These knives took a little getting used to at first. They just have a different "feel" than my high-end steel knives. At first I thought I might cut myself but you get used to them quickly. It's almost spooky how easily they glide through food. You can make tomato slices so thin you can almost see through them! They are almost all I use I'll wash and re-use my ceramic knives before going to the rack for a steel one. My only problem is my wife and squabble over who gets them when we are cooking together...
I have one of these and I must admit that they are heaven to cut with. Really, you have never used a sharper knife I can assure you. The blade is VERY brittle. no matter how careful you are you will chip and nick the blade. I must admit that even though my blade is chipped like crazy, after a year of use, this knife is still sharper than anything thing I have used. I have to maintain the edge on my Henckel Pro-s knives on a regular basis. At their best they are not as sharp as this damaged knife.
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(See my ONE YEAR UPDATE at the bottom of this review.)
First let me make it clear I do not own THESE ceramic knives, but I own some that are similar. I am writing this to help people to understand ceramic knives better. After looking around, I bought the Tachi three knife set (with black blades), mostly because I wanted more than 2 knives. I am not disappointed. In fact, these knives have become my preferred knives for almost everything.
Ceramic Knives are an up and coming thing, but they have advantages and disadvantages. I also bought some Stafford Worldwide Ceramic Paring Knives and I compared all of these very closely to the Kyocera Ceramic Knives, and I find them to be fairly similar. The Tachi knives are sharper than the cheaper Stafford Worldwide knives, but the Stafford knives are still quite sharp.
Advantages of Ceramic Knives:
1. They retain their sharpness for many years, far longer than any steel knife.
2. They are quite inert and do not rust or react to food and chemicals.
3. The blade, at least, can withstand very high temperatures, up to 1,400 Degrees F., and it doesn't hurt the blade. Whether the handle can withstand these temperatures is another matter.
4. The blades are lighter weight than steel.
5. Because of their lack of reactivity, these knives clean up fast and easily.
Disadvantages:
1. Though the blades are sharp and retain their sharpness, I cannot say they are sharper than steel blades. Certainly razor blades are sharper, as are surgical scalpels. A good, sharp carbon steel blade would also be sharper, so don't get confused or expect too much. The advantage is not that they are super sharp, but that they are quite sharp and they RETAIN their sharpness. A carbon steel knife will stay sharp for about a day of hard use. Stainless steel knives will stay sharp for weeks to months. These knives will stay sharp for years.
2. The blades are not STRONG. They are made out of Zirconium, the same thing that is in Cubic Zirconium, and Cubic Zirconium is a very hard substance, second only to Diamonds. But they lack the crystalline structure of the Cubic Zirconium. On a molecular level they are instead an amorphous ceramic, almost like glass, and though they don't dull easily, they will break VERY easily if put under any kind of twisting motion, side to side motion, or similar bending stress, or if they are struck against a hard object such as stone or bone. They also might break if dropped on a tile or cement floor.
I strongly recommend you ONLY use it to cut on plastic or wooden surfaces. Vegetables and boneless meat are the premier uses for these knives. Buy yourself a nice counter top butcher block knife holder to keep these knives in, and always hand wash the knives and put them back into the block. Don't leave them in the sink where they might get broken by heavy kettles or plates being placed on them.
Having said all of the above, if you want a sharp knife that will stay sharp and last for many years with proper care, then this certainly is something with which you could be happy. These actually are now the sharpest knives in my drawer, including sharper than several (older) sets of Cutco knives. I rate it four stars ONLY because of the general lack of toughness that ALL ceramic knives have, NOT because of any inherent defect in this product.
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ONE YEAR UPDATE. I have now (as of April 23, 2011) had my ceramic knives for over a year. They seem 'almost' as sharp as ever (probably 90 to 95% as sharp as they were at the beginning). However, despite excellent care, washing by hand, and NEVER using them to cut against bone or hard materials, my knives have developed some small nicks and 'divots' in the cutting edges. This is especially prominent in the largest knife. I have no idea how these nicks and divots occurred. I think they are just something that you need to expect with these knives. The 'defects' are quite small and seem to have minimal effect on the sharpness and cutting ability, but there is no question that they are there. Just be aware that this probably something you just need to expect with these knives. Sharp they are, but 'strong' they are not.
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My assistant at the Inn, trained in culinary school in Paris, told me about these ceramic knives. I have a wonderful namebrand set of steel knives that she ribbed me about not being very sharp and that ceramic knives were better. I was curious, so ordered these to find out if they are as sharp and easy to use as she said. And now I can say first hand, that they are! I love cutting tomato slices that thin! Still need my steel knives for boned meat and bread cutting, but so glad that I ordered these for the fruits and veggies that we use so much of at the Inn.
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I am very impressed. These knives are sharper out-of-the box than my German steel knives, and have a lighter feel. Don't hesitate to buy these as a gift! The "gift set" presentation is great and the product is high quality. I will be buying more Kyocera knives in the future.
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We are getting rid of our plastic cutting boards over concerns about bacteria. I really like this very hard, recycled cardboard and that it has the qualities of wood but can be put in the dishwasher. However, it needs to be thicker and more sturdy because it warped just enough after one wash in the dishwasher that it spins like a top on the counter. Which isn't safe when handling a knife. And really for the high prices of these cutting boards I expected something more substantial.
