Global 8-Inch 20cm Cook's Knife

Stainless-steel handles are Global's most striking feature. They're molded to fit the hand and dimpled to resist slipping. Smaller around than many European-style handles, they're easy for small-handed cooks to grasp and seamless for sanitation. Global recommends using a ceramic sharpener or a diamond steel instead of a metal sharpening steel for its knives, supplemented by a synthetic whetstone, a ceramic whetstone, or a Shinkansen sharpener. Global also makes a Sharpening Guide Rail so blades can be honed on a whetstone at the proper angle. Global knives should be hand washed to protect edges. They carry a lifetime warranty against defects and breakage. --Fred Brack

Product Description
This 8-in. all-purpose Chef's Knife is Global's most popular knife. Your top choice for slicing large quantities of vegetables, fruit and meat quickly and effectively. Loved by professional chefs around the world, Global knives are an excellent choice for the serious home cook. The thin and razor sharp Global blade allows the cook to cleanly slice through foods, preserving the integrity of the ingredient and maximizing its flavor. The majority of Global knives are ground to a straight point rather than the western style of beveling the edge. To balance their knives Global uses a hollow handle that is filled with just the right amount of sand to create the correct balance. The handle has its own unique darkened dimples for a non-slip grip. Because the knives are very light weight they reduce hand fatigue. Global knives have a smooth contour and seamless, all stainless construction that eliminates food and dirt traps. Global knifes are forged in Japan from CROMOVA 18 Stainless Steel, a blend of 18 percent chromium for good stain resistance plus molybdenum and vanadium which gives excellent edge retention.

Having used this knife for several years now, my initial impressions haven't changed. This is still my favorite knife for most tasks. I maintain it regularly with a steel and it is as sharp as it ever was. I have found though that for certain tasks like cutting slits into an onion for dicing or cutting root vegetables, I do prefer a heavier knife (that's why I bought another forged global knife), but that is just personal preference. All in all, a great general purpose kitchen knife.


Great value - great knife   April 3, 2002
Julian P Killingley (Wakefield, United Kingdom)
27 out of 27 found this review helpful

I have been a keen amateur chef for more than 30 years. I was given a full set of Sabatier chef's knives as a wedding present and have been using them since 1970. I had recently decided that 30+ years of sharpening had taken their toll on the Sabatiers and that new knives were called for - but what should I buy?

At heart I am a traditionalist and the appearance of the Global range had put me off them. Fortunately I recently read Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential and noted his ringing endorsement of the Global range. I decided to buy the 8-inch chef's knife to see how I got on with it. I have never looked back!

Despite its rather unconventional look, the knife has excellent ergonomic design. It is well balanced, readily gripped when wet and astoundingly sharp. TMOT, you are unlikely ever to meet a sharper knife. Hold a sheet of paper from the top with one hand out in front of you and then cut downwards with the other - this knife readily cuts the paper without it being tensioned. That is what we mean by a sharp knife.

As noted in the Amazon description, the knife's handle is fairly small. My hand is a medium male hand - about 3.25 inches or 8.5 cm across its back. The knife is an excellent fit for my hand - and could probably accommodate a hand upto 4 inches or 10 cm across the back. However, I have seen some chefs with meaty hands that might find this knife a less than perfect fit. The knife is fairly light - it weighs 5.5 ounces or 160 grammes.

In all I am well satisfied with this purchase and shall go on to replace all my Sabatiers with the Global equivalents. Oh yes - and if you haven't yet read Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential, buy that too - but be careful not to cut yourself when you start laughing thinking about some of the things he has to say about professional cooks...


Best. Knife. Ever.   February 16, 2006
Stephen Green (Colorado Springs, CO United States)
26 out of 26 found this review helpful

I've been a German knife snob for years. But this 8-inch chef's knife by Japan's Global is the finest blade I've ever owned. Period.

Maybe it's not as easy to sharpen as a Wustof or a Henckel, but then again, it holds its edge ten times longer.

I've spent ten years and hundreds (and hundreds and hundreds!) of dollars collecting German steel. Global is so good that it has me thinking of starting all over again.


superior knife   January 20, 2003
16 out of 16 found this review helpful

As a professional cook, I don't like to waste time with gadgets or gimmicks at work. I was tired of the the dull, poor quality knives that my company supplies. I had the opportunity to try a Wusthoff knife during a busy shift. While it was better than the company knives,the weight made delicate tasks difficult. I held the Global at a cutlery shop and immediately noticed the balance and light weight it possesed. I purchased it on the spot. The knife is the best I have ever used. Global was able to produce a superior knife and it has proven itself day in and day out by handling everything from cutting frozen beef to slicing through tomatoes with ease. I will never go back to another brand, the knife is THAT good.


This knife is SO wonderful!   July 17, 2003
Dave Hansen (United States)
40 out of 46 found this review helpful

I have always had cheap knives and I decided to check out what everyone was raving about with this knife. WOW! I used to cut carrots and have to reach my forefinger over the back of the knife blade to keep each carrot piece from flying across the room as I cut it. This thing just glides through the carrot and the pieces stay on the cutting board. The first time I cut a potato I got so excited, my wife thought I was nuts. I kept oohing and ahhing. It just glides right through. And it looks like it will last forever..