are molded to fit the hand and dimpled to resist slipping. Smaller around than many European-style handles, they're easy to grasp, and the seamless construction between handle and blade is more sanitary. 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 knives should be hand-washed to protect edges. They carry a lifetime warranty against defects and breakage.

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Global Hollow Ground 7-Inch Vegetable Knife Review

As an aspiring Chef, i am very picky about my knives. I have tried Wusthof, JA Henckels, Calphalon, etc..., and so far this is the best. The only knives comparable to Global, are Furi !

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Product Description:
Global 7 in. Vegetable Knife, Hollow Ground Global G-56

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Global Hollow Ground 7-Inch Vegetable Knife Review

As an aspiring Chef, i am very picky about my knives. I have tried Wusthof, JA Henckels, Calphalon, etc..., and so far this is the best. The only knives comparable to Global, are Furi !

Click Here to see more reviews about: Global Hollow Ground 7 Inch Vegetable Knife

Product Description:
Global 7 in. Vegetable Knife, Hollow Ground Global G-56

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