Are Kamikoto knives high quality?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “kamikoto knifes“
About Maya
Written by: Maya
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Are Kamikoto knives high quality?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “kamikoto knifes“
About Maya
Kamikoto knives are an example of dodgy merchandise promoted by flamboyant marketing. The inference to classic Japanese steel making is camouflage for the true origin which is likely China. It is a disingenuous means to link an inferior product to Japan’s long history of creating quality swords. I will reserve the origin of ancient Japanese forges and steel for another day.
On the Kamikoto website, they reveal that the steel used is 420J2. It appears the company is hoping would-be buyers will imagine this low-quality steel is actually good. 420J2 is actually one of the cheapest varieties of steel available. The only positive aspect is that the high chromium content offers corrosion resistance. Conversely, the very low carbon content means the steel is relatively soft and will dull quickly. When used in a knife, 420J2 steel cannot hold an edge. Anybody who knows anything about steel and knives will tell you that Chinese branded 3CR13 steel is very cheap but it is equivalent if not slightly superior to 420J2.
There are a number of red flags in the advertisement. The deep “discounts” are a dead giveaway. Sadly those reduced prices are still 25 times more than the actual cost to produce Kamikoto knives. In short, Kamikoto is a lie, a cheat, and a SCAM!
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Ahh, Kamikoto, the Japanese knife made in China.
Kamikoto knives are a good quality knife, and made with Japanese steel, but not worth the price unless you can get them at a discount.
What you are paying for is a beautiful knife that is great for display. Don’t get me wrong , they are capable knives too, but not any more capable than others like Wusthof or Shun.
I’ve read that Kamikoto advertises that their knives are super hard (for edge retention), but a true hardness test reveals that they are actually softer than most other Japanese and German steel knives.
Here are a couple of reviews.
Kamikoto Knives Review: Are Kamikoto Knives Worth The Price? – On The Gas | The Art Science & Culture of Food
Kamikoto Knives Review ($1,295) & Giveaway • Steamy Kitchen Recipes
Edit: I’m not knocking Chinese knifemakers. The best cleavers I have ever owned were and are Chinese made.
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Don’t read the marketing BS. Look at the specs and their tactics.
They offer 50% off for no reason. The profit margin on knives is actually pretty slim. You will never see that discount on a good Japanese knife unless there’s a significant defect, definitely not an entire line of knives.
The company tries so hard to come off as Japanese. Phrases like ‘Honshu steel’ (wtf does that mean…?) are an instant red flag. It’s actually a Chinese company that makes knives out of surgical steel. And it won’t even tell you what kind, you have to dig until you find the right one. That sounds odd, but gets worse when you realize that surgical steel is not prized for its edge retention. Surgical steel’s strength is its corrosion resistance so you don’t contaminate/infect the patient and the blades are easy to disinfect. Surgical steel is actually pretty soft compared to conventional knife steels. If I recall properly, Kamikoto’s knives are like 52 HRC, some tested as low as 50. This is worse than many supermarket budget knives, and the wild variation in hardness just tells me it has quality control issues.
Actual Japanese knives tend to be 60 HRC and above. Each point on this scale represents a 10% cumulative increase in hardness from the previous number. So 60 is 10% harder than 59. 61 is 10% harder than 60, etc. Do some math and you quickly realize Kamikotos are not comparable to a real Japanese knife.
Good westerns tend to be around 56 to 58 HRC. Victorinox is about 56. Messermeister is around 58. Even against westerns, which are labeled “soft” by some enthusiasts, Kamikoto can’t compare. Kamikoto might as well be making knives out of tofu.
Even if Kamikoto knives are high quality, the company engages in deceptive, dishonest marketing practices and lies about what the product is. The product is also not suitable as a kitchen knife with its characteristics, and is overpriced.
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