The knife came to me quite sharp. I was able to wash the knife and use it right away with great results. I have a LINK KING STONE that I will be using to sharpen it soon. I'm sure I will get good results. If I get anything but good results I will update this part of the review.
One thing that kind of surprised me though is that my knife was single bevelled on the right(luckily for a righty like me). I had read a question on here asking about the knife being double bevelled. So I have to wonder if this knife is designed to be double bevelled or single bevelled? Either way, sharpening will be easier and I have seen other sushi knives that are single bevelled. It is possible that this is a purposeful design.
The handle is great and is real mahogany. As a woodworker, I love to see mahogany finished the way it has been on this knife. The knife is full tang exactly as shown and has a very solid feel when handled.
This knife does not come with a saya(scabbard) so I definitely recommend picking one up. It will help protect the knife for decades to come. I personally got the 8.25inch version of this knife and so I picked up a Yoshihiro Lacquered Magnolia Wooden Blade Protector Saya Cover for Gyuto Chef Knife (210mm) to properly cover it while it is being stored.
Dimensions of the knife can be seen in the photos I have attached.
The box the knife comes in is very nice and decorative. This would make a great gift box.
Pros:
*Excellent metal composition
*Takes a great edge
*Great feel in the handle
*Very solid construction
Cons:
*None
Additional Considerations:
You can spend many hundreds of dollars on a great Gyuto. This knife definitely hangs with the pros for a superior price. It is still a bit steep compared to the average knife sets you see in North American kitchens, but I wouldn't look anywhere else unless you have a very specific requirement of the knife (like being able to cut bone or something like that).
This knife will do most everything you need--even if you are a professional chef.
Overall: 5/5 stars (>=.5 rounds up, <.5 rounds down) => 5 stars
If you have any further questions regarding the product in my review please leave a comment below and I will get back to you as soon as possible.