I recently began baking artisan breads and the 8" knife that came with my pricey block set was much too small to cut the loaves. After researching pretty much every knife offered out there, including the brand I currently own, I decided to try this one and have to say, it is a wonderful knife for the price! It's at least 3" longer than my existing bread knife and is just as sturdy and functional as my more expensive knives. I'd recommend this knife to anyone~well worth it and great quality!