Hi Chef! I think you are spot on where the shape of the handle is concerned. It seems to be in the minority not only for Hezhen, but for most fine cutlery. For me, this is what I was looking for and I purchased the set along with the cleaver. They go well with my kitchen remodel in addition to being the handle shape and balance I look for. Very astute of you for pointing that out...I hope it helps others! Excellent and helpful review!
I've had the nakiri classic series from Hezhen for about a year now. I love it. Edge holds up great with proper care and the handle design is much better than the master series. I just bought, on the 11.11 sale, the 8" chef's knife. 5.5" boning knife, bread knife, and a honing rod. I would highly recommend the classic series.
Yeah, I just could not get comfortable with the handle for my gripping style. As I prefer to pinch at the blade or bolster, I would have chosen a different handle that would suit my preference better while I love the handle aesthetic but I will choose comfort over aesthetic.
Hi Chef Panko, I took your advice from the video and I bought the Hezhen knife set for my kitchen. I'm the cook at home, not my wife :-) I have the Henkels knife and I'm happy with them, but they are not as sharp as expected. The finish on them is not as smooth on spine and area in front of handle where my knuckle rests, so I am going with this set. This was a well presented and well demonstrated video. I am looking at a 30-day ship time, but that's Ok.
I have the Hezhen Nakiri from the Classic series. It's a hammered damascus blade and an Ebony D-Shaped handle. I chose it over the Master Series because I like the hammered finish and the D-Shaped handle better, though I do like the color and grain of the Sycamore handle. I've had great luck with Hezhen knives and I really like my Nakiri. I agree that Hezhen is one of the better Chinese knife companies on AliExpress. It appears to me that Xinzuo uses the same blades. I always assumed that Xinzuo makes both, but in any case they appear to have the same maker. Great review as always.
Xinzuo and Hezhen are extremely similar despite them saying that there is no relation between the 2 brands (both good brands). I love the sycamore handle aesthetic, but a different handle design would suit me better, like a D-shape, Octagon, western-style handle (I tried to adjust, but I can't unlearn a habit/ gripping style). But glad I could try the Hezhen and choose the Sycamore because it was on a huge discount at the special 11.11 sale versus the other versions from Hezhen. (and was curious how the handle would feel).
@@betortas33, yeah, that is what I find strange, and each store that sells them tells me they are not related. But no matter what they say, they are extremely similar.
Hey chef, i hope you can review on a smaller knife? like a paring or kitchen utility knife. I've been considering to buy hezhen master series utility or turwho li series 5" Utility... As my EDC/hunting knife. The problem with "edc/outdoor" knife whether it's folder or fixed blade are they are inconvenient to use for food preparation. Curently i'm being stationed on a countryside when every now & then i can go hunting, fishing or set up a camp. That's why a small kitchen knife would be convenient to carry and to skinning deer, filleting fish or doing overall food prep on the field. So chef, if you could make a review about hezhen/turwho utility knife. I would be thanfull. 😀
Hello chef, great video! I've been considering this nakiri and also one from keemake, I've heard you speak highly of keemake before, which leads me to a question. On both their amazon and aliexpress pages, they have a chef knife ($60 both pages) that they list as 7cr17 german steel, with a claimed hrc of 65... From 7cr17?? They call it "liquid metal" and claim that they achieve the 65hrc through "a revolutionary amorphous metal technology"..... What do you make of this what are your thoughts? I'm not asking you to verify or disprove any claims, just your opinion? It sounds fishy to me
I replied already on a different comment from you. But 7cr7 with a claimed 65+ HRC...... Maybe they got the numbers wrong? 7cr7 should be more in line with 56 HRC (55/57hrc). Liquid metal, never heard of it, maybe a new marketing term. As for the Keemake knife, I like the AUS10, the rest I don't know, but the other problem is that the quality control issues I had in the past are still not fixed yesterday (I just heard from one of my subscribers that they have similar issues with their version). QC has still not improved since I reviewed the Keemake Bunka AUS10. The rebranding is also strange since Keemake is a sub-brand of Sunnecko. I have seen them changing Sunnecko knives to Keemake. (when I released my video soon after, they rebranded Sunnecko to Keemake, but I think they reversed it). I like the Keemake AUS10 Chef's knife: ua-cam.com/video/8RXsrQdQCsY/v-deo.html And Bunka: ua-cam.com/video/KVjlkihHf1c/v-deo.html (quality control issues with the Bunka) I can't say the same for the other options they provide, and the QC problem should be fixed asap.
@@chefpanko Thanks for the nice review. On the Hezhen website they clearly mention that they are the high side sub brand from Xinzuo. Would be great if you could review their Kiritsuke retro series.
@@MarceloAlcantaraX thank you for the update when I reviewed the knife they did not have a website yet, it may be a communication problem as they said they are not Xinzou back then. But this explains the similarities between them. Will update the description.
@@MarceloAlcantaraX I try my best to get my hands on them but currently, I have 15 other knives to review. So I can't promise anything but I will try my best when I have reviewed the other review samples from various brands.
Had been waiting on this one since you've been teasing us showing this knife in other videos up until now. Been eyeing this brand on aliexpress for awhile although they were a bit more expensive than other brands. Wasn't sure if their price premium was worth it. Since you like the steel, might have to give one an order. They have to be better than the experience I've had with Shuangmali and Xituo official brand stores. Both have a bit of a premium as well. Shuangmali never sent my order of knives even after 5 months. Xituo has a knife missing from my order and all the rest of the knives all have bent blades along with misaligned handles. Very disappointed with those. Anyhow, thanks for the video.
No experience with Shuangmali, but Xituo is quite disappointing with their 10cr15comov or in some of the knife pages advertised as Japanese VG10. The 7cr17 from Xituo is oke for the price, as for their 10cr15comov I'm disappointed.
I have a few Hezhen knives, Classic Series Nakiri and a yanagiba and deba. I'm happy with the quality of them. It appears to me that Xinzuo has an identical Nakiri to the Classic but with a different wood in the handle. It is a little cheaper if you want to save a few bucks. I also own a few Xinzuo knives and have been very happy with them. Hope that helps.
@@rexseven6907 I haven't bought any Xinzuo knives. Xituo are the ones I bought and am not happy with. All these names are very similar it can get confusing. I have had 2 more expensive and premium looking knives in my cart though but haven't bought. The Hezhen was one brand and the other is FZIZUO. Both are 100+ for most of their series and when we get to 100+ territory I feel less adventurous with Chinese brands. Finding a gem at $50 or less is great. Getting a turd at $100+ isn't so great.
The one in this video is fabricated Damascus, it is indeed layered but if the claim of 67 layers is true I don't know. It is not a lasered Damascus which is considered a fake Damascus. True/Real Damascus has no concrete core: -True Damascus. Multi-layer construction with no discrete core material. This is generally not as strong as other constructions since there are multiple stress risers on the cutting edge. There is a legend that some of these old Damascus blades were “nearly unbreakable” but I doubt that they would compare to modern steels. There is an interesting modern take on this construction using 2 different stainless materials. San Mai (3-layer) with a hard core and softer (and usually more stain-resistant outer core). These blades can have a practical hardness limit above 60. A subset of San Mai is modern Damascus. These are really a 3 layer construction with a hard core and multi-steel outer layers (San-Mai is the one used in this video with multi-outer layers)
@@ThomasKelly-ny2ds hi thank you for your comment, as I'm currently working closely with Xinzuo/Hezhen on a new review of their newest collection I can now explain things more in detail. Since this video was 2 years back the information was mixed all over the place. My experience with Xinzuo can be found on my website (link to my website in the description since youtube might auto-delete comments with links). Xinzuo and Hezhen are the same company/manufacturer. Hezhen is a sub-brand of Xinzuo with a different focus on aesthetics and materials. Since Xinzuo is also an OEM they offer white-label knives with multiple options with other brand/logos put on the blades. this can be a mono steel or san-mai or fake lasering etc depending on the client that is using the OEM services. Xinzuo and Hezhen knives both have the layered Damascus which we consider real Damascus by modern standards. Multiple layers are on top of each other and folded to create the pattern. The reason for an abrupt finish at the bolster part is that they welded the blade onto the handle/bolster. If you scratch the pattern away you need a high polish to reveal the pattern again and to see a better pattern you need an acid bath to reveal the Damascus after removing it with sandpaper which reveals that it is a real layered Damascus (man-made Damascus and not fake lasering). A Q&A with the Xinzuo/Hezhen co-founder will be released soon which will reveal some extra in-depth manufacturing processes. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
I bought the small knife from the series and I can confirm that the finish is perfect. However the handle is a bit small for my hands and the steel feels softer than a Miyabi with 60-62 HRC. I believe it is less than 60 HRC, it is also not as sharp as a true Japanese knife. Nevertheless, it is a great knife that I definately recommend.
@@chefpanko I bought it on wayfair HEZHEN 7PCS Kitchen Knives Set Professional Forging Damascus High Carbon Steel Chef Knife Santoku Bread Knife Utility Knife Fruit Knife 3Cr14 Multifunctional Kitchen Scissors 6Slot Black Walnut Block
@@hydr2170 I see I only thought about the knives so I was surprised by the price. Hope you like them when they arrive let me know what you think about them :)
440c mainly because the knife is anatomically correct (Gyuto/Chef's knfie version) and most other series I tried from them has questionable handle design especially with their 10cr while the 10cr is fine I just don't get their design choices, I prefer functionality and comfort over a cool looking design and that is often missed by them especially when it comes to the handle of some series. (for home use fine for 5/10min but any longer than that the handle design is a hindrance).
Good question Yarenh is using multiple manufacturers as far as I know so I don't know how the new knives perform. Therefore I would say Hezhen over Yarenh, Xinzuo is also good basically the same as Hezhen.
I find Xinzuo/Hezhen extremely similar if not pretty much the same. I only tested one knife from Dongsun and based on that they were good too for the price. However, I would not recommend buying an entire set since: 1. you don't need them all 2. the sets have questionable knives in terms of profile and style. 3. some styles are missing all the anatomical aspects of that particular knife in favor of aesthetic/matching knife sets. Most of what you need for home use is an all-purpose knife (Santoku, Gyuto, Chef'smknife, Bunka, etc) you just need one of them and not all 3. A paring knife (which is often way too overpriced if you buy them separately but included for free in a set) and the cheaper Victorinox will perform better than most of the Chinese-branded paring knives in terms of functionality. And scissors are always handy to have in the kitchen as they can be used for a lot of things including cooked meat. A peeler is handy to have but most peeler tasks can be done on a paring knife. That is pretty much what most people need in the kitchen, you don't need a 6+ piece set with knives that you don't need. Maintaining is more important than having more knives. My advice is to find a good multi-purpose knife that suits your cutting style/task the best. And then get a separate paring knives, scissors, peeler. The fun thing is that a scissor or a paring knife is usually only included when you go higher in the set pieces. So I would say Xinzuo as they are usually cheaper priced than Hezhen. Dongsun is fine too as they are if I'm correct still priced decently. But with all 3 I don't recommend an entire set, just a multi-purpose knife.
@@chefpanko wow, thank you so much for your reply, I definetly didnt expect such a quick and complete answer. You muste be and amazing person. Since I've already taken a lot of your time, would you answer just one more question? What kind of honing rod would you recommend for home use? I was thinking about a ceramic one as i've seen the diamond can be a bit too harsh.
I did not notice this, with rough you meant dry? It is advisable to add a thin layer of mineral oil once the handle feels dry. Since it is a wooden handle it needs some care, multiple washess will dry out the handle. Mineral oil is often used to seal the handle so that it can resist water better.
@@chefpanko thanks for your quick answer! Correct its dry and it looks like if it was swimming around in the lake for years. Okay thank you i will try mineral oil! Keep up your chanel!💯
Short answer yes: It is layered Damascus (multiple layers of steel to create the Damascus pattern) and not lasered on (which is fake Damascus). The layered Damascus may look similar but if you order 2 of the same knives you will see that the Damascus pattern is slightly different compared to a lasered one which is identical. The reason for an abrupt pattern at the handle/bolster area is because of the welding. They welded the handle to the blade to save material cost of the more expensive part that is being used for the blade. Due to the manufacturing and layering process, they are able to recreate different kinds of patterns wich each manufacturer will have a name for the pattern like raindrop, crescent moon, wave, burst pattern, etc. Another method to test your own version is to grind the pattern away and then put it in an acid bath to reexpose the patterns. The Fake Damascus ie; lasered one will not come back.
no one really cares nowadays. The japanese started to make western style knifes or also chinese cleavers and the chinese and western countries started to produce knife types that originated from japan.
@@martinerhard8447 There is still a big difference between Chinese and Japanese knives. Used steels, precision, elegance is not at the same level and it will take a while before if ever. You can compare the difference with a Porsche and a Toyota. Driving a Toyota is fine, cheap and reliable but a Porsche is at another level.
@@BenoitPhilips actually no you cant generalize it like this. There are good bladesmiths in china, japan and the west. Making good kitchenknives isnt something that is exclusive to japan. what is true is that a lot of low quality stuff is mass produced in china but that doesnt mean they have no high quality knives
Hi Chef! I think you are spot on where the shape of the handle is concerned. It seems to be in the minority not only for Hezhen, but for most fine cutlery. For me, this is what I was looking for and I purchased the set along with the cleaver. They go well with my kitchen remodel in addition to being the handle shape and balance I look for. Very astute of you for pointing that out...I hope it helps others! Excellent and helpful review!
I've had the nakiri classic series from Hezhen for about a year now. I love it. Edge holds up great with proper care and the handle design is much better than the master series. I just bought, on the 11.11 sale, the 8" chef's knife. 5.5" boning knife, bread knife, and a honing rod. I would highly recommend the classic series.
Thank you for sharing your experience :)
The knife looks really good visually!
Yeah, I just could not get comfortable with the handle for my gripping style. As I prefer to pinch at the blade or bolster, I would have chosen a different handle that would suit my preference better while I love the handle aesthetic but I will choose comfort over aesthetic.
@@chefpanko I totally feel you, I'm used to the pinch grip too.
Hi Chef Panko,
I took your advice from the video and I bought the Hezhen knife set for my kitchen. I'm the cook at home, not my wife :-) I have the Henkels knife and I'm happy with them, but they are not as sharp as expected. The finish on them is not as smooth on spine and area in front of handle where my knuckle rests, so I am going with this set. This was a well presented and well demonstrated video. I am looking at a 30-day ship time, but that's Ok.
I bought 2 knives from them few months ago and I am very satisfied.
Thank you for sharing your experience with the brand :)
Thanks for the review and keep up the good work!
Much love from Switzerland
Thanks, will do! :)
just got the set thank you
I have the Hezhen Nakiri from the Classic series. It's a hammered damascus blade and an Ebony D-Shaped handle. I chose it over the Master Series because I like the hammered finish and the D-Shaped handle better, though I do like the color and grain of the Sycamore handle. I've had great luck with Hezhen knives and I really like my Nakiri. I agree that Hezhen is one of the better Chinese knife companies on AliExpress. It appears to me that Xinzuo uses the same blades. I always assumed that Xinzuo makes both, but in any case they appear to have the same maker. Great review as always.
Xinzuo and Hezhen are extremely similar despite them saying that there is no relation between the 2 brands (both good brands).
I love the sycamore handle aesthetic, but a different handle design would suit me better, like a D-shape, Octagon, western-style handle (I tried to adjust, but I can't unlearn a habit/ gripping style).
But glad I could try the Hezhen and choose the Sycamore because it was on a huge discount at the special 11.11 sale versus the other versions from Hezhen. (and was curious how the handle would feel).
@@chefpanko pretty sure that in Hezhen webpage they say that they are Xinzuo premium brand
@@betortas33, yeah, that is what I find strange, and each store that sells them tells me they are not related. But no matter what they say, they are extremely similar.
hey man keep it up... i appreciate your content. soo keep them coming :D
Thank you, will do :)
Interesting knife. Thanks for review.
They have 14cr14mov with 62 to 64 hcr can you please review them and make comparison with findking knife
I will see what I can do since I have a lot of other knives to test currently. If the knives that I still have has been tested I may add this knife.
Well, since Xinzuo stopped making a stainless steel nakiri i only found one from this brand, it seems it does have good quality.
Muy bonitos los cuchillos , buen video
Hey chef, i hope you can review on a smaller knife? like a paring or kitchen utility knife. I've been considering to buy hezhen master series utility or turwho li series 5" Utility... As my EDC/hunting knife. The problem with "edc/outdoor" knife whether it's folder or fixed blade are they are inconvenient to use for food preparation.
Curently i'm being stationed on a countryside when every now & then i can go hunting, fishing or set up a camp. That's why a small kitchen knife would be convenient to carry and to skinning deer, filleting fish or doing overall food prep on the field.
So chef, if you could make a review about hezhen/turwho utility knife. I would be thanfull.
😀
Have added in my to-do list but can't promise anything since I still have a lot of review samples left. Thankyou for the suggestion :)
Thank you!
Hello chef, great video! I've been considering this nakiri and also one from keemake, I've heard you speak highly of keemake before, which leads me to a question. On both their amazon and aliexpress pages, they have a chef knife ($60 both pages) that they list as 7cr17 german steel, with a claimed hrc of 65... From 7cr17?? They call it "liquid metal" and claim that they achieve the 65hrc through "a revolutionary amorphous metal technology"..... What do you make of this what are your thoughts? I'm not asking you to verify or disprove any claims, just your opinion? It sounds fishy to me
I replied already on a different comment from you. But 7cr7 with a claimed 65+ HRC...... Maybe they got the numbers wrong? 7cr7 should be more in line with 56 HRC (55/57hrc).
Liquid metal, never heard of it, maybe a new marketing term.
As for the Keemake knife, I like the AUS10, the rest I don't know, but the other problem is that the quality control issues I had in the past are still not fixed yesterday (I just heard from one of my subscribers that they have similar issues with their version). QC has still not improved since I reviewed the Keemake Bunka AUS10.
The rebranding is also strange since Keemake is a sub-brand of Sunnecko. I have seen them changing Sunnecko knives to Keemake. (when I released my video soon after, they rebranded Sunnecko to Keemake, but I think they reversed it).
I like the Keemake AUS10 Chef's knife: ua-cam.com/video/8RXsrQdQCsY/v-deo.html
And Bunka: ua-cam.com/video/KVjlkihHf1c/v-deo.html (quality control issues with the Bunka)
I can't say the same for the other options they provide, and the QC problem should be fixed asap.
Very beautiful knife! Glad that it's sharp and well made too!
If there was no logo I would say that it is very similar to Xinzuo despite them saying that they are not related.
@@chefpanko Thanks for the nice review. On the Hezhen website they clearly mention that they are the high side sub brand from Xinzuo. Would be great if you could review their Kiritsuke retro series.
@@MarceloAlcantaraX thank you for the update when I reviewed the knife they did not have a website yet, it may be a communication problem as they said they are not Xinzou back then.
But this explains the similarities between them. Will update the description.
@@MarceloAlcantaraX I try my best to get my hands on them but currently, I have 15 other knives to review. So I can't promise anything but I will try my best when I have reviewed the other review samples from various brands.
Which do you prefer the slight belly on this knife or a flat blade?
Straighter profile for me but for mincing and rocking the slight belly helps but I don't mince that often.
Had been waiting on this one since you've been teasing us showing this knife in other videos up until now. Been eyeing this brand on aliexpress for awhile although they were a bit more expensive than other brands. Wasn't sure if their price premium was worth it. Since you like the steel, might have to give one an order. They have to be better than the experience I've had with Shuangmali and Xituo official brand stores. Both have a bit of a premium as well. Shuangmali never sent my order of knives even after 5 months. Xituo has a knife missing from my order and all the rest of the knives all have bent blades along with misaligned handles. Very disappointed with those. Anyhow, thanks for the video.
No experience with Shuangmali, but Xituo is quite disappointing with their 10cr15comov or in some of the knife pages advertised as Japanese VG10.
The 7cr17 from Xituo is oke for the price, as for their 10cr15comov I'm disappointed.
I have a few Hezhen knives, Classic Series Nakiri and a yanagiba and deba. I'm happy with the quality of them. It appears to me that Xinzuo has an identical Nakiri to the Classic but with a different wood in the handle. It is a little cheaper if you want to save a few bucks. I also own a few Xinzuo knives and have been very happy with them. Hope that helps.
@@rexseven6907 I haven't bought any Xinzuo knives. Xituo are the ones I bought and am not happy with. All these names are very similar it can get confusing. I have had 2 more expensive and premium looking knives in my cart though but haven't bought. The Hezhen was one brand and the other is FZIZUO. Both are 100+ for most of their series and when we get to 100+ territory I feel less adventurous with Chinese brands. Finding a gem at $50 or less is great. Getting a turd at $100+ isn't so great.
Thanks for the great review you are the best... However, I sticking with the best knifes from Japan, Germany, England and America
Thank you :) Fair enough!
Excelente trabalho 👏 🇧🇷
Obrigado :)
Hi Chef Panko, is this fake Damascus steel? They claim its 67 layered damascus steel. Greetings!
The one in this video is fabricated Damascus, it is indeed layered but if the claim of 67 layers is true I don't know.
It is not a lasered Damascus which is considered a fake Damascus.
True/Real Damascus has no concrete core:
-True Damascus. Multi-layer construction with no discrete core material. This is generally not as strong as other constructions since there are multiple stress risers on the cutting edge. There is a legend that some of these old Damascus blades were “nearly unbreakable” but I doubt that they would compare to modern steels.
There is an interesting modern take on this construction using 2 different stainless materials.
San Mai (3-layer) with a hard core and softer (and usually more stain-resistant outer core). These blades can have a practical hardness limit above 60.
A subset of San Mai is modern Damascus. These are really a 3 layer construction with a hard core and multi-steel outer layers (San-Mai is the one used in this video with multi-outer layers)
@@chefpanko thank you very much for your detailed explanation! This helped me very much! Good work!
Thanks Chef Panko!
I was waiting on this answer, since Xinzuo shares so many commonalities with Hezhen and Xinzuo is notorious for fake damascus.
@@ThomasKelly-ny2ds hi thank you for your comment, as I'm currently working closely with Xinzuo/Hezhen on a new review of their newest collection I can now explain things more in detail. Since this video was 2 years back the information was mixed all over the place. My experience with Xinzuo can be found on my website (link to my website in the description since youtube might auto-delete comments with links).
Xinzuo and Hezhen are the same company/manufacturer. Hezhen is a sub-brand of Xinzuo with a different focus on aesthetics and materials.
Since Xinzuo is also an OEM they offer white-label knives with multiple options with other brand/logos put on the blades.
this can be a mono steel or san-mai or fake lasering etc depending on the client that is using the OEM services.
Xinzuo and Hezhen knives both have the layered Damascus which we consider real Damascus by modern standards. Multiple layers are on top of each other and folded to create the pattern.
The reason for an abrupt finish at the bolster part is that they welded the blade onto the handle/bolster. If you scratch the pattern away you need a high polish to reveal the pattern again and to see a better pattern you need an acid bath to reveal the Damascus after removing it with sandpaper which reveals that it is a real layered Damascus (man-made Damascus and not fake lasering).
A Q&A with the Xinzuo/Hezhen co-founder will be released soon which will reveal some extra in-depth manufacturing processes.
If you have any questions feel free to ask.
Loving the nakiri videos! I actually DM'd you on IG with a question. Hope you can help me!
Hoping on Instagram right now, I had some trouble with my pc crashing and editing so did not have the time to check other socials see you there :)
I bought the small knife from the series and I can confirm that the finish is perfect. However the handle is a bit small for my hands and the steel feels softer than a Miyabi with 60-62 HRC. I believe it is less than 60 HRC, it is also not as sharp as a true Japanese knife. Nevertheless, it is a great knife that I definately recommend.
Thank you for sharing your insights :) Always love to see what others think.
I just bought a $900 7 PCs hope it’s good
$900 dollars? 7 pieces should be around $250/$300.
@@chefpanko I bought it on wayfair HEZHEN 7PCS Kitchen Knives Set Professional Forging Damascus High Carbon Steel Chef Knife Santoku Bread Knife Utility Knife Fruit Knife 3Cr14 Multifunctional Kitchen Scissors 6Slot Black Walnut Block
@@hydr2170 I see I only thought about the knives so I was surprised by the price. Hope you like them when they arrive let me know what you think about them :)
@@chefpanko for sure
What do you prefer the 440c or the 10cr15 from xinzuo?
440c mainly because the knife is anatomically correct (Gyuto/Chef's knfie version) and most other series I tried from them has questionable handle design especially with their 10cr while the 10cr is fine I just don't get their design choices, I prefer functionality and comfort over a cool looking design and that is often missed by them especially when it comes to the handle of some series. (for home use fine for 5/10min but any longer than that the handle design is a hindrance).
Hey buddy,
nice review. We reviewed a few months ago a HEZHEN chef knife from the same serie on our channel.
Gettings from Germany
Chef Mike
whats your favorite knife brand between hezhen and yarenh
Good question Yarenh is using multiple manufacturers as far as I know so I don't know how the new knives perform.
Therefore I would say Hezhen over Yarenh, Xinzuo is also good basically the same as Hezhen.
If you were to buy a knife set. Would you rather buy it from hezhen, dongsuon or Xinzuo?
I find Xinzuo/Hezhen extremely similar if not pretty much the same. I only tested one knife from Dongsun and based on that they were good too for the price.
However, I would not recommend buying an entire set since:
1. you don't need them all
2. the sets have questionable knives in terms of profile and style.
3. some styles are missing all the anatomical aspects of that particular knife in favor of aesthetic/matching knife sets.
Most of what you need for home use is an all-purpose knife (Santoku, Gyuto, Chef'smknife, Bunka, etc) you just need one of them and not all 3.
A paring knife (which is often way too overpriced if you buy them separately but included for free in a set) and the cheaper Victorinox will perform better than most of the Chinese-branded paring knives in terms of functionality.
And scissors are always handy to have in the kitchen as they can be used for a lot of things including cooked meat.
A peeler is handy to have but most peeler tasks can be done on a paring knife.
That is pretty much what most people need in the kitchen, you don't need a 6+ piece set with knives that you don't need.
Maintaining is more important than having more knives.
My advice is to find a good multi-purpose knife that suits your cutting style/task the best.
And then get a separate paring knives, scissors, peeler.
The fun thing is that a scissor or a paring knife is usually only included when you go higher in the set pieces.
So I would say Xinzuo as they are usually cheaper priced than Hezhen. Dongsun is fine too as they are if I'm correct still priced decently.
But with all 3 I don't recommend an entire set, just a multi-purpose knife.
@@chefpanko wow, thank you so much for your reply, I definetly didnt expect such a quick and complete answer.
You muste be and amazing person.
Since I've already taken a lot of your time, would you answer just one more question?
What kind of honing rod would you recommend for home use? I was thinking about a ceramic one as i've seen the diamond can be a bit too harsh.
Can someone comment on the wooden handle? After 2 weeks of using, the handle got rough. Do you have similar issues? Best regards Herbert
I did not notice this, with rough you meant dry? It is advisable to add a thin layer of mineral oil once the handle feels dry. Since it is a wooden handle it needs some care, multiple washess will dry out the handle. Mineral oil is often used to seal the handle so that it can resist water better.
@@chefpanko thanks for your quick answer! Correct its dry and it looks like if it was swimming around in the lake for years. Okay thank you i will try mineral oil! Keep up your chanel!💯
is it real damascus?
Short answer yes:
It is layered Damascus (multiple layers of steel to create the Damascus pattern) and not lasered on (which is fake Damascus).
The layered Damascus may look similar but if you order 2 of the same knives you will see that the Damascus pattern is slightly different compared to a lasered one which is identical.
The reason for an abrupt pattern at the handle/bolster area is because of the welding.
They welded the handle to the blade to save material cost of the more expensive part that is being used for the blade.
Due to the manufacturing and layering process, they are able to recreate different kinds of patterns wich each manufacturer will have a name for the pattern like raindrop, crescent moon, wave, burst pattern, etc.
Another method to test your own version is to grind the pattern away and then put it in an acid bath to reexpose the patterns. The Fake Damascus ie; lasered one will not come back.
@@chefpanko cool thank you thats exactly what i was wondering
why all the Chinese knives, lets get serious here... Only German and Japanese made factory knives have consistent quality control.
Guys, I think he's even prettier than a woman 😵😳🤪😍😘🥰
lol 😂
You should mention this is not a Japanese knife but a Chinese copying the Japanese style
Thank you for the feedback will see what I can do in the future.
no one really cares nowadays. The japanese started to make western style knifes or also chinese cleavers and the chinese and western countries started to produce knife types that originated from japan.
@@martinerhard8447 There is still a big difference between Chinese and Japanese knives. Used steels, precision, elegance is not at the same level and it will take a while before if ever.
You can compare the difference with a Porsche and a Toyota. Driving a Toyota is fine, cheap and reliable but a Porsche is at another level.
@@BenoitPhilips
actually no you cant generalize it like this.
There are good bladesmiths in china, japan and the west. Making good kitchenknives isnt something that is exclusive to japan.
what is true is that a lot of low quality stuff is mass produced in china but that doesnt mean they have no high quality knives