Purchase Chef's Choice Trizor Professional Chef's Knife 8-in.

We ordered these knives (8- and 10-inch) for our restaurant kitchen back in 2006 and it was a decision we quickly came to regret: they didn't hold up well at all under the stress of daily use and we were out a lot of money. The handles discolored after the first month and being unbalanced (blade-heavy), they made your fingers ache after a while. On top of that, we spent more time sharpening and resharpening them than actually cutting. In the end our frustration led to throwing them out. We didn't feel right donating them to a charity kitchen given their inherent flaws.

Chef's Choice is a low-end sharpener company that delved into the knife business a few years back and garnered a handful TV-celebrity chef endorsements. This is a knife for the Rachel Ray/Emeril/Paula Deen crowd at best. Since then, that crowd has moved on to even cheaper knives. Blade hardness is only one of many factors that comprise a good knife. That 60Rc rating that hacks like Chad Ward ("An Edge in the Kitchen") promote actually works against you in the kitchen because you're ALWAYS sharpening this knife because it's so brittle! But Chad likes it so much his book is virtually a Chef's Choice marketing pamphlet. Chad's book only recommends you use three knives in the kitchen, and of those three, he finds no value in Santoku knives. That alone should tell you he's a reporter, not a chef, and his book is composed of outdated and misguided information about the knife industry.

Take it from someone who's worked in professional kitchens and restaurants for a lifetime, skip this knife and skip this brand. Your hard-earned money is better spent elsewhere. Also, I could care less where my knives are made. There's a reason why the best knives have been made in Germany and Japan for centuries -- because they're the best at it and have been in the business with chefs since the beginning.Get more detail about Chef's Choice Trizor Professional Chef's Knife 8-in..