Shun Kaji Bread Knife

This is undoubtedly the best knife I have bought. It's also the most expensive but the ease with which it goes through my crusty sourdough means it's worth every penny.Excellent service from Culinaire.

I have been using a number of Japanese knives, in particular Global and Tojiro. This is the first time I buy a Kai Shun Kaji. Like many (I imagine!) I was put off by the price tag, which is twice as much as that of Global, for example. However I must say that the price difference is justified, for the following reasons:1. The knife is MUCH sharper. The edge is incredibly thin and sharp, truly razor-like. Neither Global nor Tojiro have that fineness and sharpness of edge.2. The knife holds its edge better. This is because the steel is much harder than both Global (Rockwell 59-60) or Tojiro (Rockwell 60-61). On the Kai Shun Kaji the steel is 63-64, and you can really tell the difference. This makes Kai Shun Kaji knives harder to sharpen too, but so far I haven't needed to do it (whereas I have to hone the Tojiro and the Global knives regularly).3. The finish on the blade is incredibly smooth. This is important because it means that the knife glides down when you cut with it. I had never experienced cutting 'as through butter' but this is what it is like when you cut bread. It's hard to describe, the blade just glides through, with very little effort, and you're surprised when the knife meets the chopping board. It's as if the blade just fell down the bread. Previously I was using a Tojiro bread knife (their top of the range model) and thought that it was a pretty good knife but there is NO COMPARISON with the Shun Kaji. The bread does not stick to the knife and slicing it becomes effortless. I was amazed. If, like me, you have a back problem, you will really appreciate the ease of cutting.EDIT: upon washing the knife thoroughly after cutting the bread for the first time, I discovered that it had a very thin, water soluble protective film on the sharper side and along the serrations (it's sharpened asymmetrically). Even with that film on it cut that well! Now without the film it is surgically sharp, and so incredibly easy.4. The handle is very comfortable: Global knives have notoriously uncomfortable handles but this one just fits my hand. It is smooth, beautifully textured (Pakka wood) and feels just right. It is a little bigger than on the Tojiro and that makes it nicer to hold, even for someone with small hands like me.5. Finally, the balance of the knife is exquisite: Global knives are oddly balanced, all blade and little handle. That makes them feel heavy (front loaded) if the blade is long. Tojiro are the opposite, weighed in the handle. But the Kai Shun Kaji are perfectly weighed and this makes them feel very light in the hand even though they are heavy knives.The result: much less fatigue in the hands and shoulders, greater precision and perfect cuts. Prepping vegetables becomes a joy, as does slicing the roast!What more could one ask for? If you're looking for something that will cut bread like it's a cloud, then this is your tool. Just make sure you never put it in the dishwasher (the hot water and strong detergent would affect the carbon in the steel); also, dry it before putting it back on its rack. I oil my Shun Kaji very lightly before returning them to the rack but I don't think that you absolutely need to.That's all I can think of... I hope that this is of some help.