I reserve 5-stars for items that are mind-blowing in quality. This knife has replaced my original Chef's knife in the kitchen so I would say it comes pretty close to 5-stars. It is surprisingly light and balanced, but the weight seems mainly in the grip area. It is so sharp that my wife lopped off one of her fingernail tips accidentally. She has a greater respect for it now! The santoku has just enough curve in it to rock back and forth for finely mincing garlic if needed. Since the blade is so light, an experienced wielder can perform those rapid chopping motions with ease. I would say that my skills are not good enough to utilize this knife to its full potential. :)
[update 10-10-06] I used the santoku on raw carrots recently and I was amazed at how little effort was required! The knife is so well balanced that I could cut through a 1-in. diameter carrot with the near tip of the knife. No sawing or rocking motion required...just straight down cut!
[update 3-29-07] Still lovin' my Santoku! It is still sharp and I haven't sharpened it once! 4 stars

I am a culinary-school educated SAHM who loves to cook gourmet meals for my friends and family. I use all of my cook's knives frequently, and needed one that would cut and chop fruits and veggies (and herbs) better than my chef's knife. I'd been shopping around for a well-reviewed santoku (after seeing all my favorite Food Network show hosts using them), and decided on this one after reading the reviews and liking the economical price...I figured, if I didn't end up liking it, I wouldn't be out a lot of money. Well, I absolutely LOVE this knife. I recommend it to anyone looking for a good (if not great) santoku knife. My sister recently visited, and while helping make dinner one night, commented on how much she loved the knife...I'm certain that my glowing recommendation is going to lead her to buy the same knife! Great product, great value...would buy again in a heartbeat. 5 stars

I bought this knife to fill the gap between my 8" and 5" blades. I use many OXO products but this is my first OXO knife. I find it is a good priced mid grade product, which is what I expected. It came fast and sharp, it feels great and fits my hand very well. I gave it 10 passes on my OXO pro steel hone and I can now shave with it. Overall I am very pleased with my new knife.
It may become my everyday knife.

I paid 19.95 with free shipping here @ Amazon. Well worth the price. I will update later after some use.

UPDATE 03/17/07:
Well I have found that this is my daily blade not because its the best one out there, but because of its fit to me. I have big hands and I find the blade nicely balanced. As far as the edge goes, I am pleased with the ease of keeping it very sharp. After use I hand wash/dry it (as I do with all my blades) then give it 5 strokes on the steel and its as sharp as ever an ready for the next job. Sounds like some of the reviwers need to learn how to use a steel. 5 stars

This knife has a great balance in your hand, good quality stainless steel, easy to sharpen and clean, as well as a comfy grip handle. 5 stars

Such a great bargain for such a sharp and practical knife. This outshines several older and more expensive cooking knives in our kitchen.
OXO does it again with universal design, practicality and guaranteed satisfaction.
Our new knife of choice for most cooking applications. With this and a boning knife, smaller paring, chef's knife and long-thin slicer there is no need for more knives. Well----- a serrated bread knife and serrated utility knife are nice to have too...OXO covers all those needs. 5 stars