Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/07/27/these-japanese-precision-knive.html
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It looks like he’s going to slice his fingers off.
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So write Damascus (as in Damascus Steel) in Katakana and call them Japanese. Now I’am curious what if any relation to Japanese cutlery they actually have or if they’ve ever sold for any where in the neighborhood of $700, if not I am pretty sure that’s illegal marketing. Needs higher resolution pictures cause I can’t see the wavey pattern Damascus Steel is known for.
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Is BB still trying to sell this crap? Calling second-rate stainless steel knives something that sounds Japanese and sounds like “Damascus” doesn’t make them special. Also, they aren’t actually pattern-welded. They’re just decorative laser-etched to look cool.
Save your money. Get a reputable brand.
Shame on you, Boing-Boing
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Best I can tell they aren’t Damascus or Japanese.
The BoingBoing/StackSocial ad copy doesn’t even claim these are made of layers of steel, instead they note the blades are “sporting an elegant, eye-catching pattern”, and are “carbon-rich” but also “Guaranteed to be stain- & rust-resistant” (coughstainlesssteelcough).
Where these are made is notably absent from the StackSocial ad copy. While they are covered in Japanese characters and are Japanese style knives, they appear to be Chinese made imitation Damascus steel with a laser etched “Damascus” pattern. “Damasukasu” is just “Damascus” in Japanese, but ironically “damasu” means “to deceive” in Japanese and it’s pretty safe to say that nobody ever paid $700 for this set, ever.
Knife sharpening expert Ryky Tran warns against these knives, but primarily by noting that the same ad copy for them is all over the internet under different store names - he is apparently unfamiliar with how StackSocial’s white label/affiliate marketing store works.
The comments on his YouTube are perhaps more informative than his video (he never actually reviews the knives, just the marketing), with people noting that these are essentially Farberware quality stainless steel knives that are reasonably sharp and likely worth the $50 or so that people paid for them, but not in any way, shape or form a $700 set of handmade Japanese pattern welded Damascus steel knives. It’s the deceptive marketing that is the issue not the utility of the knives.
If people want imitation Damascus Japanese style knives made in China they can just buy them direct from aliexpress by searching for “imitation Damascus”, no deception needed.
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Might be a counterintuitive sign of authenticity.
The majority of stuff sold as damascus is cheap steel laser etched.
And seeing as BB store posts are generally 25% less bullshit than Facebook ads… it is a tossup on if they are real regardless.
My suggestion… If you want a real quality kitchen knife, damascus or otherwise, find a custom maker to make your dream knife. Yes it will cost more than a mass produced knife, but these really aren’t things that wear out quickly. Also, most makers will make whatever you need in terms of shape, handle fitting, etc…
Also, realizing that not everyone has $$$ to drop a few hundred or thousand on a knife, some of us do handmade “cheap” lines that have all the functional quality without all the fancy frills that drive up cost. TBH, the “cheap” knives often pay show and hotel fees, while the “fancy” knife $ is just a nice little bit on top.
Examples:
$40 with a bamboo and water buffalo horn handle, 1084MF steel, and a “machine finish” (but still handmade and differentially quenched):
$225, same steel, hand polish to show the hamon, mokume collar piece, and stabilized burl handle. Basically same exact knife, just “fancified” to a degree.
Heck, you can nowadays but directly from Japanese makers online if that’s your thing.
Educate yourself about the product, and support individual makers (rather than crap mass producing Chinese rip off artists!)
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Links? 
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I found better pictures of these knives on other sites (complete with the ダマスカス katakana so you know it’s legit) and it definitely does not have the wavy pattern indicative of Damascus steel. I’m thinking the only thing “Damascus” about the knives is the name.
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There are also excellent production knives out there. Just not from these frauds
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Man, what a bargain - at 90% off it must be true - the first cut is the deepest. But if you think they’re groovy…they don’t even move me.
Absolutely true. And there are some fairly inexpensive production knives that I’ve been pretty impressed with (for example, ever used a “cheap” Green River knife? Fantastic!)
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As a matter of fact I am about to process five sheep and lambs, mostly with a Green River Buffalo Skinner. Between that, the boning knife, and the saw I’m good.
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Here’s a place that has the work of a number of makers:
(Found it by googlin’).
I’ve run across them in my internet research to study the bazillion task specific knives that exist in Japanese cutlery. If you google “X-name of japanese knife style that I want”, you’ll get a ton of websites, many of which feature Japanese makers.
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hahaha this exact same item is for sale at the daily caller. how’s that feel everyone?
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So they are Japanese Precision knives, not Japanese knives…
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Blacksmith.
If you ever see a knife marketed as damascus thats cheap (sub 150), its most likely not.
Damascus takes even someone with skill a long time to fold. I know a smith I forge with once a week when I head to the forge who just made his first- they were beautiful, but over 7 hours of folding work alone.
If you have money, and really want to make a damascus knife, but you don’t know forging, go buy a billet from Chad Nichols damascus. He has mokume too. Grind it into a knife, and harden and temper, done.
Not as proper, but same result.
I’m tired of people marketing crappy fake Japanese knives the same way Im tired of seeing these shitty fake comical mall ninja katana at every shitty flea market and yokel store in the world.
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I’ve bought kitchen tools (but not knives) from these guys:
Also, these guys are good:
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I’ve seen these knives before:
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