Review Chinese Limited Edition handmade kitchen knives

R

roaduck

Joined
Feb 26, 2023
Messages
428
I got two lovely parcels today from China.
AMBER-KNIFE.jpg

I have got no room in my tiny kitch for any more knives - it`s chocka block full of sharpies.
So I only ordered two which arrived today and I have a big heavy Chinese penknife on order.



However today, opening 2 slim boxes I was genuinely flabbergasted with what I received.
I got two amazing Japanese style but Chinese hand-made kitchen knives for about $50 dollars.
They are a new company called Amber Knives and they are strictly limited edition.
I bought a 6" petty genuine 67 layer 10Cr15CoMov Damascus stainless steel and a 8" gyuto genuine 67 Layers VG10 Damascus stainless steel which both came razor sharp in a lovely fitted black box each.The hardness is a stated HRC-60 which is incredible for the price and the blades are lightweight but a quality 2 mm thick and are like bargain lasers.
What do you guys think? - I will upload more piccies on request.
 
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Congratulations on your Chinese copies of Japanese knives. I see you're very happy about the low price you paid.
If they can sell 2 for $50, I'll bet they are making them for $16.66 each.
From my experience the term "limited edition" in China means limited to the number of orders
the Yangjiang factory gets. Enjoy your knives.
 
Yep I know the score KenHash _ I lived in Hong Kong and Macau in the 1990`s and have family living there now plus I have lots of Chinese connections in my home city.
The alibaba price is even lower - haha !!! - which is incredible and there are a lot of individual factories and they don`t just copy; they invent and innovate.
Every day - they are getting better.
Now they even use Japanese steel and research and development and design - just with cheapie Chinese labour.
 
When the Chinese government started Yangjiang and for the next decade at least, cheap labor was the sole key. But today, it goes beyond that, the sheer magnitude of the factory production faciliities and automation are the driving factor of low cost.
As you say there are alot of individual factories, at least 2000 + in my estimate, having started from a mere 3 State Owned companies in the 80s.
Yes, these Yangjiang factories do innovate. But they also copy and counterfeit. Mislabling of steel type is also known, with Japanese VG10 marketed
but actually using the Chinese equivalent 10Cr15CoMov.
So sorry I can't get all excited about these knives as you obviously are. But as I said, please enjoy your knives.
 
I`m just a cook that collects knives and I haven`t got the money for good Japanese knives at the moment.
You`re so right about counterfeits KenHash - they`re going mental OMG - haha !!!
I have had a $15000 Japanese honyaki 8" gyuto with a 18 ct gold banded and solid lapis luzuli handle I got as a sales reward.It got stolen over 20 years ago.
The only decent one I have now is an English made bespoke caidao in RWL-34 and Asian ebony handle - it was a bargain $800.
I lived in China for over ten years flogging expensive Hi-Fi`s and just used one Chinese chopper for every job in the kitchen - I buy Japanese knives because the girlfriend loves them and uses lots of different shaped Asian knives.
I have about 20 Chinese choppers/cleavers/caidaos/gaidaos - I can even carve fruit with one; been cooking since the early seventies and I`ve lived in and worked/visited over 60 Countries.
I did used to forge knives in Yorkshire and Hong Kong as a hobby but had to give up everything and repatriate when I got ill about 15 years ago.
Over nearly 30 years I made over 500 carbons and about 150 stainless/semi-stainless and steel alloy knives which were mostly Asian-style.I gave them away as presents - I didn`t sell any of them.
 
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Aw thank you KenHash
I`m certainly no hero or saint - I`ve always liked helping people, volunteering, cooking for and feeding the homeless, raising money for charity - I just do my best.
I just did it as a hobby to de-stress from sales.I give knives and chopping boards to people to try and encourage them to cook.
I had to travel for my job and I`ve always loved sharpies haha!
We have to eat - we might as well enjoy it , be creative, save money and eat healthier - plus socialise and make friends haha!
 
KenHash said:
Congratulations on your Chinese copies of Japanese knives. I see you're very happy about the low price you paid.
If they can sell 2 for $50, I'll bet they are making them for $16.66 each.
From my experience the term "limited edition" in China means limited to the number of orders
the Yangjiang factory gets. Enjoy your knives.
Click to expand...
You're being overly harsh. The Chinese versions of Western knives are by no means only cheap copies of Japanese knives--and I'm certain that there are true limited production, hand made knives coming out of China. IMO, the Japanese knives rarely innovate any more--just as often regress to old artisan traditions.
 
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roaduck said:
Aw thank you KenHash
I`m certainly no hero or saint - I`ve always liked helping people, volunteering, cooking for and feeding the homeless, raising money for charity - I just do my best.
I just did it as a hobby to de-stress from sales.I give knives and chopping boards to people to try and encourage them to cook.
I had to travel for my job and I`ve always loved sharpies haha!
We have to eat - we might as well enjoy it , be creative, save money and eat healthier - plus socialise and make friends haha!
Click to expand...
Great to see you exploring these knives. I've found the Chinese versions of Western knives I've purchased to be very interesting--and a little different (in a good way). The manufacturers/designers seem knowledgeable of advanced production techniques while being appreciative of traditional craftsmanship.
 
Dr. Rayeye said:
You're being overly harsh. The Chinese versions of Western knives are by no means only cheap copies of Japanese knives--and I'm certain that there are true limited production, hand made knives coming out of China. IMO, the Japanese knives rarely innovate any more--just as often regress to old aretisan traditions.
Click to expand...
Opinion are like you know. We all have one.
German, Japanese, other Western makers don't counterfeit Chinese knives.
What innovations are you looking for in kitchen knives? Japanese makers already do various powder steels,cermaics, flourine coated, granton designs, etc etc.
Kitchen knives are limited in "innovation" because of what they are and what they do. They cannot follow an evolutionary path like from a matchlock to a full automatic.
 
Nice user review. They do look good and hope that they work well (they should).

I do have some kitchen knives with wooden handles (Thailand, France, Japan) but tend to favour metal or synthetic ones, for ease of washing.
 
KenHash said:
Opinion are like you know. We all have one.
German, Japanese, other Western makers don't counterfeit Chinese knives.
What innovations are you looking for in kitchen knives? Japanese makers already do various powder steels,cermaics, flourine coated, granton designs, etc etc.
Kitchen knives are limited in "innovation" because of what they are and what they do. They cannot follow an evolutionary path like from a matchlock to a full automatic.
Click to expand...
The innovation I've been following have been production dual core damascus--and I have two Chinese Xinzuo dual core that I'm comparing to my Japanese Shun dual core.
 
roaduck said:
I got two lovely parcels today from China.
AMBER-KNIFE.jpg

I have got no room in my tiny kitch for any more knives - it`s chocka block full of sharpies.
So I only ordered two which arrived today and I have a big heavy Chinese penknife on order.



However today, opening 2 slim boxes I was genuinely flabbergasted with what I received.
I got two amazing Japanese style but Chinese hand-made kitchen knives for about $50 dollars.
They are a new company called Amber Knives and they are strictly limited edition.
I bought a 6" petty genuine 67 layer 10Cr15CoMov Damascus stainless steel and a 8" gyuto genuine 67 Layers VG10 Damascus stainless steel which both came razor sharp in a lovely fitted black box each.The hardness is a stated HRC-60 which is incredible for the price and the blades are lightweight but a quality 2 mm thick and are like bargain lasers.
What do you guys think? - I will upload more piccies on request.
Click to expand...
I'm glad to see someone exploring these knives with an open mind. I think I'm much more cautious than you seem to be: tracking a specific knife, both at [online sources], looking for reviews, buying only from major manufacturers listed on Ali Baba from manufacturers stores--taking my time. I only try to fill a hole in my batterie--or to find a knife for comparison evaluation against the American, European, and Japanese knives I already own.

I'd be suspicious of the knives you selected if it were for me--since I've never heard of Amber knives. I'm also suspicious of any knives from China that claim to be VG10. Also, what makes them "limited edition"? I'm also worried about any knives that are sold at an apparent bargain price.
 
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Dr. Rayeye said:
The innovation I've been following have been production dual core damascus--and I have two Chinese Xinzuo dual core that I'm comparing to my Japanese Shun dual core.
Click to expand...
I've seen the dual core damascus since Kai introduced it. How do do you define "innovation" in a kitchen knife? Some new method and or material? Does that "innovation" result in a better cooking experience for the user?
Damascus itself adds absolutely nothing to the food cutting experience. As art/eye candy, yes. But a better cutter or knife? No.
 
Dr. Rayeye said:
I'd be suspicious of the knives you selected if it were for me--since I've never heard of Amber knives. I'm also suspicious of any knives from China that claim to be VG10. Also, what makes them "limited edition"? I'm also worried about any knives that are sold at an apparent bargain price.
Click to expand...
And that's not "harsh"? lol
 
KenHash said:
I've seen the dual core damascus since Kai introduced it. How do do you define "innovation" in a kitchen knife? Some new method and or material? Does that "innovation" result in a better cooking experience for the user?
Damascus itself adds absolutely nothing to the food cutting experience. As art/eye candy, yes. But a better cutter or knife? No.
Click to expand...
Most of the innovation in the KAI Shun dual core and their other related product lines depend on the collaboration with Takefu special steel:

https://www.e-tokko.com/core.php?lang=en

They claim that the coreless damascus steel they develop for their KAI partner has a 20% sharpness "bump" over straight VG10. Some support for this edge benefit can be found in a very recent study by Dr. Larrin Thomas:

knifesteelnerds.com

Does Damascus Outperform Super Steels? Testing Different Combinations - Knife Steel Nerds

Nearly every experiment I performed on Damascus surprised me. The behavior of two steels welded together is anything but intuitive.
knifesteelnerds.com knifesteelnerds.com

Xinzuo has an alternate 110 layer technology--which has not been described at all yet. I've already created a testbed of dual core knives to compare in my home kitchen.
 
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Dr. Rayeye said:
Most of the innovation in the KAI Shun dual core and their other related product lines depend on the collaboration with Takefu special steel:

https://www.e-tokko.com/core.php?lang=en

They claim that the coreless damascus steel they develop for their KAI partner has a 20% sharpness "bump" over straight VG10. Some support for this edge benefit can be found in a very recent study by Dr. Larrin Thomas:

knifesteelnerds.com

Does Damascus Outperform Super Steels? Testing Different Combinations - Knife Steel Nerds

Nearly every experiment I performed on Damascus surprised me. The behavior of two steels welded together is anything but intuitive.
knifesteelnerds.com knifesteelnerds.com

Xinzuo has an alternate 110 layer technology--which has not been described at all yet. I've already created a testbed of dual core knives to compare in my home kitchen.
Click to expand...
So I ask you again, from personal use, have you found Damascus kitchen knives to be better performers than non-damascus knives?
 
KenHash said:
So I ask you again, from personal use, have you found Damascus kitchen knives to be better performers than non-damascus knives?
Click to expand...
That's partly what I'm trying to explore with my testbed--but only with dual core.

My other damascus knives have a hard metal core--and acquire their "damascus" appearance in different ways--so it's almost impossible to separate out the "damascus" part for comparison. My Shun Fuji 8 1/2" with 161 layers has an irregular surface that tends to deter sticking--and the cutting performance with sg-2 is especially smooth. On the other hand, many of my fewer layered damascus with VG10 or AUS10 don't appear to have any advantage at all compared to mono steel.
 
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