Japanese Knives v.s. "Japanese Knives" - How to Spot a Fake
2023 ж. 19 Қар.
101 810 Рет қаралды
If you've ever googled "Japanese Knife," you've probably seen some ads pop up for some wacky stuff. Funky shapes, impossibly low prices, and promises like "SHARPEST KNIFE EVER MADE." Today, Naoto and Nathan are here to try out some popular online knives and put them to the test.
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Just a warning, husk will probably copyright strike this video and claim its a counterfeit product 🙃
Hahahaha thank you. I guess we won't get our $5 in ad revenue...
Heh, there are about 40+ videos on YT about Huusk being a scam
They did my dude Cedric dirty for that, it’s quite petty and it shows what kind of people who peddle that junk.
I was gifted that second knife, but it was branded with a different name. I sharpen knives as a side business. I had a customer bring me the same knife as well, but with a third brand name. I think they're an alibaba or similarly mass produced product.
I bought the same looking knife with a different name ... I was like I have seen this somewhere lol
Exaggerated and/or vague claims in marketing, are one of the fastest ways of chasing me away. If a company is more interested in making a sale, than clearly communicating what they are selling, I am unlikely to want to do business with them. I don't have a problem with buying a cheap knife, but I expect to know what I am actually getting.
I couldn't agree more. If you're honest about it, there's nothing wrong with inexpensive knives!
A well rested chef is a good chef..shoulda took the pillow😂😂😂
True, my pillow sucks 😂
@@KnifewearKnives It probably would have been a 'My Pillow' from Mike Lindell! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
A memory foam PILLOW! aAHAHAHAHAaa.. so funny! - I can't believe they STOLE THE IMAGE.. 0.0
Oh huusk. They've had about 100 videos made about their suspect knives.
Ww didn't see you use the real deal japanese knives on the same carrots
As the old saying goes “if it seems to good to be true, it probably is”. And afaik the Japanese government doesn’t allow VG10 to be exported, so be wary of Chinese knives claiming to have that steel. They can knock off the recipe for that steel but it’s not going to be the same. You can get a Tojiro for under $100 that will blow the Chinese stuff away.
Absolutely, that old saying is a solid one! Fortunately for us, they allow the export of finished knives made with VG10, so we can get lots of great VG10 knives from Japan!
Yes, people hear “Japanese” and think hundreds of dollars, when you don’t have to spend anywhere near that to get a great product that will last a lifetime and improve your time in the kitchen.
I think the hole is there to reduce material usage and get the executive who thought of it a bonus.
i did really enjoy your video, and i thank you a lot for ideas like this :) also i do have a small question if you don't mind, but for like harder/thick veggies, do you think the blade works, with the thin blades by Yoshimi Kato? and if they are hand forged? also i love that hand forged blade you have from moritaka :)
Hey! Thin blades are great for dense vegetables as they tend to glide more smoothly. Just don't force or twist them, and never cut through woody stems! Yoshimi Kato and his team do forge their blades by hand!
Thank you guys!
Oh my gooood. That sushi-sword!!! behind the aloe vera plant.. is that a single bevel? and WHAT IS IT FOR AGAIN?
I had the exact same thought when you were cutting the carrots with the seido. It sounded so much and looked like it performed about as good as my zwilling as well. Which honestly, is really impressive if the knife is cheap. A quick buff on a 6000 before cooking and it'll probably be more than enough for a home cook.
1k is actually best for almost all kitchen applications
@@mathewperez4823 but the smaller the tooth, the longer the edge lasts.
I bought what I thought was a Japanese knife off of Amazon a few years ago. It didn’t say it was a Japanese knife, it just said “Japanese steel” and if you read the product page properly it says that it’s a Japanese steel core. It was still a very good knife, and I have no regrets, but I made an assumption about where the product came from based on the fact that it said Japanese steel so it’s important to read between the lines so you can work out what they’re not telling you. If I’d gone to the company website I would have realised that it was made in China so that’s another good thing to do.
I'm glad you ended up with a good knife regardless, that's a tough one to catch!
@@KnifewearKnivesI almost fell for one of these before I was educated on Japanese knives.
@@nickolastiguanomg same back when I was a noob on this stuff I almost bought a “Japanese Gyuto” almost dropped $100 on Amazon, then I did like 2 weeks of research and found one brand that was legit and ended up with a Vg10 Yoshihiro which is so pretty and so good
@@KnifewearKnives I actually just had a Knife Sharpening lesson at Kitchen Provisions in Kings Cross London (the teacher said that y’all visit there sometimes). I took this knife with me to learn on, and even the teacher thought it was Japanese when I first took it out of the roll. I used the opportunity to get a 210mm Gyuto from Hatsukokoro’s Shinkiro range so that’ll be my chef’s knife going forward. At the moment I’m mainly using a Chinese cleaver, but it’s a gorgeous knife and I couldn’t resist :)
Who doesn’t want a knife and a memory foam pillow combo?
Just browsing the knifewear website cause shopping for holidays for me lmao, I’m stuck on what petty knife I should get I’ve been looking at the Haruyuki Zanpa Petty 135mm, mainly using it for small items to prep and just based on your perspective is AUS10 good plus their heat treat? I have vg10 and Shirogami knives so I’m not sure on AUS10 if I could get some insight
The Zanpa is an awesome choice, and I love that size of petty! AUS10 is pretty similar to VG10, so it'll work very similar for you. The Zanpa series are also 20% off starting Thursday Nov 23!
@@KnifewearKnivesoh this is good to know thanks
About a year ago I bought a set of three so-called “Japanese knives“ off of Amazon for $99. I’ve been quite happy with it I like the fit the finish and the balance of them. And they must be made out of stainless cause they haven’t rusted yet. They appear to have nice Damascus folding and they’re etched (looks stamped) with the name of the creator which I can’t read but yeah, I’ve been a great addition to my usual rack. Edit: they look a lot like that first Japanese knife you pulled out, you can see the layers even in the age where I sharpen them. I’ve been using a chefs choice 15° sharpener for them and they just like a razor
Right on, if they make you happy, that's what matters most!
That's because you spent $99. I just saw a 4 knife set for $19.95.
Fantastic video. I just buy from Muisashi now because I "believe" they are fully made in Nippon.
I've seen those Seido knives under several different brand names. The Damascus engraving is oddly exactly (but to scale) on all of the knives in the set. It's also got an hrc of about 50 🤦
Damascus is a much abused term. Most of the time, people mean pattern welded steels made from layers of different types of steel that etch differently. Originally, Damascus steel was a crucible monosteel that had a pattern of carbides precipitated out during the heat treatment. Pattern welded steels were being produced long before crucible steels. They only started calling pattern welded steels Damascus after the crucible steels, that were far cleaner and held an edge better, had a reputation of excellence. Because only the best smiths using the best steel could bring out the pattern in a crucible steel. Pattern welding can show off the skill of the smith, but the skill and steel quality can vary greatly. So seeing “Damascus” on a pattern welded blade is no indication of quality. If a good smith used good steel to make it, it is going to be expensive. If some hack threw some pot metal together and beat on it with a hammer, it might be really cheap. It still falls under the modern use of the term “Damascus”. Pattern welding modern steels does not improve the quality, just the appearance. If you want Damascus because it is pretty, go right ahead. But if you pay equal amounts for a mono steel blade and a Damascus blade, the mono steel blade will be better.
Hey Guys, my parents recently visited Japan and brought me 2 knives as a present (a Gyuto and a Nakiri). They bought them in a small knive shop, unfortunately neither them nor I know, who made them or which "brand" they are. is there a possibillity to find that out?
Maybe you can buy 2 of the same "Damascus etched" knives and compare the etching. If it is lasered, the pattern should be the same for every knife. The same goes for hammer patterns. There should be somewhere the pattern matches. Do you have a caliper to measure blade thickness and the taper? (new or used doesn't matter) An industrial edge tester in the video would have been nice. (Only about $250.00 like Project Farm uses)
That's a great idea!
I'm of the mind that steel composition and form factor are more important than where it's forged or by whom. Don't get me wrong ... craftsmanship is an important part. But if you're simply looking for something that you won't have to replace in a year, then finding a good steel that fits your needs formed to the purpose you need it for is the most important.
Absolutely! I'm more concerned with folks being led to believe it's made by a specific blacksmith - or a blacksmith in general, when it isn't.
I’m wondering what you guys think about Kanetsune knives? I bought a Kanetsune KC-460 Aogami No2 Santoku. It was shipped from Japan via FedEx. Just starting with Japanese knives and I love it. Well balanced and sharp as expected. Would like your opinion about the brand an knife.
Hey, is that Seki Kanetsune? If so, we get knives from them and they make great quality stuff!
Hey guys, great video. I'll be in Japan in May and was looking for a knife and I see Tsukiji market has several sellers. Would it be safe to purchase a knife from one of those sellers? just wondering what I should look out for.
Hey, absolutely! That said, most tourists that buy there end up with a carbon steel knife for cutting fish, so it helps to know the japanese name for the knife shape you want.
Most of my set are Miyabi evolution and an offset serrated by Shun. The store didn't have an offset Miyabi so i went with the Shun.
The "taper" you are describing is called a "distal taper", fyi.
What exactly was the Moritaka Hamono knife you used? I am very curious to learn more but I am just going off pictures on your website and found two that are similar.
Hey, that was this one: knifewear.com/products/moritaka-ishime-kiritsuke-240mm
What would you choose between the haruyuki nagisa and the Masashi vs1 kaijin? Also is vs1 steel easy to sharpen? Thanks
If you have the budget, absolutely the Masashi! The Haruyuki is fantastic, but Masashi knives are on another level and super reasonable for their quality.
I think I’m leaning towards the Masashi is the vs1 steel easy to sharpen?
the huusk pot metal ranks close second behind hilux front fender damascus😂
Thing is where do you buy them from here in the states and Amazon or where exactly
Hey, sorry about that! If you're looking for Japanese Knives, we have them on our site! knifewear.com/
Excellent presentation gents. No thank you, I'll stick with my messermister avanta set.
Sadly a lot of people are duped to buying cheaply made, overly hyped and overly priced knives. And even sadder are famous knife brands who do the same thing on the lower end of their selection.
What is the absolute best steel you can get in a Japanese knife?? Vg10 and super blue keep popping up for me… planning on buying my first Japanese knife and want to go all in 😊 just want to know what steel and manufacture are the best price isn’t an issue 😮
Hey, it all comes down to use and personal preference. I love VG10 because it holds a great edge and is more durable and low maintenance that most other Japanese steels. Super Blue is less durable but doesn't rust quickly compared to other carbon steels, and it keeps an edge for a very long time! If you want high performance, low maintenance, and crazy good edge retention, I would try Super Blue or R2/ SG2.
I do like the hose idea but don't like how yr sharpening in one spot on the stones they will wear out in that spot faster longer strokes will help keep it more even
lol sorry I just realized this comment went to the wrong video
It's sad that some companies are trying to sell inferior products for premium prices. The exaggerated and false claims and misleading comments and imagery are so frustrating. If a knife maker/seller doesn't advertise what specific steel it's made from ..... that's a red flag for me now.
That's a great point that we missed, steel transparency is key!
Hey you seem to be replying a good amount so I thought I'd ask a question. Do you know if Yoshikane knives are hand forged or if they are machine made in Japan? I just bought one and it's incredible but I never realized that a few of my current damascus knives match your machine forged example nearly perfectly (Masutani knives). Not that it matters because they are still really good knives but I am just curious now. Also, great work. I hate over-marketed stuff with loose language and I avoid it like the plague these days, I always love a good take down video.
I couldn't agree more, machine forged knives are great! I think Yoshikane uses roll forging, which is a great way to machine forge a blade with a distal taper, then cold forge and sharpen them. Thank you!
What do you guys think about Yaxell Japanese knives? Edit: specifically the Yaxell Mon 8inch
I've heard they're good! I've never used them though.
Have you guys reviewed anything from Dalestrong yet? If not, you should. I have the Dalstrong "Shōgun Series X" 8" Chef knife. It's description says "VG-10 Japanese Super Steel with hammered Tsuchime Finish". I love it, but I'd love to get a pro's review and opinion on it.
Hey, we've never tried or carried Dalstrong, but I hear great things!
Is a whetstone or steel better for sharpening knives?
They're different! The steel or honing rood helps keep the knife sharp, the way brushing your teeth is preventative maintenance. A whetstone actually removes steel and forms a brand new edge, a bit like going to the dentist for a cleaning. Brush properly and you don't have to see the dentist as often!
9 minutes and got not a single clue how to spot a fake. Neither did I get an explanation what a fake is. Poor job.
Several clues for how to spot a fake were mentioned in the first 5 minutes of the video.
Always be suspicious of damascus
please tell me thoughts on rui knives
Regarding the first knife, would the stainless steel oxidize things like onions?
None of these will oxidize besides the Moritaka!
Ultimately purchasing a knife is more about what you are planning to do with it. I mean seriously are you prepared to care for a high carbon steel knife properly? Are you going to loose your shit when you come home and your wife has that bad boy in the dishwasher because she doesn't know any better 😂?
Where I could write you guys and show you the knives I got as a gift and see if they are real Japanese. Just for curiosity. I love your channel and I watch it from Spain. Thank you.
Hey, you can email us at hello @knifewear.com!
I would have liked to see the king of fake Japanese knives, the infamous "Kamikoto" 😂 Then again, reviewing fraudulent products is a struggle because you don't really want to give scammers any money.
Problem with cheap knives made in China is much bigger and more complicated. I think that all sellers of cheap Chinese knives wont be pretending that those knives are made in Japan, if the quickly growing knife enthusiasts community will not very loudly pushing almost religious opinion that only knives made in Japan are the best and worth to buy. It’s so many other blacksmiths and companies around the world, even in China who made same or in some cases even better knives that those from Japan. That mean if someone is trying to sell other than Japanese knives, they lot of time are force to came up fake “Japanese” brand name and pretend that they are made in Japan to be able succeed. I don’t think so that someone will buy a knife labeled made in China with same or similar price tag as Japanese knives no matter how good and well they are made.
That's a very fair point! We sell CCK knives made in China, and they're fantastic quality. While we absolutely love Japanese knives and focus on them with our brand, they're far from the only knives worth owning!
What's your stores link
knifewear.com/
well better knifes have geometry behind them which those knock off dont, im surprised we didnt talk about it in the vid.
Great point! There were so many differences to cover, we kinda forgot about that! That said, we were more focused on how to not get fooled online, and I've found many "Japanese" knife brands don't include choil shots or similar photos.
hey, thanks for this video. i make cooking videos and someone send me a "Noseto Bunka 180mm 67layers Damascus VG10 with Ciricote Wood Handle". They from Australia, and I was wondering if you know anything about them or have heard of them. Thanks, love this channel.
Hey, it looks like a decent inexpensive blade made from good steel! VG10 is great stuff.
@@KnifewearKnives thanks so much for answering so quickly! idk if you guys ever want to collab with a bbq channel, but let me know! haha.
Forged Blade is another one ☠️
Good to know!
What do you think of Miyabi Kaizen ll knives? Are those good knives with the price and are they really made in Japan?
They're great, and they are made in Japan!
It would’ve been nice to post a link for us. Or sites for us to buy from. The best priced ones to budget ones
These are All knives to avoid. They are overpriced crap. This is not a best knife video cuz they are all bad. If looking for good Japanese knives go watch the good knife video. For budget u can get a tojiro or Mac for cheap.
Here in Latvia I have noticed almost all of the scam products car parts come from Lithuania. A lot of Russians say they are Lithuanian to get around EU issues...... Not sure why but just an anecdote I have noticed.
Very interesting!
Way to nice to that toy knife. I get why though.
Yeah balance is very important when you are talking about swords. Not so much for kitchen knives. And Damascus steel isn't really any better than modern steel. It just looks pretty. And yes it's not true Damascus. It's just laminated steel. Real Damascus is a pot metal, and they only vaguely know the specific recipe that became so famous that it made the name. But they are pretty sure they are close to how it was originally made. True Damascus pot metal knives are way more expensive. But that is why they laser and acid etch the Damascus pattern onto cheap knives. It makes it appear more expensive and higher quality than it really is. Even real pot metal Damascus really is not any better than modern steel. It just looks more decorative.oh and isn't it odd how the skin of a tomato is so cut resistant that it has become the standard test medium?
Two guys, who talk with their hands, while reviewing knives. What could possibly go wrong?
Somehow we haven't got cut yet 😅
You can usually tell by the marketing.
Absolutely!
Actually, vegetables are easy to cut, so is meat. Use the sharpening steel often. Most knives work fine.
Is one of the test's spinning it on your finger 😂
Yes 😂
laser fake layers...lol
It seems kinda unfair to compare cheap Chinese knives with super nice japanese knives. I think a comparison of some more affordable Japanese knives like tojiro or matsutani, to some better Chinese made knives like xinzuo, which has actually intention behind their choices, they have a better steel, better heat treatment, better geometry, etc. I think this would be a more fair comparison specially because the price would be closer
That's a fair point! Our goal here wasn't to compare Chinese to Japanese however, but Japanese knives to non-Japanese knives that pass themselves off as Japanese. We love Chinese knives, and we carry CCK, who make fantastic blades. I'd love to explore the world of Chinese blades more!
I had to laugh. “combined experience of 100 years”. That means nothing at all, depending on the number of people making their knifes. If they have 100 craftsman that’ve only been making knives for a year each or 200 for half a year each then that qualifies for that claim. It would be much more meaningful if they said we have three master craftsman who make these noise and their average experience is 33 years each
Kamikoto and Huusk are junk. Don't get scammed.
OK, so basically are you saying that it’s Christmas cool and not practical cool or is it OK for the money?
The Huusk? I think you get exactly what you pay for honestly! It's not the hand forged Japanese blade for a crazy bargain, it's just a neat looking thick knife you can probably beat on.
They file a counterfeit copy right claim on yall yet???
Not yet! I think the lack of a product name in the video title helped us fly under the radar 😅
Just to clarify, it is not strange to have Chinese characters in Japanese, it's called Kanji. BUT, Kanji is Traditional Chinese dating back to 200BC, and not Simplified Chinese invented by the CCP in 1949.
True! That said many of the characters are different from their Japanese counterparts these days, and Naoto was able to spot the difference between Chinese and his native Japanese kanji.
@@KnifewearKnives English: Mythology | Kanji: 神話 | Traditional Chinese: 神話 | Simplified Chinese: 神话 I am a Hong Kong native. Thank you for this review :) Thank you for
They're made in China, it says so on their website in fine print somewhere. It's been debunked by other channels. Besides there's no chance in hell this cheap garbage is hand-forged anywhere, least of all in Japan. The most basic cheap stainless steel Frankenstein knife with the worst geometry you could imagine for cooking...
Huusk is a known scam. Im astounded anyone would buy such a useless shape of knife? What is it for? Skinning game?
"MITSUMOTO SAKARI" is it scam?
It's Impossible to say without seeing them in person, but some of the prices and the fact they only sell in Amazon is definitely suspect.
@@KnifewearKnives 85$ for a vg10 knive it's a correct price, but, is it realy vg10 steel?
$85 USD sounds about right for a very plain blade like a Tojiro Classic, but if the knife has a fancier design that tends to increase the price, which might be a sign that it's not what they say. You definitely won't get a hand forged blades for that price.
An an autistic person who avoids interaction with people I don't know as much as possible, if a company I just purchased from called me to push more upsell I'd just immediately request a cancelation and refund, terrible idea as well as just being very pushy
Right? It was a lot.
Like all of us,Ive seen The Huusk knives.Honestly just ugly and looks uncomfortable for a 8-12 hour prep day...Just me though,buy whatcha like.👍
I can't say I'd want to cut for an extended period of time having used one for a few minutes.
Facts I mostly prep with a 270mm Sujihiki and I’m not even that sore after, this huusk one is gonna give me premature arthritis
If your punctuation was a knife, it would be very similar to the Huusk.
Why didn’t you use the Japanese knife to show us the difference 🙄
because we already know how good they are. this is knifewear not the shopping channel.
Do we?
You guys are making the video wrong... The intenstion is very good But A "KZhead" video should be entertaining to watch I felt this video like a PODCAST ... "TOO MUCH" talking it took like 5 minutes to unbox the knife from the box you shouldn't do that... unbox the knife , cut something with it... rate it... move on 👍 keep it very brief but very entertaining I WISH YOU LUCK 🔥
The Japanese guy should know that Japanese language uses a lot of Chinese characters
That's not what Chinese people I know say They get offended if u suggested that, it's very different they say
It sure does! Both languages have gone through different simplification systems since they were adopted, so keen eyed folks can spot the differences between Chinese and Japanese Kanji.
Not really a vid on how to spot a fake. Click Bait thumbnail
huusk japan on USPTO, owner (APPLICANT) Zhang, Long INDIVIDUAL CHINA No.35,Group 3,Fanzhuang Village Nanmachang Township,ETDZ,Huaian City Jiangsu CHINA 223000