# Global Sai 9.5" review...



## Guest (Dec 11, 2013)

My wife got me a new Global for my birthday at the beginning of November. My old 10" global original was starting to show its age, and it was time to upgrade. After a little snafu at Williams and Sonoma I was able to get a hold of the new global sai 9.5". After a little over a month of use, I figured I would post a small review for people looking for a good knife.

oh, and a little about me, I have been a professional chef for 19 years. I am currently in a place just north of Indianapolis in a from scratch kitchen doing 300-400 covers on a Friday nite. I have used the Sai on a daily basis since I got it.

Positives:

Its heavy. way heavier than older global models.

very good balance

its a LONG knife

despite its length it is still easy to manipulate.

holds its edge very very well

the top of the blade is slightly rounded, right were your callous lands.

Cons:

The blade is fairly thick in the middle, which makes very delicate cuts frustrating. Brunoise can be a bit annoying. 

its takes a little getting used to the length of the blade.

the edge takes a couple of weeks to break in.

Review:

the knife feels huge in your hands. Even coming from my old (highly modified) 10" global this knife felt big. its just the design though. the handle is swept back a bit, but once you get used to it it feels fantastic in your hands. the weight and balance is spot on. but warned, it is heavy. almost twice as heavy as the traditional global chefs knife. my arm and wrist actually got fatigued the fist few days using it. again though, that passes. the weight definitely helps when plowing through 50# of carrots, something I wouldn't have even attempted with my old global.

Butchering is great with this knife. it takes the skin off a side of salmon like a champ, and taking down an entire strip loin is a breeze. The real test was slicing salmon steaks. I sliced up 3 whole salmon into steaks, and it went through like there were no bones in the fish at all. I was actually amazed.

about that top of the blade being rounded off. oh my god. I cant believe I haven't seen this before. my callous has literally been singing this knifes praises since the day I bought it. I cant praise this feature enough.

The knife holds an edge very very well. though it takes a week or two to break it in. I gently hit it on a 3000 grit water stone two weeks after I got it. once the factory sharpening started to curl. Since then all I have had to do is a few swipes with a diamond steel every day, and it is still sharp enough to effortlessly cut through an over ripe tomato.

Conclusion:

Awesome knife. a little out of the price range for some home chefs at $250 though. for the day to day uses in a professional kitchen though, it holds up very very well. well worth the money. I am extremely happy with the knife so far, and easily see it lasting me 20 years like my old one did. Also, it is just a beautiful knife.

if anyone has any questions, feel free to post them up.

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## mrshapiro (Oct 12, 2013)

For a 250$ you could got a better brand knife mate..

I dont like the global cause every one has it....they are like mcdonalds...people buy them cause of their name...

But if you like it enjoy it


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## mrshapiro (Oct 12, 2013)

Benuser said:


> Thanks, Jason, for your excellent, thorough review. Much appreciated. I was very curious what Global had introduced some 30 years after the lines we all know.
> @MrShapiro: have you actually owned or sharpened this knife??


One of my cooks has it...didnt got excited from her


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## mrshapiro (Oct 12, 2013)

Benuser said:


> That's indeed a solid foundation for the opinion you've expressed on it!


I didnt said its bad..but for a 250$ you can get better steel and brand...correct me if im wrong


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## chrismit (Nov 18, 2012)

Well said


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## dhmcardoso (Apr 29, 2013)

I've had a small set of Globals and I gotta admit I didn't like them much. When I got my K-Sab I felt in love. Now I am a japanese knifes enthusiast and have Konosuke HD, which is in the same price range, as my favorite baby.


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## chip (May 1, 2014)

Bought the 7.5 inch Sai chef's a few weeks ago and love it.  Out of the box, the blade wasn't quite as sharp as I would expect but after a few pulls on a ceramic rod the knife is sharp as hell (dry shaved my arm better than a straight razor).  In fact, far sharper than a Shun classic sumo santoku that I bought at the same time. I pretty much don't bother with the shun anymore unless I'm taking down potatoes or other large veggies as the wide, thin blade is still great for that task.  As the initial poster mentioned, the knife is heavy. Very western in weight profile though the balance is superb and ergonomics are unreal.  So far, the Sai has seemed bomb proof and has been a phenomenal every day knife. The edge holds well and is incredibly easy to maintain.  At $200, it's hard to call it a bargain and comping to Glestain and Misono UX in price.  However, all three knives share similar weight and hardness profiles so not sure one can really say there are far better knives available for the price.  Going to come down to personal preference and what it's being used for


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## jbb14 (Dec 1, 2014)

Do you still stand by your review?  I had been eyeing the older Global's for a while and was interested if you stand by your review of the Sai?  

Buying a knife set.  Haven't entirely ruled out other brands, either.  Thanks for any advice!


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## chef rawk (Nov 21, 2014)

I have currently 3 global knives in my collection. Global g55 chef knife, global g9 bread knife, gsf paring knife. The chef knife is the most amazing knife I've used and week never put it down.


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## Pagan Man (Apr 6, 2018)

I have owned many knives over the years and true as Benuser says above; the world is full of people with different likes and needs. I eventually gravitated to Global knives. The original line is a bit light weight but lasted ok. The forged versions were definitely more durable and lasted better. The new Sai line is nothing short of bombproof. It is a work of art, built like a tank, with an ease of use that’s an absolute joy. I have never come across such a knife joy and I assure you, I am a knife junkie.

For anyone who hasn’t held one yet - you should try it. They are heavy and here comes that preference thing again. I like heavy. Some people find joy in the lightweight and delicate. I am the opposite. I like substance and I think with it (in my mind) comes durability and longevity.

And did I mention, these knives are beautiful! But let’s talk about function. The weight helps you slice. The edge retention is probably a little longer than average and hammering really does help. I must admit I do now use a minosharpener every couple of weeks. The aficionados amongst you will scream, ‘philistne’ but I have both ceramic, regular and diamond steels in my collection and successfully edged many knives with these over the years - at the cost of some pretty ugly side scratches on my knives. Not any more. These Sai things are too gorgeous for that kind of randomness and besides, the minosharp is very effective! So if you say I lost my man card cos of that - so be it!. My knives work all day, they are comfortable to hold, I have never suffered from them being slick (I wash up if they get slimed at all). And they cut! OMG do they cut. All day, every day, chop, slice, pare, peel. It’s a real delight.

So there you have it - an opinion, of which everyone is entitled. In conclusion, if you like ‘heavy stuff’, if want ‘well made’ if you like that ‘stainless steel’ look and you enjoy a sharp blade, look at the Sai. Not everyone will pay the money and consequently not everyone will buy these - but yippee are they a joy to look at, hold and use!

Let me know if you agree! I don’t care if you don’t!


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