As an amateur cook, enjoying making meals for myself or my daughters, I regard a good set of knives as essential. I used Sabatier until my daughters left home ... and looted my kitchen. My decision to invest in some Global knives was therefore both a necessity and an adventure. They are very different in weight and feel from the Sabatiers, or from more 'traditional' knives.A one-piece, solid metal design, the 20cm is deceptively light and slim bladed. If you are used to the weight of a Sabatier, you immediately assume you will have to press harder when using it, you sense that there is something inadequate about the Global. In reality, of course, it is beautifully balanced and practically effortless to use - if you are coming from using a Sabatier or a heavier knife, getting used to the weight when using a rocking motion is a bit awkward at first, but persevere, you'll find the cutting is more delicate.
Even when wet, the handle is safe and non-slip. Because this is a single forging, there is no danger of the handle coming loose, or of dirt building up in the joints - cleaning is much easier ... but avoid dishwashers, they destroy edges! The handle is cold to the touch but rapidly warms and is very comfortable in use. It also feels slightly slimmer than the Sabatiers, so may suit smaller hands.
Although a one piece, there is no danger of your hand slipping onto the blade edge - the blade curls back towards the handle making it impossible for your hand to slip forward towards the cutting edge.
The cutting edge is superb - tempered, hardened, stainless steel, compared in the adverts to a samurai sword blade. It keeps extraordinarily well. (Use a soft plastic chopping board, not a metal or glass one!) Global recommend that you use a water stone or ceramic whetstone for occasional re-sharpening - this buffs up the edge. Using a traditional steel can bruise the metal and actually make the edge more fragile. A stone polishes the edge down to an even sharpness.
And I've taken advice and bought a magnetic strip to hang up my knives - if you are going to invest in a high quality blade, take care of it and don't chuck it in the kitchen drawer where its edge can get damaged. Of course, if you have young children in the house, make sure all knives are safely locked away. Used properly, this is a superb knife, but grabbed by curious young fingers, the edge could be unforgiving.
This is an extraordinarily beautiful tool. As a practical design, I am absolutely confident of its quality - I think it looks great, too, but that really is a matter of taste.
