GLOBAL has razorsharp straight edge sharpened by hand at a 15% angle. Thinner blades for lighter weight giving you more agility with less fatigue. Perfect balance using a weighted hollow handle. No bolster design allowing for full edge use and full-blade sharpening. All stainless steel construction with slip free handle.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 are also 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 all-purpose 7-inch hollow-ground Santoku knife is an example–have thinner blades and are lighter than traditional European-style knives.

Global also did away with bolsters on its original knives to reduce the weight. Balance is achieved 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 blade is maneuvered. A finger notch between the 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 seamless for sanitation. 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 Rail so blades can be honed on a whetstone at the proper angle. Global knives should be hand washed to protect edges, and they carry a lifetime warranty against defects and breakage. –Fred Brack

Product Features

• All-purpose 7-inch hollow-ground Santoku knife for chopping, dicing, and slicing
• Blade made of high-tech molybdenum/vanadium stainless steel
• Face-ground with long taper so edge remains sharp longer
• Stainless-steel handle molded for comfort and dimpled for safe grip
• Measures approximately 11 by 3 inches; wash by hand; lifetime warranty