I purchased this knife 4 months ago and I couldn't be happier with its performance, but first the cons - deep etched damascus has a little drag, handle has some small gaps, and spine and choil are a tad sharp (this is easy to fix with some sandpaper and 10 minutes of your time). As for the knife itself, the steel takes a very sharp edge and stays sharp for a considerable amount of time. The blade lends itself to very easy cutting with a nice balance between food release and falling through the food and the handle very comfortable if just a bit plain. Great knife and I would have been happy paying twice the price for it.