Too good to be true? Huusk

I would be a bit skeptical. https://www.trustpilot.com/review/huusk.com It is interesting than anyone can apparently buy good ratings from a myriad of bogus rating and evaluation websites. I would be looking for reviews by the well known reviewers on popular video sites and elsewhere. I don't see them currently, but there are many thinly disguised shill videos.

Grayrock said:

Saw a pop-up ad for these knives today.

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Link?

Grayrock said:

1000+ layer damascus, hand sharpened, leather sheath, whetstone for $49.99...

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Nope, not possible for anything usable. Gonna be a knife-like-object.

I'm not seeing anything about damascus steel. All they say on the website is "traditional Japanese steel", "high-end Japanese steel" and "quality Japanese steel".

No information about blade steel type.
No information about blade hardness.

I'm going to guess that it's not stainless based on appearance and the description of "traditional". Which means the funny pockmark texturing on the blade is going to be extra work to maintain. The pocks will have to be cleaned out and dried after every use.

Handle material/finish doesn't look like it will hold up well to dishwasher use which is probably just as well. I would say it's a wash and dry by hand type knife.

I don't understand the claim that it takes 2 months to make each knife. I wonder if they're starting from the point where the ore is mined or something like that?

Some useful information from the Terms of Service.


Perhaps not as useful, but definitely more amusing, I also found this bit of advice in their Terms of Service.


Here's the Ekomlita website. I didn't find any useful information on it about the knives.

Each Huusk knife requires 138 steps and over 2 months to be made before going through rigorous testing.

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There's so much BS in that page they should be selling organic fertilizer.

Logically, no knife takes 2 months to make. Further, no knife that takes 2 months to make would be sold for $50 if there was any profit going to be made.

Every smith I know could forge that knife and complete it in 2 days, not 2 months.

I agree with John, there's no mention of "damascus" on the site.

They claim the steel is 18/10 stainless. That's not the steel type. It is just the term for the percentages of chromium and nickle in a 304 series steel. Cooking pans and flatware and utensils (ladles, spoons, strainers, ...) are made from it. It isn't a cutlery steel.

They claim the steel is 18/10 stainless.

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Missed that the first time. Here's what they say in the FAQ:

Stainless Steel (18/10 electroplated).

I think that has to be an error. That's a description of flatware steel--steel used to make forks, spoons, tableknives--especially in the context of electroplating. As you say, not a cutlery steel.

If that's accurate information, it's a pretty strong indictment of the knives.

If it's inaccurate, it's a pretty strong indictment of knowledge of the company for describing their knives in that fashion.

Sure enough. I missed that too because I was looking for the term 'damascus'.

So what we have here is:

Traditional, high-end, quality, high-carbon, folded, 18/10 stainless, electroplated, Japanese steel.

There are some problems.

1. 18/10 stainless is not high-carbon. It's not even medium carbon. The carbon content is a maximum of 0.08%. Medium carbon steel has a minimum carbon content of 0.3%, almost 4x the maximum content of 18/10 stainless. High carbon steel has a minimum carbon content of 0.60%, nearly 8x the maximum content of 18/10.

2. It's pretty unusual to use the term "high-carbon" to refer to stainless even though some stainless steels do qualify as high-carbon steels. Generally, people think of a knife as being made of either high-carbon steel, or stainless steel.

3. Electroplating knife blades is something I've only heard of for table knives, not true cutlery.

What it looks like to me is that they are just throwing out a lot of knife terms without understanding what they mean. At least that's the most charitable interpretation.

And they say the dimples are to prevent food sticking to it.

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Dimples can perform that function, but it's better for them to be smooth/dished dimples instead of flat bottomed dimples with sides.

This style of dimple shown in the article below will clean much easier, but even so they will require a bit more care during cleaning than a knife without the dimples.

https://www.knives-sensei.com/why-do-chef-knives-have-dimples/

Grayrock said:

Isn't that Damascus?

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Nope

You don't just fold, but you fold contrasting steel of different compositions (or use nickle for the contrast).

There is no reason to fold steel any longer unless you're trying to develop a pattern welded steel for appearances sake. That's not the case here so "folding" is a marketing term, assuming that is what's done.

Get the Huusk Knife for $29,95

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There is no hand made knife of any quality that can be sold for $30. You just can't pay a bladesmith in Japan (or even China) to forge these out if your retail is $30. You can stamp them out and market them cleverly for that, though.

They're on Amazon under various names. Cheaper too. I first saw these as FB ads.
https://www.amazon.com/Akatomo-Hand...cphy=9013457&hvtargid=pla-1303503701927&psc=1

BTW, it would be horrible in the kitchen. That hole would wear a hole in your finger. The "chief" testimonials are all so full of holes you know they're faked.

As amusing is the "independent" third party review supposedly in the US that you can tell are written by people outside the US.

The independent voice of Denver since 1977 said:

The Huusk knife is a lightweight, convenient Japanese samurai-based brand knife, which is uniquely designed and a modern handmade knife. Huusk knife comprised with an ergonomic handle, an especially sharp edge formed in a special manner, and a hole in which the index finger can be set. The incorporated hole gives superior power over the Japanese knife when cutting vegetables, leafy foods. This knife gives the opportunity to everyone for becoming a better chef by making delicious food. Because of its great quality, which is likewise confirmed in various surveys, Huusk knife is appropriate for home use, yet additionally for cooking experts in the cooking business.

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Pretty much the only thing you can bet on with this is that it is metal (what metal is up for debate) and it is a horrible design for working with in a kitchen where a pinch grip is preferred by professionals or a hammer grip.

They're on Amazon under various names.

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But, but, but... That knife is made of high-carbon GERMAN steel!

They do provide an RC hardness of 58RC in that ad which wouldn't be bad if we assume it's true.

They list the steel type as 5crv but I can't find any information on any steel with that designation. Maybe they mean 5Cr14MoV or 5Cr15MoV which are Chinese steels that have some similarity to German 1.4116 steel. None of those steels really qualify as high-carbon, for whatever it's worth--they all run from 0.45% to 0.55% which is under the traditional limit of 0.6% for high-carbon steel.

WalMart also sells that knife under the Akatomo brand for $34 something. Neither the Amazon nor the WalMart listing mentions anything about the steel being folded.

John,

No one really thinks that the thing is folded, high carbon steel, hand made, or even Japanese after looking at the price and the "variety" of manufactures...do they.

I saw these things a couple of months ago and was amused by them. Now I'm shocked that there are so many.

I finally realized they look kinda like the late '60s Spivey Sabertooth that Pendative used to hunt hogs with.