It's a rough and tumble knife. I save the big bucks for my main knives and look for knives that offer a lot performance at a moderate cost. I use a Kikuichi in my work kit and a Tojiro at home. They both do very well, but for the sheer bang for the buck, I can't say enough about the Tojiro. If I lost either one, I'd replace it with a Tojiro.