Hezhen Ultimate 8.3" Chef
Hezhen's flagship chef knife — Austrian BOHLER M390 powder core wrapped in 145 layers of Damascus, finished with a DLC coating and a solid carbon-fiber handle.
Pros
- +M390 powder steel core — top-tier edge retention and corrosion resistance
- +145-layer Damascus cladding with DLC coating for scratch and rust resistance
- +Genuine carbon fiber handle with G10 liners — light, rigid, grippy
- +S-shaped bolster and rounded spine/choil eliminate hot spots
Cons
- −Factory grind is on the thick side behind the edge — thinning transforms it
- −DLC coating can scuff on ceramic hones — use stones or leather strops
- −Premium price for a Chinese brand — you're paying for the steel and finish
Full review
Design
The Ultimate Series is Hezhen's showpiece: an 8.3-inch chef knife built around an Austrian BOHLER M390 powder-steel core, 145 layers of Damascus cladding, and a DLC (diamond-like carbon) coating that gives the blade a matte black finish while adding real scratch and rust resistance. The handle is solid carbon fiber with black G10 liners, hand-finished. Designer STEVE ZHENG's S-shaped bolster and tapered spine give the knife a modern silhouette that actually functions — the geometry reduces pinch-grip fatigue.
Edge retention
M390 is one of the best stainless powder steels made — high vanadium and chromium carbides in a fine-grained matrix. Heat-treated by BOHLER Shanghai to 60±2 HRC, this blade will hold a working edge for months of home use and shrug off acidic ingredients that would stain lesser stainless. Sharpen it on quality stones (diamond or ceramic) — M390's carbide content will glaze cheap aluminum-oxide stones. A leather strop keeps it screaming sharp between sharpenings.
Ergonomics
At 196 g the knife is light for an 8.3-inch chef, and the carbon-fiber handle keeps the balance right at the bolster. The 141 mm handle fits a full grip comfortably, and the rounded spine and choil mean no hot spots even after long prep sessions. The S-bolster gives your index finger a clear index point in a pinch grip, and the blade tapers thin toward the tip for detail work. It's a knife that disappears in your hand.
Value
At $255 this competes with Japanese M390/SG2 chef knives in the $350–$500 range, and the finish holds up to that comparison. What you're paying for: genuine BOHLER M390 (not a knockoff), proper heat treatment, DLC coating, carbon-fiber handle, and Master-series fit and finish. The one caveat, as with most Hezhen blades, is a slightly thick factory grind — 20 minutes on a stone taking it thinner and this becomes a knife that competes with anything at any price.
Specifications
| Brand | Hezhen |
|---|---|
| Series | Ultimate |
| Type | Chef knife |
| Blade Material | 145-layer Damascus |
| Core Steel | BOHLER M390 powder steel (Austria) |
| Core Hardness | 60±2 HRC |
| Blade Length | 8.3 in / 210 mm |
| Blade Thickness | 2.0 ± 0.1 mm |
| Total Length | 12.7 in / 323 mm |
| Handle Length | 5.6 in / 141 mm |
| Handle Material | Carbon fiber + G10 liners |
| Surface Finish | DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) |
| Weight | ~196 g |
| Origin | Mainland China |
| Price | $255 |
Hezhen's best chef knife, full stop. Real M390, real carbon fiber, real fit and finish — priced well under the Japanese equivalents.
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