First Impressions
First impressions of this knife are likely going to be based around the looks thanks to the visually striking black teflon coating but we'll first comment on the actual blades which share a similar grind, overall profile and light tsuchime finish with the very popular 33 layer VG10 and 45 layer AUS10 damascus lines.
As these are some of our longest stocked and most popular knives, we already know they are a well made and quality blade and so lets talk looks.
Beauty
The finish on these knives is a teflon coating and not a blacksmiths kurouchi finish. It's designed for the consistent black look and only the edge bevel shows the silver colour of the core steel and with the various handle choices available we'd say they're undoubtedly a good looking and eye catching blade if this look appeals to you - it's well done and will certainly stand out on a knife rack.
In Hand
Depending on your handle choice, the feel of the handle finish is a bit different with the burnt oak handle being smoother in hand over the slightly textured feel of the red lacquered version.
The blades themselves are comfortable when holding the larger ones in a pinch grip and generally well balanced and nimble in use across the range.
Durability
We have feeling you may wonder about the teflon coating ...
Lets be clear - all knives develop scratches and scrapes when you use and sharpen them, long term this is the same whether it's a teflon coating or a kurouchi finish. The only way to keep the finish perfect is not to use a knife.
With that said, in our testing the coating has remained in tact and looking good and there's no reason to expect that not to be the case longer term if you care for these knives as you would any other.
Ease of Care
The VG10 core steel is tried and tested and offers a proven edge that has a good balance between durability and retention although not the hardest steel, it's versatile and easy to sharpen and this is why it's widely used.
We would say that the biggest thing to be aware of when you have a coating like this is that it's going to be unforgiving of mistakes when sharpening on a whetstone.
If you scrape off the coating when sharpening then it's not something that comes back so be aware of this and either embrace that long term unless you're an exceptionally even handed sharpener, you're likely to end up with a more organically shaped line where the bevel meets the coating. If you're embracing this however, you're essentially making your own knife more unique with time!
Our Verdict
In short - quality knives that are always enjoyable to use, with a robust and easy to sharpen core steel and if you like the look then they're an easy one to pick based on looks alone.
The teflon finish is normally marketed as offering amazing food release but in all honesty it's not noticably better than most Japanese knives which offer good food release anyway so we'd probably say this finish would be more an aesthetic rather than purely performance decision.
If you like the specification of the steel but not sure about the looks or whether you want a coating, then it's easy to suggest Sakai Takayuki's other 33 layer range as an alternative.
