Kiwi Knives
Back in January I wrote about my discovery of Kiwi knives from Thailand. Well, I've been using them diligently for a little more than two months, so I thought I'd post a follow up.

In the original post I described them as "like razor blades with handles", and they are definitely that. I've found that, with regular maintenance from a steel, they hold an edge amazingly well for such a thin blade.

As I mentioned in my discussion on the BBQ Central Radio podcast, these knives are serious prep machines. The thin, light, and flexible blades make prep work all but effortless. In fact, I often find myself reaching for them rather than my Global or Wusthof knives. They are just a joy to use.

At two months in, I can say that you really can't go wrong with these; especially at such an insanely low price.

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15 Comments:
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Regular maintenance from a steel what?
Anonymous Miss Tish said...
I ONLY by Kiwi knives now! My thai mom used them and I remember them from childhood. When I got married she hated all my knives and on one visit she brought me one of her old kiwi knives (exactly like the one pictured). I found them again at an asian market and they were like $8?!??! We got 3. The store owner said "Why do you call them kiwi knives?" and I showed him the label. Duh.... LOL! :)
Blogger Mrs. C said...
I bought three after reading your intialy review - I love them too. So cheap and so amazing. Thanks for the recommendation!
Anonymous Angela said...
I bought several of them, different styles and sizes. They are so inexpensive. I ordered online and then found them in our local Asian market. They are really sharp and I've stopped using all of my other knives. Thanks for the review
Blogger Unknown said...
Anonymous - You know, a sharpening steel. I'm sure you've seen one. -John
Anonymous thuthen said...
intrigued by your original report on the kiwi knives, i was about to order them at the wok shop, when i decided to check out my local asian store first. found them there and purchased 4 of them, including the one pictured above. i also have old [when they were better]trident wustorfs, henkels, and mac knives, but i find myself reaching for the kiwi chef and paring knife first. the paring knife was $1.29, the chef's knife was $3.99 and the one pictured above was $4.25. thanks for turning me onto these great knives that will make useful, but inexpensive gifts for my friends.
Anonymous Sara said...
I'm so glad you wrote about these knives! I've moved to Thailand in the last year, and have been missing all of my kitchen gadgets and knives back home that didn't make the trip with me. I've seen these knives in the local market, but disregarded them as any good because of the super low price - now that I know that they're actually good, I'll be headed back to the market to buy some right away. Thank you!
Anonymous Brian Meagher said...
John, which of the Kiwi knives is your favorite?
Anonymous Anonymous said...
I first brought them back from Bangkok in 2006 and it's the first knife I reach for when I'm cooking. It will not work on bigger heavier foods like cutting through hard surfaces like a butternut squash or splitting a watermelon open, but for everything else, it works like a charm. Try slicing chicken breast into scallopines instead of pounding them. I also baby them and put them immediately into the knife rack after washing them to protect that razor blade edge. One of my friends tried to sharpen them on a regular stone and I almost had a hard attack. A trick my Indonesian mother taught me was to sharpen knives on the bottom of a ceramic bowl or cup. The rough edge (unglazed portion) of the cup is a bit finer than a sharpening stone. Also very important is to keep the angle at a very low angle. The rule of thumb is that the thinner the blade the lower the angle so that you create a very deep V rather than a wider, more blunt v shape. Hope this helps.......Liz in Denver
Blogger Unknown said...
Brian - I can't really pick a favorite. They both are very good, but they serve vastly different purposes. If I had to pick one, it would be the large blunt "meat knife" in the first pic above. -John
Anonymous Anonymous said...
I found your blog and review on tastespotting and like you i spent alot of money on knives and at christmas my car was broken into and all my knives were stolen, $1000 worth of knives i used for school gone. So there was no way i could get them all again. So i decided to try the kiwi knive i purchased two of them, the one pictured and a chefs knife. I love them so much ..they are extremly sharp, so sharp infact that i find they stick to my wood and plastic cutting boards :). Great review , thank you
Blogger TC said...
My mom has used these for as long as I can remember. They work great and the blades actually last a lot longer than many forged knives. It cost me more to sharpen my other knives than it is to buy a new Kiwi. The handle does start to show wear if it isn't kept dry and out of moist areas. My favorite is also that one in the foto above. I learned how to slice and dice with it, and it's still one of my favorites.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
I bought mine for $6.99 at an Asian grocery and now use nothing else. Can thin slice a tomato after cutting up chicken wings. Plus I feel like I could defend against any intruder with my cleaver.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
I have had my Kiwi knives for almost 2 years now and they are my go-to knives for almost every occasion except for cutting through bone or hard veggies such as winter squash because the blade can bend due to their thinness. I have a very expensive set of Wüsthof knives (which I have professionally sharpened just once a year now instead of twice), but for 90% of my tasks I prefer the Kiwis. The blunt edged chef's knife is my favorite. I have cut myself several times, and have become much more knife-aware because of these little gems. I do make a few quick passes through a ceramic sharpener before each use and that's all they seem to need. Best kitchen purchase ever!
Blogger Unknown said...
I work in a tepanyaki restaurant and use kiwi knives for all my prep. Every chef in my kitchen has kiwi knives.

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