I'm a self-admitted knife freak. I love the smell of sharp steel in the morning. My usual blades are Japanese Global knives. They are brutally sharp, feel great in your hand, are solid stainless steel, and hold an edge very well.
Recently I've read quite a few reviews that sing the praises of Kiwi knives. Last week I read this review, and it prompted me to see what all the hype is about. I ordered the 11" blunt "meat knife" and the paring knife from The Wok Shop. Including shipping, they cost me $10.90. Yes, you read that correctly. They were $3.95 and $1.95, respectively, plus shipping. I ordered them Tuesday afternoon and they were at my door Friday, so I give kudos to The Wok Shop for their prompt service.
Having read about the incredible sharpness of these knives, I was more than a little curious when I tore open the box. Now, for just shy of $11 to my door, I was not expecting all that much. Man, these things take "scary sharp" to a whole new level. They are like razor blades with handles -- seriously. You hear about "knives you can shave with", well, these things should have "Gillette" stamped on them. I'm not intimidated by knives, but these made me pay very close attention to what I was doing.
As for the quality, I will say that, along with the sharpness, I was surprised at how thin and flexible the blades are. Most knives have a taper from the tip to the heel. Well, these are clearly stamped out of a flat sheet of stainless steel, so there is no taper, which brings me back to my comment about them being like razor blades with a handle. They are very light and feel comfortable in my hand.
I put the knives through some trials this weekend and I am very pleased so far. Of course, one weekend of cooking is clearly not nearly enough of a workout to gauge the overall quality and usefulness of anything in the kitchen. I will continue to use them and report back in a few months with my final verdict.
They get dull quickly, the edge they retain, seems sharp, but it is a rough edge if you look at it close. Its low grade steel and that is why its so cheap. Im a sushi chef, and the only thing these things are good for would be chopping veggies in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI've had one of my kiwi knives for over 12 years, it still holds an incredible edge. The thin blade is very sharp but it is best to run it over a steel to maintain the edge before each use, and run it through a sharpener or across a stone every couple of months. I wouldn't chop through bones with it, but it slices meat and veggies better than any other knife I have. And for the price, these knives are disposable.
ReplyDeleteI do prefer the flat end knives to the ones with a point because the thin tips can bend when carelessly dropped into a sink.
John - I'm about to pull the trigger on some of these (I'm not a sushi chef and probably would chop a lot of vegetables with these; I don't eat sushi. Around here, we would call it bait) and was wondering what your three month opinion is on these knives. As one other commenter pointed out, at the price, they are basically disposable, so I'm not too worried about losing the money if they don't last. Still, I would like to know your thoughts. Pat
ReplyDeleteBottom line: Get some and thank me later. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI bought both the 11" and the paring knife. Same price as above and they threw in a back scratcher. I reach for that Kiwi more than my Wusthof Classic ikons. I run it across the wusthof sharpener before each use and it stays razor sharp. Holds the edge as long I I need it to I guess. These knives seem to be the exception to the "you get what you pay for" rule. Thanks for the heads up and the Wok Shop link.
ReplyDeleteI have had a large cleaver for over a year and have used it almost exclusively for chopping and cutting meat. Can cut paper thin slices of beef with this knife. A couple of strokes on the steel now and then and it's great. Cut a small slice off the end of my finger and never knew until I saw blood. Wicked sharp and cost me $6.99 at a local Asian supermarket in Arlington, TX.
ReplyDeleteBased on your reviews I ordered a few just now, can't wait to use them.
ReplyDeleteI have the blunt end and a chef knife shaped one with pointed end. I perceived the blunt end to be sharper at first that the chef knife, but as about 6 months use with both I think the chef knife holds its edge better, but could be my imagination. I accidently touched, very lightly, one of the sharp blades when I first got them and got a cut on my finger. I don't think they hold that same edge, but they are still sharper than my more expensive knives. I use them about 90% of the time. I think I paid $4 or $5 at a local asian market. If you get them, don't leave them out where a kid or an old person might pick them up. That would be child or elder endangerment.
ReplyDeleteI got a large and medium one as gifts-all the above is true They are great for tomatoes, thin meat, fruit slicing like the sushi chefs do. After a couple of years use and occ. sharpening with the thing that came with my carving set and occ with a whet stone, they are still sharp but have a few nicks since the metal is not hard that do not interfere with use. I use them for almost everything, and have cut myself, but not as bad as the cut-co's another friend gave me. I will replace and use them forever. So glad I never spent a lot on good knives as my grown kids have done. the Kiwi perform as well if not better. Save yourself some money. They would be great for hostess gifts too.
ReplyDelete"...My usual blades are Japanese Global knives. They are brutally sharp, feel great in your hand, are solid stainless steel, and hold an edge very well."
ReplyDeleteThose are exactly what make Global knives the best for me. There may be alternative but I'll stick with the reliable one.:)
Ricky - You might be interested to know that I now use my Globals about 10% of the time. The Kiwis are my go-to knives. ;-)
ReplyDeleteJust got back from Thailand with five knives--cost me about $10 for all of them! They weren't very sharp when I got them, but a little work on a Kai waterstone and they are now my go to knives!
ReplyDeleteI have catered professionally since 1969. The Kiwi knives are the sharpest cutting instruments I have ever used. For shiz and grins, I did successfully shave with one.
ReplyDeleteI've had a Kiwi cleaver style knife for 4-5 years. I bought it for around 5 bucks at a kid's garden event in San Antonio. It has been my fave for slicing veggies ever since. Does a great job, with minimal sharpening. I use a diamond hone about 2x/yr and carbide blades for occasional touch-up. It has a concave grind about 1/2 inch up from the edge.
ReplyDeleteI own Kiwi knives and I'd say pros of Kiwi knives:
ReplyDelete1. Cheap - extremely.
2. Can take an edge when sharpening.
3. The blades are thin. Easy to slice through fruit/vegetable without splitting.
Cons:
1. Doesn't hold the edge long.
2. Chips fairly easily.
3. It doesn't have a full tang and the rivets not exactly secure. I had cases of blades coming off the handle.
I live in Australia and shipping is outrageous. However, if I buy ten 11" cleavers for $49.50, the shipping drops to $50 (certainly a lot cheaper than shipping one or two). Still a bargain at around $10. USD per knife..(that's about $10.60 Australian)... I just LOVE them!!! And because of that, I give them out as gifts to good friends who enter my kitchen and use my knives....and tell me how much they love them too!!!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous - Wow, you are hardcore, mate! :-) The Kiwis are certainly my favorite knives.
ReplyDeleteThese are my go to knives. I gave away my expensive knives and use these exclusively. Everyone I know gets these as housewarming gifts. I love that they are sharp enough that I don't cry when cutting onions.
ReplyDeleteI got a Kiwi knife years ago from from The Wok Shop. I have the 11" blunt knife. It quickly became my favorite knife. It is sharp and easy to sharpen with any sharpener. I us it more than any other knife including my CUTCO and Henckles Pro Santoku. I need to sell them because I never use them any more.
ReplyDeleteMic - I'm glad that you like them. Coincidentally, I just finished washing and sharpening the very knives that I used in this review over six years ago. Get one of the mini cleavers.
ReplyDeleteHere's the cleaver that I just mentioned:
ReplyDeletehttp://wokshop.stores.yahoo.net/b7bl1lelb.html
Can you buy covers for these anywhere? I'm scared someone is going to get cut accidentally!
ReplyDelete