I have had this knife for almost two years now. It does indeed come out of the box very sharp; I've had fingertips remind me of the fact a few times. It is well balanced and fits well in my hand; the pro bolster definitely helps with the fit. Using it is very natural, and it cuts like a dream.One thing I will say: the metal is definitely softer than a conventional high-end chef knife; the seller says as much in the description. If you want to keep that keen edge, you'll need to maintain it a lot more. I would say that I am a moderate daily home user, and I will hone it with a strop and maybe steel every time I use it. Even doing this, I find that I have to properly sharpen it with a 1000/3000 grit stone every one to two months. I've never needed anything more aggressive unless I damaged it (happened only once).That said, I like this knife very much and would recommend it to any home user that values sharp knives.