Hezhen B38L 8.46" 67-Layer Damascus Chef Knife — Linen Micarta Handle

The Hezhen B38L Chef (Elegant Series) If you only buy one knife to handle most of the work in your kitchen, make it a chef knife — and make it one you actually want to pick up every day. The Hezhen B38L Chef Knife (Elegant Series) is your all-purpose workhorse for slicing, chopping, mincing, and rocking, with the size and balance to make prep feel easier and faster.

Rob’s note: Hezhen calls this a newly designed Damascus pattern. When I checked it out in person, the wave looked more aggressive and “toothy” than most patterns, so I started calling it the “reef-tooth wave” look. The finish blends mirror polishing and sandblasting, creating a bold contrast of light and dark.

Steel + Heat Treatment (the 50/50 that matters)

When it comes to how a knife performs, I look at it like 50% steel + 50% heat treatment. Great steel can’t reach its potential without great heat treatment—and great heat treatment can’t save cheap steel.

This knife uses 10Cr15MoV, often called a Chinese VG-10 equivalent, because the alloy makeup is extremely close in the ways that matter for performance (edge potential, stain resistance, wear resistance). That’s why the “VG-10 equivalent” label exists—it’s based on the steel chemistry, not hype.

But here’s the caveat: “10Cr15MoV” is a steel type, not a guarantee of quality. There are multiple factories producing 10Cr, and some exist to serve low-cost, high-volume knife makers where the goal is price, not performance. Xinzuo and Hezhen sources 10Cr from the highest-quality steel producers, and then the second half of the equation is their process: vacuum cryogenic heat treatment (heat + deep cold) to deliver stable hardness, stronger edge retention, better wear resistance, and consistent results from knife to knife.

Want the deeper breakdown and comparisons?
Read My 10Cr15MoV vs VG-10 guide and Vacuum Cryogenic Heat Treatment

A quick word from Chef Panko (100+ knives tested)

Chef Panko is a well-known YouTube knife reviewer. Here’s what he said about Xinzuo:

“I believe Xinzuo has the potential to be the best, if not already the number one kitchen knife manufacturer in China, especially when compared to the 100+ knives I have tested, particularly in terms of quality control, materials, and heat treatment.” — June 2023 Chef Panko

Built for Comfort and Control

The linen micarta handle is built for real kitchens—durable, moisture-resistant, and grippy without being rough.

Handle: Linen Micarta (why I chose it)
The linen micarta handle on the B38L is one of my new favorites from Hezhen because it’s basically modern indestructible—right up there with G-10 and PakkaWood—but in your hand. It has a classier, wood-reminiscent feel, and it stays grippy and comfortable even when your hands are wet. The ergonomic curve and gradual thinning help the knife sit naturally in your hand, while the rounded spine and heel reduce finger pressure in a pinch grip. Add full-tang construction, and you get a knife that feels secure, balanced, and ready to become a top choice in your kitchen arsenal.

This is the knife that earns the “daily driver” spot — comfortable in the hand, confident on the board, and built to do real work. And yes, it ships in a gift box, so it’s ready to give (or keep) right out of the package.

Hezhen: Real specs. Real heat treat. Real performance.

• Brand: Hezhen Made by Xinzuo
• Series: Elegant Series
• Total Layers: 67
• Blade Length: 8.46"
• Blade Width: 2.13"
• Overall Length: 13.31"
• Blade Thickness: 0.2 cm (2.0 mm)
• Tang: Full Tang
• Center Core Steel: 10Cr15MoV (Chinese VG-10 equivalent)
• Hardness: 60±2 HRC
• Damascus Outer Steel: 316L / special martensitic stainless steel
• Damascus Pattern: Newly designed Damascus pattern
• Tip Angle: 65°
• Cutting Edge Angle: 15° ± 1 per side
• Handle: Linen Micarta
• Heat Process: Vacuum Cryogenic Heat Treatment
• Manufacturing QC: 12 processes
• Includes: Chef knife + gift box

Standard Returns (30 days)

You have 30 days to return unused items in their original packaging for a full refund of the cost of your product(s).

How to start a return: email me, Rob, The Bamboo Guy, at thebambooguy.cs@gmail.com, and let me know what you would like to return; I will email you back a return label, Ezzy Peezy.

Hezhen is a brand produced by Xinzuo, a manufacturer known for consistent quality control and clear product specifications. Their focus is simple: transparent materials, real heat treatment, top-quality fit and finish, and knives that perform as they should.