KATSURAWoodworking Project Kit – Gyuto Chef Knife Blank – 8 Inch – Japanese Premium AUS 10, 67 Layers Damascus Steel – NO LOGO

I love handcrafting these knives for my friends and family, slap some hardwood or acrylic on there and you’ve got a beautiful piece. I have, however, received a few of these that are quite warped at the bolster. I have a forge and powerful torch so I can correct it, but buyer beware, you may have to heat and straighten these before scales go on.

The damascus pattern is great and the blade is very sharp. However, it seems that the handle is not integral and was instead poorly welded on to the blade. As you can see from the attached pictures mine snapped as I was trying to finish the handle. To make matters worse I was almost done! It's too late to get a refund but at least I can offer a warning to others. To clarify, I have purchased this knife before and it worked great but this one didn't work out.

The media could not be loaded.  As a custom assembler I am always trying to ensure that my clients are getting the absolute best product for their price. When it comes to the better chef knife steel this KATSURA blank is really a great little blade! It came out of the package razor sharp, with all of the lines (bolster edges) perfectly straight and angled... the skeletonized handle frame is plenty strong but also cuts a lot of weight allowing more creativity w the handle without adding excessive weight - a major plus! It is always nice to not have to carve steel out of a handle to shed grams... I didn't use the provided fasteners (as I match mine to my wood) but they were provided including a custom mosaic accent pin....This knife was made for a guy who had never owned a "real" chef knife so I was overjoyed to hear that he spent the weekend "cutting things" with it... little did I know that he meant he was simulating Knife Fight events in his yard (I was thinking he was dicing onions...) but then the videos started coming in.... It is always icing on the cake to have such a happy customer - with this product, I don't think I will ever have to worry about it. Great steel, taken care of, will always cut like a dream... And this one definitely does!

There was a nick in the edge of the handle area that will be visible after scales are installed. This is a noticeable gouge in hard metal, and it's weird when the rest of the knife is really nice. The pattern of Damascus on the blade is pretty, the blade is smooth and comes with a decent factory sharp edge. A little honing when the knife is done and it will make a nice present. Would have been 5 stars but fir that gouge.

I usually don't do reviews but this was such a great product I felt like sharing a review This knife blank was made of great quality and craftsmanship and the pattern shows up real nice . the tang is made nicer than other knifes I purchased from another manufacturer and also includes a great mosaic pin and a great looking box that is great for gifts.

This was my first knife handle, and it couldn't have gone smoother! The person I gave this to loved it, and I am ordering one for me. This knife is super sharp and really holds the edge. BEAUTIFUL knife as well.

Nice, will purchase again.

I loved the knife arrived in perfect condition and sharp right out of the box. I made scales with zebra wood. It came out beautiful. And it was my first one I ever did now I'm hooked and have already ordered another life kit. Would definitely recommend. Lots of fun and I am proud of my knife I made.