Grrrreat knife for the price! 
I admit, I'm a bit of a kitchen knife fanatic. Although I had many fine European and Japanese knives far more costlier than the Oxo Good Grips, I always liked my Good Grips 8" Chef's knives (owned 2). But I only really started using it after it was properly sharpened (on my Chef's Choice 120 sharpener), because it isn't very sharp out of the box. I used it instead of my better chef's knives, because it can take abuse and you don't worry about damaging the blade! They made great choices in the compromises needed for a knife at this price. The blade (of stamped stainless steel) is a little on the thin side, but despite not being high carbon, it can be sharpened to a pretty sharp degree, and will keep its edge reasonably well. It is also terribly easy to sharpen, because the handle is well away from the blade and there is no bolster to get in the way. I also like the fact that it has a great geometry to the blade, making for good rocking action when chopping, and the blade is wider than many expensive chef's knives, making for easy work of crushing garlic. The handle (made of rubber coated plastic) is perhaps its greatest asset, offering a nice, firm comfortable grip even when wet. Its drawbacks is not very good balance (because of a light blade), and because it is a lightweight knife, it will require a little more effort than a (more expensive) heavier knife, when a "crushing action" is necessary.
Because of the relative thinness of the stamped blade, it's possible that it may be a little 'dished'. So check the spine of the knife you buy to be sure it isn't warped. I've recently discovered the Oxo Good Grips MV-55 Pro line, and the chef's knife in that line is actually about a thousand times better than this one, so its currently my favorite kitchen knife. But nevertheless, the basic Good Grips knife is easily one of the best [inexpensive] knives you can buy, and heartily recommended for most experts and novices alike in the home kitchen.
Better Knives For The Money
I also am sort of a kitchen knife nut. I enjoy cooking and any cook will tell you that knives are the cook's most important tool.The first knives I ever actually purchaed was the OXO knives including this Chef Knife.
These knives work _GREAT_ at first and if you sharpen them they'll keep cutting. These knives are also very cheap yet the handles are comfortable.
The problems with the knife are also related to the low quality. Since the knife is very light it makes you do more work when cutting (if you cut properly and are not using your chef's knife like a parer or slicer). Also the knife is not full tang and has no bolster. Most cheap stamped knives like this are at least full tang. As a result this whole line of knives are not safe. Hence the one review about the knife breaking while cutting cheese. No chef's knife should break under such simple usage. Trying to cut a raw whole chicken with this knife would be dangerous if you did not know how to cut. Not a safe learner knife.
My advice is take the money you'd spend on this knife and look elsewhere. If you only need a Chef knife consider the Calphalon Chef knife. It's the best value for the the money. It's forged from German steel and will last a lifetime. Its about twice as much as this knife and sometimes can be had cheaply during a Friday sale. Or consider the forged set from Farberware which have received many best value awards.
I have top of the line Wustof an Sabatier knives which I've learned from experience are my favorites. If you have the money to spend hundreds on knives then top of the line knives are worth it. Happy knife shopping.
Outstanding for the money
THis is a great knife that arrives quite dull. After correct sharpening, however, it became one of my favorites. It is easy to hold and the balance is good... a great buy overall, but it does dull easily. If you hate the rusting and/or discoloration of expensive high carbon steel knives, this is the knife for you. I find myself using it even when I could use a smaller knife. Use a stone to keep the edge on it after every use.
Spend a little more to get a lot better
I LOVE OXO products. I think they are some of the best designed kitchen tools on the market. I started using OXO knives when I found a 6" utility knife. That is a great knife. OXO makes many other great/good knives but this one is not worth the money. I was very excided to use it for the first time and when I did I noticed that the blade was flimsy, it was more like cutting with a sharp piece of sheet metal rather than using a sturdy knife. I would recommend spending a little more and getting a better knife.
Flimsy and Weak
This is the worst knife I've ever owned. The blade wobbled side to side when I tried to cut hard vegetables like carrots and celery. Recently I read an article about the anatomy of a knife. I discovered that what this knife lacks is called a bolster. Now I know, a knife without a bolster is just a flimsy blade.
