As a chef's knife the G-4 is suitable for most kitchen tasks, slicing, dicing and chopping. There is very little difference in performance between the G-4 and the classic chef knife, the G-2. The difference is cosmetic, i.e. the kink in the blade. This gives the knife an 'oriental' styling, but it bears no meaning to the function of the knife. It is not designed specifically for oriental food, or oriental ways of using a knife, it is just a different shape of cook's knife. It does have a nice upward curve to the blade, which when cutting with the knife allows it to rock up and down on the chopping board, a bit like a mezzaluna.

The shape has been so popular that the second new series of Global knives, the Global NI series, has been based on this knife design. The G-4 also comes in a fluted version as the G-66 and in a smaller size as the GS-58.