# Anybody used Dalstrong?



## chefs-edge

Hi I'm a new user, I'm glad to find a forum to discuss my growing obsession.

I've been tempted by the Dalstrong Shogun Series X Chef knife for sometime now. For the money the look of this knife looks excellent but when something seems too good to be true....

I'm aware they manufacture them in China but i can look past this. Any Chef's out there of heavy home users got anything to say on this brand or particular knife?

Thanks all.


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## bkultra

Welcome to the forums


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## WildBoar

No personal experience here (haven't even heard of them before). But looks remarkably like a VG-10 core damascus-clad Shun with a Japanese profile vs the large belly Shun uses in theirs. For the same money (or less) I suspect many here would recommend some of the more entry-grade Japanese gyutos, like Tojiros, etc.


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## ecchef

Honest opinion?
Wonky profile, cheesy looking lhandle, name contains the word "shogun" and the letter "X" (only acceptable when preceded by the word Cowry), made in China.
4 strikes.
Oh, and welcome to the forums.


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## alterwisser

IT'S HANDS DOWN THE BEST KNIFE I EVER TRIED....




























Has no one said .... EVER!

Welcome to the Forum mein Freund [emoji12][emoji23]


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## chefs-edge

Thanks!


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## chefs-edge

So anybody used this knife?


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## aboynamedsuita

They followed me on Instagram, then unfollowed me, then refollowed me again to try and get my attention I guess lol. Does not appeal to me at all


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## LifeByA1000Cuts

A certain youtuber, which is controversial here, discusses Dalstrong to death in his videos  Just filter presented fact from presented opinion...

Gyuto?! The 8" chef as presented on the website looks too german for me, and I'm german. 8-12dps? Eight on a general purpose knife with a rocking profile? If I wanted eight on VG10 I'd go get a Takamura VG10...


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## foody518

I suspect folks are leery of spending money to give a chance to something which looks to have very little way to be its cost...


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## alterwisser

aboynamedsuita said:


> They followed me on Instagram, then unfollowed me, then refollowed me again to try and get my attention I guess lol. Does not appeal to me at all



Yeah.... funny isn't it? I have a new "knife related" follower (mostly vendors) every week. And i don't even post any knife (or food pics for that matter) AT ALL!


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## aboynamedsuita

alterwisser said:


> Yeah.... funny isn't it? I have a new "knife related" follower (mostly vendors) every week. And i don't even post any knife (or food pics for that matter) AT ALL!



I get that too stuff like "blade bros" "knife n tactical", "knife ship 4 free", etc. Mostly cheap looking edc stuff.


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## JBroida

haha... i get them too


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## aboynamedsuita

On a similar note, when I started following smoothiethecat I had some cat related stuff follow me lol.


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## chefs-edge

Yeah I've seen his videos he's a bit fixated on them.

That's a really good point on the fine edge degree on a rocking profile knife. I wonder how long that would last...

I have a few Gyutos and want to add something with a larger heel into my roster. It seem's theres a lot of prejudice against this brand here. I'm tempted to take a punt on it but will read these forums further and see what people are liking.


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## bkultra

chefs-edge said:


> Yeah I've seen his videos he's a bit fixated on them.
> 
> That's a really good point on the fine edge degree on a rocking profile knife. I wonder how long that would last...
> 
> I have a few Gyutos and want to add something with a larger heel into my roster. It seem's theres a lot of prejudice against this brand here. I'm tempted to take a punt on it but will read these forums further and see what people are liking.




Before your post we never even discussed this brand, and for good reason. The comments are not based on prejudice, just preference and knowledge. For the same money there are far better options... Fill out the questioner and you will get them.


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## chefs-edge

Questioner? 

A couple of negative comment's may not be a "lot'' but they're not based on actual experience so that is prejudice. I was hoping to get some opinions based on hands on experience with the knife or brand.

I know the knife is made in China and made in Japan is better. The profile and how the handle look are completely subjective and down to preference. 

Please for the money tell me what you think is a better option?


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## bkultra

chefs-edge said:


> Questioner?
> 
> A couple of negative comment's may not be a "lot'' but they're not based on actual experience so that is prejudice. I was hoping to get some opinions based on hands on experience with the knife or brand.
> 
> I know the knife is made in China and made in Japan is better. The profile and how the handle look are completely subjective and down to preference.
> 
> Please for the money tell me what you think is a better option?



Here is the Questioner:
http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/s...hich-Knife-Should-I-Buy-quot-Questionnaire-v2

And I've never made love to a cheese grater, but I can assure you I would not enjoy the act... Is that prejudice?


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## foody518

people not voluntarily spending their own hard earned money on something perceived to most likely not be worth their money = prejudice?
That doesn't sound unreasonable...


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## StonedEdge

chefs-edge said:


> Questioner?



Questionnaire


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## chefs-edge

foody518 said:


> people not voluntarily spending their own hard earned money on something perceived to most likely not be worth their money = prejudice?
> That doesn't sound unreasonable...



People not wanting to spend their own hard earned money on something they think is not worth it, Absolutely fine.

People offering up negetive opinions based on no actual hands on experience is the definition of prejudice.


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## chefs-edge

bkultra said:


> Here is the Questioner:
> http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/s...hich-Knife-Should-I-Buy-quot-Questionnaire-v2
> 
> And I've never made love to a cheese grater, but I can assure you I would not enjoy the act... Is that prejudice?



Thanks for the link


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## bkultra

StonedEdge said:


> Questionnaire


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## StonedEdge

Hahahahah


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## LifeByA1000Cuts

Never said he shouldn't get the knife. Many said they would not get the knife at the price asked, some explained why. Might be prejudice, experience, most likely prejudice based on experience


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## WildBoar

I'm not sure I need to actually have it in my hands to know I am not interested in it. I see enough there to know that, for the money, I would spend elsewhere. But there are some forum members here who like buying knives like this and trying them out so they can give their thoughts.

Let's face it, there are dozens (probably hundreds) of accessible kitchen knife manufacturers, so a lot have not been tried by forum members.


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## LifeByA1000Cuts

@WildBoar Oh, I tend to try out whatever is really cheaply available - too much. Even a $5 knife you eventually pay with sharpening time and orderly-storage capacity 

Dismissing "trusting your experience" and "trusting statistics when a goal is to be achieved" (As in, "seen/handled product looking/advertised like this, they weren't great, and now it doesn't matter if this one is great because buying it is more likely to be a disappointment than a good spend, unless someone proves me wrong") as prejudice has crept in as a social norm a little too much... and that is taken advantage of in interesting places.... can, worms etc....


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## daveb

chefs-edge said:


> People not wanting to spend their own hard earned money on something they think is not worth it, Absolutely fine.
> 
> People offering up negetive opinions based on no actual hands on experience is the definition of prejudice.



Unless it involves calipers or hardness testers, everything on here is anecdotal. Most here offering opinions have a wide breadth of experience with many, many knives. Most here cite the basis of their opinion when offering it. You are free to do with those opinions as you will. To disparage those opinions is bad form.


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## shownomarci

Since you're in the UK, the options are a bit limited, unless you don't mind paying hefty import tax / VAT.
Similar knives to the ones you've asked about (VG-10 core steel @60HRC, damascus clad)
- Tsuki (You can find them at Nisbets.)
- Eden Damascus (You can find them at knivesandtools.) 
What i would do (and have done a bit more than 4 years ago), have a look at the Tojiro DP (VG-10 core steel @60HRC, but without the bling, but at least it's been made in Japan.). My go to knives ever since i have bought them. You can get a 240mm gyuto for 70 quid.
If you really want a damascus clad knife what performs well, then you have to shell out more money than the Dalstrong cost. (There are a few good European vendors, if you want to do so.)


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## chefs-edge

bkultra said:


> View attachment 35579



:lol2::lol2:


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## chefs-edge

daveb said:


> Unless it involves calipers or hardness testers, everything on here is anecdotal. Most here offering opinions have a wide breadth of experience with many, many knives. Most here cite the basis of their opinion when offering it. You are free to do with those opinions as you will. To disparage those opinions is bad form.



Not trying to disparage anyones opinion but the knowledge i seek is purely from hands on experience with this brand. That's very clear from the wording of the post. 
I'v worked in busy kitchens for ten years and have spent thousands of hour's working with knives in a utilitarian sense. I have many knives that have been used as tools. They're scratched and not the best lookers but i keep them honed to razors edge.
I can see that there is much with Dalstrong that rings alarm bells for experienced Edge heads. I can see them too. But to be honest I thought this knife would look quite nice on my rack at home. But i also want to work with it from time to time too.
A 30 quid Vic Fibrox can be all the knife a Chef will need so why not a 85quid knife even if it is made in China. 
So sorry to anyone who feels i shot down there opinions, I just really want to hear practical feedback (not amazon reviews) on this knife or brand negative or positive.


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## chefs-edge

shownomarci said:


> Since you're in the UK, the options are a bit limited, unless you don't mind paying hefty import tax / VAT.
> Similar knives to the ones you've asked about (VG-10 core steel @60HRC, damascus clad)
> - Tsuki (You can find them at Nisbets.)
> - Eden Damascus (You can find them at knivesandtools.)
> What i would do (and have done a bit more than 4 years ago), have a look at the Tojiro DP (VG-10 core steel @60HRC, but without the bling, but at least it's been made in Japan.). My go to knives ever since i have bought them. You can get a 240mm gyuto for 70 quid.
> If you really want a damascus clad knife what performs well, then you have to shell out more money than the Dalstrong cost. (There are a few good European vendors, if you want to do so.)



Thanks for your advice. I'm looking into the Tojiro DP's to replace the knives I work mostly with.


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## malexthekid

chefs-edge said:


> Not trying to disparage anyones opinion but the knowledge i seek is purely from hands on experience with this brand. That's very clear from the wording of the post.
> I'v worked in busy kitchens for ten years and have spent thousands of hour's working with knives in a utilitarian sense. I have many knives that have been used as tools. They're scratched and not the best lookers but i keep them honed to razors edge.
> I can see that there is much with Dalstrong that rings alarm bells for experienced Edge heads. I can see them too. But to be honest I thought this knife would look quite nice on my rack at home. But i also want to work with it from time to time too.
> A 30 quid Vic Fibrox can be all the knife a Chef will need so why not a 85quid knife even if it is made in China.
> So sorry to anyone who feels i shot down there opinions, I just really want to hear practical feedback (not amazon reviews) on this knife or brand negative or positive.



Then maybe you should have taken 5 minutes to review the forum before posting. You would have then found that we are enthusiasts and that brands like dalstrong are just mass produced run of the mill and have no interest to us.

If you want one get one. It will be like any mass produced knife.


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## chefs-edge

malexthekid said:


> Then maybe you should have taken 5 minutes to review the forum before posting. You would have then found that we are enthusiasts and that brands like dalstrong are just mass produced run of the mill and have no interest to us.
> 
> If you want one get one. It will be like any mass produced knife.



Wow i feel like that commis chef, who came to my kitchen with a set of Kitchen Devils the other week!

I saw "Kitchen Knife Forums". I thought it's a kitchen knife. Maybe somebody here can tell me what i want to know. 
I'm reading the forums and learning lots now ;-)


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## LifeByA1000Cuts

If somebody reads the published specs and voices an opinion based on them, due to that somebody either having experience with something that is of similar spec, or remembers that something of similar spec was already discussed here and what experiences were described, that is still an opinion based on experience, isn't it? Read only the opinions that are qualified by the poster saying "I have this knife." if they only interest YOU - but if I am not completely mistaken the concept of owning a thread you opened is delightfully loose and soft on this forum


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## gbguy71

I'm posting this with some trepidation as I am not an expert nor do I have experience with high end Japanese knives. I own a hammered finish Dalstrong Shogun Gyuto. The bottom line is that I generally like it. The big plus, and the reason I bought the knife to begin with, is the hammered finish. I was having problems with another knife and slicing potatoes. The potato slices would stick to the knife like glue. This is not the case with the Dalstrong.

The edge holding is astonishingly good compared to the AEB-L knife it replaced. The original Dalstrong knife edge had some minor chipping and I "reprofiled" it to 15dps. The chipping has virtually disappeared and I've noticed no reduction in its ability to cut.

I do find the belly excessive for, to me, a relatively short knife. When I rock the knife there isn't a huge area that's doing the cutting. I still haven't perfected how to efficiently use the knife and because of the past chipping I hesitate to "chop" too much.

The knife is, subjectively, heavy. However, I personally like the feel.

And to be perfectly honest, for a home chef, the price made it hard to ignore.

Hope that this was of some value.


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## LifeByA1000Cuts

@malexthekid never found a true "no interest in mass produced" bias here - but a lot of skepticism and "if mass produced, exceptional value for money is expected" bias


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## chefs-edge

gbguy71 said:


> I'm posting this with some trepidation as I am not an expert nor do I have experience with high end Japanese knives. I own a hammered finish Dalstrong Shogun Gyuto. The bottom line is that I generally like it. The big plus, and the reason I bought the knife to begin with, is the hammered finish. I was having problems with another knife and slicing potatoes. The potato slices would stick to the knife like glue. This is not the case with the Dalstrong.
> 
> The edge holding is astonishingly good compared to the AEB-L knife it replaced. The original Dalstrong knife edge had some minor chipping and I "reprofiled" it to 15dps. The chipping has virtually disappeared and I've noticed no reduction in its ability to cut.
> 
> I do find the belly excessive for, to me, a relatively short knife. When I rock the knife there isn't a huge area that's doing the cutting. I still haven't perfected how to efficiently use the knife and because of the past chipping I hesitate to "chop" too much.
> 
> The knife is, subjectively, heavy. However, I personally like the feel.
> 
> And to be perfectly honest, for a home chef, the price made it hard to ignore.
> 
> Hope that this was of some value.



Thanks thats very helpful.


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## LifeByA1000Cuts

"And to be perfectly honest, for a home chef, the price made it hard to ignore."

It costs more than an "entry level" Tojiro VG10, and that's what it needs to compete with, performance wise, IMHO - damascus be damned


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## gbguy71

An update on my hammered finish Dalstrong. I sent a note to Dalstrong telling them that I just didn't like the shape of the knife and would like to return it in exchange for their 9.5" (241mm) Chef's knife (gyuto). I said that I'd pay the return postage. They said to keep the knife and they'd send me the Chef's knife, which they promptly did. I absolutely love the Chef's knife and I cannot express how good their customer service is.

I have no experience with the Tojiro DP knives but for "looks" and customer service I find the Dalstrongs hard to beat.


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## TurboScooter

Go on Alibaba and look at their offerings in kitchen knives. You'll find stuff that looks awfully similar to the glut of made in China knives masquerading as Japanese knives that appear all over Amazon.

You can pick a damascus pattern, pick a handle, put on a custom logo, get your ah-nuh-may watching friend to choose some Japanese word they think has deep meaning and is badass and you've got yourself an Amazon ready brand.

Optional step: Make up a story about how you wanted to redesign the kitchen knife, chose only the best premium and exotic materials, personally visited multiple suppliers, and have finally chosen a high quality factory in China to partner exclusively with and now you're also ready to pre-launch on Kickstarter.


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## Triggaaar

TurboScooter said:


> Go on Alibaba and look at their offerings in kitchen knives. You'll find stuff that looks awfully similar to the glut of made in China knives masquerading as Japanese knives that appear all over Amazon.
> 
> You can pick a damascus pattern, pick a handle, put on a custom logo, get your ah-nuh-may watching friend to choose some Japanese word they think has deep meaning and is badass and you've got yourself an Amazon ready brand.
> 
> Optional step: Make up a story about how you wanted to redesign the kitchen knife, chose only the best premium and exotic materials, personally visited multiple suppliers, and have finally chosen a high quality factory in China to partner exclusively with and now you're also ready to pre-launch on Kickstarter.


:rofl2:


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## chefs-edge

gbguy71 said:


> An update on my hammered finish Dalstrong. I sent a note to Dalstrong telling them that I just didn't like the shape of the knife and would like to return it in exchange for their 9.5" (241mm) Chef's knife (gyuto). I said that I'd pay the return postage. They said to keep the knife and they'd send me the Chef's knife, which they promptly did. I absolutely love the Chef's knife and I cannot express how good their customer service is.
> 
> I have no experience with the Tojiro DP knives but for "looks" and customer service I find the Dalstrongs hard to beat.



Makes me wonder about there mark up if they rather let you keep a knife and send you a new one because you don't like the first.


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## Triggaaar

chefs-edge said:


> Makes me wonder about there mark up if they rather let you keep a knife and send you a new one because you don't like the first.


Indeed, it seems like great customer service, but is the knife completely worthless to them?

Can decent hard steel knives be mass produced?
I guess that no experienced forum member has found that they can.
Is it that no one has done a fair long term comparison of one against a traditionally made J knife, or is it simply that the heating and tempering process are too difficult to do properly (for a hard steel) in a mass produced environment? Or something else?


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## foody518

TurboScooter said:


> Go on Alibaba and look at their offerings in kitchen knives. You'll find stuff that looks awfully similar to the glut of made in China knives masquerading as Japanese knives that appear all over Amazon.
> 
> You can pick a damascus pattern, pick a handle, put on a custom logo, get your ah-nuh-may watching friend to choose some Japanese word they think has deep meaning and is badass and you've got yourself an Amazon ready brand.
> 
> Optional step: Make up a story about how you wanted to redesign the kitchen knife, chose only the best premium and exotic materials, personally visited multiple suppliers, and have finally chosen a high quality factory in China to partner exclusively with and now you're also ready to pre-launch on Kickstarter.



Baller


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## chefs-edge

TurboScooter said:


> Go on Alibaba and look at their offerings in kitchen knives. You'll find stuff that looks awfully similar to the glut of made in China knives masquerading as Japanese knives that appear all over Amazon.
> 
> You can pick a damascus pattern, pick a handle, put on a custom logo, get your ah-nuh-may watching friend to choose some Japanese word they think has deep meaning and is badass and you've got yourself an Amazon ready brand.
> 
> Optional step: Make up a story about how you wanted to redesign the kitchen knife, chose only the best premium and exotic materials, personally visited multiple suppliers, and have finally chosen a high quality factory in China to partner exclusively with and now you're also ready to pre-launch on Kickstarter.



Your spot on. 
I had a look on Alibaba, found exactly the same template. Exact same handle, centre pin etc.
$25 a piece on orders of 300.


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## LifeByA1000Cuts

OK, flack jacket on: Is routinely taking a used knife (that has no great resale value used - not a handmade/artisan knife) that isn't defective back good customer service, or pandering to ignorant users at the cost of knowledgeable ones and creating substantial waste?


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## Triggaaar

TurboScooter said:


> Go on Alibaba and look at their offerings in kitchen knives.


I've not seen alibaba before.
This model is the same as one offered by Zelite for £113. I feel I'm missing something re the price on alibaba:

http://www.alibaba.com/product-deta...0653595762.html?spm=a2700.7743248.51.8.p8AFto
https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Home-Kit...728169&sr=8-2&keywords=santoku+damascus+knife


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## K813zra

Triggaaar said:


> I've not seen alibaba before.
> This model is the same as one offered by Zelite for £113. I feel I'm missing something re the price on alibaba:
> 
> http://www.alibaba.com/product-deta...0653595762.html?spm=a2700.7743248.51.8.p8AFto
> https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Home-Kit...728169&sr=8-2&keywords=santoku+damascus+knife



what is 45-3 cents?? I don't know what the dash three is but 45 cents can't be the right price, can it?


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## TurboScooter

K813zra said:


> what is 45-3 cents?? I don't know what the dash three is but 45 cents can't be the right price, can it?



It's not 45-3 cents, it's $0.45-3, so I think it means 45 cents to 3 dollars. Price per unit probably varying depending on the conditions of your specific order.


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## TurboScooter

Want to try a [insert Amazon brand here] knife?



> 2)What is your delivery time?
> 
> A: sample: 3-5 working day; bulk order: 5-25 working day.
> 
> 3)Can I get 1 sample?
> 
> A: Samples are free. some expensive samples'll be paid before testing, but all sample cost'll be returned when bulk order. So, samples are free finally.



I wonder how much a sample costs direct from the factory? :idea:

Don't actually do that, ya jerks.

Do it the honest way and start a Youtube review channel. You'll probably get a free one to review soon enough.


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## Triggaaar

K813zra said:


> what is 45-3 cents?? I don't know what the dash three is but 45 cents can't be the right price, can it?





TurboScooter said:


> It's not 45-3 cents, it's $0.45-3, so I think it means 45 cents to 3 dollars. Price per unit probably varying depending on the conditions of your specific order.


Indeed it is between $0.45 and $3, but that doesn't seem right. Another knife from the same range (available for £120 on Amazon) is between $20.65 and $21.98:
https://www.alibaba.com/product-det...7166.html?spm=a2700.7724838.2017115.49.IJQER4
or the same knife between $1 and $3 here:
https://www.alibaba.com/product-det...3.html?spm=a2700.7724838.2017115.1.IJQER4&s=p

Now $20 I could believe. I can see how it's made for that, then sold for 5 times the price. But $1? No, I can't see how they made it for $1, so I assume the price isn't right.


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## foody518

If you account for the differences in labor costs...
Plus retail markup...


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## Triggaaar

foody518 said:


> If you account for the differences in labor costs...
> Plus retail markup...


And the price of materials, and machinery etc? No, I still can't see how those knives can be made for $1.

If they are, I want some - let's get a group purchase going. People are paying over £100 for them here (and they're happy with them), they're going to be better than the knives friends buy in the shops for for £20, I can give them out as xmas gifts. I'd also like a few as beater knives, useful for guests etc. I can practice sharpening on them too. I'll have one in the shed for garden use.


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## mike_littlerock

overall they seem ok.. I will say that for the first time in my life i had a blade chip out (badly).. was making a nice winter stew and it did not sound right.. looked at the blade and have a nice chunk missing.. i have used henckels, chicago cutlery, shun, etc and never experienced a failure. I would say the chunk missing is about 6mm. NO.. was not trying my hand at carving granite, and not wailing away, only thing i think it could have hit was at most a bone or olive pit. 

i have a picture of the blade but do not see an option to post it here.


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