I really didn't expect to like this knife. As a left handed person in a world designed for right handers I've spent the last 40 years gripping objects in peculiar ways, working around ergonomic designs intended for the opposite hand to find a grip I find comfortable. As a result I have a very strong preference for a certain type of grip when I'm handling a knife, which the Vaerk CK20 with its unusual girder style handle tries to force me away from.Well, it works. This handle is designed to encourage you to rest your thumb against the side of the knife at the bolster, and while I resisted it for a little while I succumbed within a few days. Now it just feels natural, and it's extremely comfortable. The fact that it also offers greater control of the blade over my preferred grip is just a bonus.This is an extremely sharp knife fresh out of the box, and after a few weeks of regular use I get the sense that it will be a long time before I need to even think about sharpening it.I want to give the Vaerk 5 stars, but I can't quite convince myself that this is a much better knife than the others on my rack. It's certainly excellent, but while this one costs $160 I have several $100 chef's knives that are very nearly just as good, and if I were paying out of my own pocket I'm not certain I could justify the extra cost.The simplicity of the design of this knife will make you underestimate its performance. The handle looks like there wasn't much attention paid to the design, but I think there was a lot of consideration that went into it - it's really very comfortable in the hand. When you look closely at the blade, you'll notice it's been very finely ground, and very accurately ground. The blade profile is an exaggerated German chef's design (I know it was made in Germany, but the actual blade profile is what I'm referring to - yes, I'm a total knife nerd), and this allows for very easy and very fast rocking when you're cutting veggies, which makes you look like a pro when you’re making dinner.The steel is X50CrMoV15, which is an excellent semi-stainless steel made specifically for knives, particularly kitchen knives (I won't bore you to tears with the specifics of the steel - I'm amazed you're actually still reading, honestly). You basically have a stainless steel that cuts and handles more like a high-carbon steel, which is the best of both worlds. I could go on and on about how much I like this knife and how well it performs in the kitchen, but I won't, for your mental health's sake.If you've made it this far, thank you, and I hope this was at least a little helpful. Here's what it comes down to: as a knifemaker, I'm super-stoked about using this knife every time I'm cooking. If you're looking for a higher-end, high-performance kitchen knife, I can strongly recommend you choose this one, and you can thank me later.CK20's Single Piece Knife is different than most, but it does not suffer for that. It's a very nicely made knife. It uses dense metal with a sharp and straight blade. Despite the lack of a cover on the handle it is a comfortable and easy to grasp handle. The design of the metal on the handle is elegant and attractive.The knife balances well in the hand and it's easy to get a firm grip on the handle. It cuts through dense foods like carrots easily and slices delicate tomatoes without squishing them.It washes easily with soap and water. Knives such as these should not be placed in the dishwasher or left in standing water as that risks dulling the blade.All in all... a great knife with a unique handle.This is a nice knife but feels strange in your hand. The open handle makes this knife hard to hold if you're not a professional chef. I'm sure its just going to take a little getting used to before it becomes a favorite knife in my kitchen. The knife comes wrapped in a nice polishing cloth that can also be used to keep the blade from getting knicked when not in use.I hope you find this review helpful.This CK20 Chef's Knife, along with their BK22 Bread Knife, is my first experience with the Veark brand. I cook exclusively from scratch for my family so I am always on the lookout for new kitchen brands.Veark is a company based in Copenhagen, Denmark that manufactures their knives in Solingen, Germany. I go out of my way to support companies who choose to manufacture domestically or in Europe - a region with one of the most stringent worker, material, and environmental safety standards.The chef's knife is excellent quality. It's part of Veark's fully forged knife collection. This knife is drop forged from a single piece of steel by experienced craftsmen in the traditional knife making town of Solingen, Germany. I love that this knife is one piece, it has a great look stylistically and the lack of separate handle adds to its functionality. The blade is very sharp and chops and slices with ease. It's well balanced and feels great in the hand. This knife is a joy to use; very functional and a true heirloom piece.I'm really happy with this CK20 Chef's Knife from Veark and highly recommend adding it to your knife collection.