# Kiwi brand knives



## centralorcook

Anybody ever used Kiwi brand knives from Thailand? I've heard they're pretty good for the home cook, and they can be picked up for about $10 bucks each. Just wondering if anybody had used them or heard anything about them and could give me their insight


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## tomerthailand

Hi there,

Yes i have used kiwi brand knives. they are great. i use the same cleaver for the past 5 years. you can sharpen them forever. which is the biggest plus with them, they are also light, strong and comfortable to work. you can use one for hours with no problem.

i have actually found your post since i was looking for this brand now to get a set for my friends.

they are a great buy.

Tomer.


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## fluffs

I love these little knives, i pick one up every 3 or 4 weeks for about $4 and run it into the ground. if you take care of it at home it would last as long as you want and because they're so thin, you can literally shave with them. Even when they're ready for the garbage, you can run them over a steel and they'll take a good 15 mins of abuse after that.

Anyways this guy sums it up http://www.cheftalk.com/t/59498/kiwi-knives

however i would only get the santoku style knife, the larger one has absolutely no balance. There is an image of the one you want in the thread i linked.

GO BUY ONE! or three


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## petemccracken

Most interesting, three first time posters all promoting the same product, must be really great, don't you think?


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## wagstaff

Spam knives.


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## pohaku

Spam or not, better than you might think for the price (really, they are priced as disposables). Nothing to go out of your way for, but if you need a reasonably sharp knife in a hurry for dirt cheap and you happen to be in an Asian market, they will do just fine. I have a couple kicking around in the bottom of a drawer acquired while traveling before I put together a good travel knife set. They are better than what you get in most time share units. I think this is called damning with faint praise./img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif


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## pohaku

Actually, we use these for slicing spam - not a knife/img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif



No home should be without one!


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## wagstaff

/img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif


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## pohaku

Laugh, my sister sent me one for Christmas a couple years ago and it gets used with some frequency.

Mmmm.  Spam musubi.  Nectar of the gods.


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## wagstaff

I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing because you were being funny, in addition to telling the truth.  Funny.

I haven't tasted spam in over 25 years.  No need for me to cut it.

As for kiwi knives, my comment was just meant to affirm what Pete had to say. I won't repeat the possibility of justified faint praise.  Already done!


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## pohaku

Laughing at me is perfectly acceptable as well. Won't be the first or the last time/img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif


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## scubadoo97

I have never used them but know people that do and they love them and they are dedicated home cooks.  I've heard the steel seems to sharpen well and holds up better than many European steels.


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## nutritorium

I use Kiwi Brand knifes for probably 15 years. I bought about  12, it was about 2$ in China Town. I have major brand expensive knifes to, mostly got it as a gift. 99.9% I use Kiwi Brand. It is lite, thin, easy to sharpen, very ergonomic. I need to buy more as I gifted away to felow cooking enthusiasts and I lost one. I just have one now, will buy 20, I'm sure I can make many people happy with them.


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## sandy prater

I've used Kiwi brand knives, and I really like them. They have a super thin blade that is insanely sharp when you first use it. However, I haven't had much luck getting it that sharp again despite using a sharpening stone. What I like about them is that they are lightweight and have smaller knives (7 inch) that fit my small hand and short fingers. The price (anywhere from 4-10 dollars) is really affordable as well.

One thing though...the wood handle ones get sort of slimy after a while, and I don't like how moisture gets trapped up where the blade joins the handle. I have the plastic handle one and prefer it over the wood, but they're not as easy to find. I purchased mine 5 or so years ago from an ebay seller stationed in Thailand and got the set with the paring knife, 7 inch knife, a longer 8 or 9 inch knife, and a huge cleaver looking blade. The cleaver is really great for cutting meats. I've used it to cut through chicken legbones without leaving a dent in the blade. The 7 inch is my favorite, but the longer knife doesn't get much use. The balance is a bit wonky, and I don't find it comfortable to hold.

Despite 5 years of being my primary knife, the little blade is holding up well, though I did knick the blade while hacking away at some chicken thigh joints (my fault...I should have used shears or the cleaver). They're still sharp enough to use on most items, but I am noticing that it's not as good slicing through meats...had a horrible time trying to cut a pocket in a chicken breast a while back...or delicate skinned items like tomatoes. Trying to decide now whether to get another one (they're easier to find in the States now and several online stores...usually Thai grocers...carry them) or invest in something more pricey like a Global knife to see if the more expensive blades have more to offer. I've never used "gourmet" kitchen knives before, so I unfortunately can't tell you how they compare. Though if I do get the Global, I suppose I could update in a few months and let you know.


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## rsteve

PeteMcCracken said:


> Most interesting, three first time posters all promoting the same product, must be really great, don't you think?


They actually are pretty great for a special purpose. Over the past decades I've catered many events that were kosher. Of necessity, I have not been able to use my own cutlery, because they have been used on foods that aren't kosher. If the facility has kosher cutlery, such as at a synagogue kitchen, the knives are often aged, dull, and extremely uncomfortable to use. The Kiwi knives are plenty sharp and so cheap that when you're done with the event, you can just leave the knives at the facility, for your next engagement there. I have a set at home that I use when my hands are particularly tired or sensitive. Kiwi knives are very light weight. This one is my favorite and under 9-bucks:





  








kiwi05_l.jpg




__
rsteve


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Aug 2, 2012


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## boar_d_laze

Sandy, sorry to jump in a month late.

Don't get Globals.  There are much better knives for the same money.  If you're thinking about new knives start a thread and let's talk.

BDL


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## wagstaff

"Kiwi! The Most oft-praised by first-time post-ers on knife forums!"  (Maybe next to Cutco!).   Spam knives.


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## butzy

I brought one back as a souvenir from Thailand (yes, and a wok and lots of spices) and it's not a bad knife for the price, at least not in my opinion.

Easy to sharpen (and needs to be sharpened on a regular base) and easy to handle

It doesn't stand up to my other knives, but then they were a lot more expensive.


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## alan g perry

I purchased a Kiwi chef knife and am impressed with it. It is my favorite knife in the kitchen, light and very sharp.

I was tired of knives that have to be professionally sharpened every second month which is costly these knives are

easily sharpened.

I volunteer in a  kitchen that caters for between sixth to a hundred and fifty people regularly I do the prep work

vegetables and fruit and this knife has never failed me.

The logic to my decision buying this knife was at the price it was cheaper to replace than the cost of sharpening a 

more expensive knife. But I have not needed to replace it.

This is a good,light ,comfortable knife that holds a very keen edge, you will not be sorry getting one.


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## wdittgasn

I am seriously thinking about getting rid of all other knives because when I reach for a knife it is one of the kiwis, easy to keep sharp, sharp enough to shave with. The other knives are wasting space in my drawer.


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## steve tphc

Yes. I have many varieties of these knives. They are affordable, very thin, easy to sharpen. I have the cleaver too. Useful for fowl carcasses, and cutting pizza.


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## harlock0083

This thread was over a year old....... Great look what you made me do!


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## rsp1202

I have the Kom Kom #21 chefs/cleaver, the big brother to the Kiwi line. Very light, thin and flexible; comes with a surprisingly sharp edge. In comparison, my Dexter cleaver is a hulk.


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## diegoschmerber

I'm not entirely sold on the Kiwi.  Maybe if another handful of people registered just so they could use their first and only post to tell me how it's the best knife in the world...


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## paul alfred

I'm not going to say that Kiwi knives are amazing, but I have noticed that my Chef de Cuisine uses several Kiwi knives at work all the time.  I've not used them, but I'm considering getting one just to have...might be useful at home (since my good knives go to work with me).  Besides, it's kind-of impressive to have one of the MASSIVE chef knives made by Kiwi like what my chef uses, lol...if I want to refer to his knife I usually call it a "broadsword", lol.


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## snappy hat

DiegoSchmerber said:


> I'm not entirely sold on the Kiwi. Maybe if another handful of people registered just so they could use their first and only post to tell me how it's the best knife in the world...


Kiwi knives have changed my life. My teeth are whiter, my clothes brighter , my car runs faster, girls throw themselves at me and I just won a lottery.

When I used just my MACs and Wusthofs my wife left me , my dog would bite me whilst I slept and my house caught on fire..

No more now that I own a light as air sharper than sharp Kiwi .


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## boar_d_laze

> Kiwi knives have changed my life. My teeth are whiter, my clothes brighter , my car runs faster, girls throw themselves at me and I just won a lottery.
> 
> When I used just my MACs and Wusthofs my wife left me , my dog would bite me whilst I slept and my house caught on fire..
> 
> No more now that I own a light as air sharper than sharp Kiwi .


I smell a kindred spirit.

BDL


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## knifesavers

Snappy Hat said:


> Kiwi knives have changed my life. My teeth are whiter, my clothes brighter , my car runs faster, girls throw themselves at me and I just won a lottery.
> 
> When I used just my MACs and Wusthofs my wife left me , my dog would bite me whilst I slept and my house caught on fire..
> 
> No more now that I own a light as air sharper than sharp Kiwi .


LOL! Gotta to head to the asian store and grab a few. 

Jim


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## harlock0083

Snappy Hat said:


> Kiwi knives have changed my life. My teeth are whiter, my clothes brighter , my car runs faster, girls throw themselves at me and I just won a lottery.
> 
> When I used just my MACs and Wusthofs my wife left me , my dog would bite me whilst I slept and my house caught on fire..
> 
> No more now that I own a light as air sharper than sharp Kiwi .


LOL, that made my day.


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## diegoschmerber

Thanks, Snappy.  Put me down for a case.


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## snappy hat

boar_d_laze said:


> I smell a kindred spirit.
> 
> BDL


That kind sir is the smell of Kiwi success  ok I will stop now .


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## boar_d_laze

So that's what success smells like.  I thought it was cabbage.

BDL


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## slo_ted

I have several and they are amazing. I have a santoku, an usubu nakiri, and a "utility",  They are amazingly sharp and hold an edge.  The tang is short and a pinch grip is mandatory to keep from breaking the handle. I've given some as gifts and they get good reviews.  The best feature, however, is the price.  I buy them at the Wok Shop on Grant in China Town in San Francisco for $4.95 each.  They are light and convenient to pack and, at that price, expendable.  Go for it. Try one. I think you'll like it.


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## betowess

Snappy Hat said:


> Kiwi knives have changed my life. My teeth are whiter, my clothes brighter , my car runs faster, girls throw themselves at me and I just won a lottery.
> 
> When I used just my MACs and Wusthofs my wife left me , my dog would bite me whilst I slept and my house caught on fire..
> 
> No more now that I own a light as air sharper than sharp Kiwi .


/img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif


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## vmms

Kiwi brand knives are good. Also, Kiwi Pro Slicer / Peeler No. 218.


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## james adelaide

Sandy, 

do not sharpen Kiwi knives on a stone, you will lose the edge, bits will break off.  I hone my kiwi knives (No 193 about 7 inch with black plastic handle) with honing compound (on leather glued to a bit of wood). If the edge gets really torn up (with bent over bits visible), I can hone the edge back to use, but use anything harder with caution.  

I must confess though, that I use the knives for whittling.  Two have migrated to the kitchen, and are now classified as house cooking knives, but the other 38 have been cut down (on a bench grinder) to 45mm.  

I am part of the South Australian Scout Whittling team, and we introduced these knives last outing (College Park, 16 cubs (8-10 yo) 2 hours, no bandaids, (that is, no cuts)), and the cub scouts got further along with their carvings.  Kiwi knives are better than the two types of knife we used before.  The first batch was anything I could find in Op-shops (Australian charity shop selling donated goods.).  I found many knives labelled either 'China' or nothing, and steel quality was totally unpredictable.  I cut most of them down using a hacksaw, and learnt to discard any that cut too easily.  The second were 1970s whiltshire steel knives.  They are thick, hard to manouvre through the wood, but were cheap, and could hold an edge all weekend at a Branch event (when we teach 250 scouts (in groups of 25))

I personally have whittled with Kiwi 193 knives for two years, the rest of the team for about a year, and in that time I have only destroyed one knife.  The edge of my first knife has failed, and I cannot seem to reset it.  I have tried a stone (and found that I should not have), a diamond sharpener, and a honing wheel on a bench grinder.  I think once a kiwi loses its edge, it may have to be thrown out.    I really abused that knife, it was my main carving and whittling knife for about 18 months.  But at A$2.00 per knife, I can replace any whose edges fail. 

The tang seems to be quite short.  One uncut 193 I use for carving has the tang 'risen out' (metal visible, plastic distorted, but still holding).  I have not pulled a blade out yet, so I do not know what length the tang of the 193 is.   

I buy them at the Asian Supermarket (Kim Wah) at Adelaide Central Markets.


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## james adelaide

Benuser, 

I lost the edge off a 193 kiwi trying to sharpen it on a coarse stone.  I have been unable to do the same re-shaping of the cutting edge that I do with other knives.  I feel that the edges are delicate, can be resharpened many times, but having lost its edge (after wood carving) and trying to reset it, and failing I am of the opinion that Kiwis have a great edge, but either I did the wrong thing, or the thin kiwi edges that come out of the factory are hard to replicate at home...


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## jlh78

I've used them for the last 16 years at work and at home. Even though the are light in weight, they are good to use, easy to sharpen and stay sharp. I have a wide collection of them and frankly they are just as good as any expensive knife.


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## rick alan

Since time immemorial people have made up aliases just to play the game of one-time-poster - and to resurrect a great line:

Rick


Snappy Hat said:


> Kiwi knives have changed my life. My teeth are whiter, my clothes brighter , my car runs faster, girls throw themselves at me and I just won a lottery.
> 
> When I used just my MACs and Wusthofs my wife left me , my dog would bite me whilst I slept and my house caught on fire..
> 
> No more now that I own a light as air sharper than sharp Kiwi .


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## chefjudge

I have used nearly all the fancy knives out there from Wusthoff and Henkel and Mac, and I have a knife case with several knives of different brands. I picked up a Kiwi knife at the Asian store near my house and I must say, it is my go to knife for chopping vegetables and butchering lighter meats like pork and chicken. The blade is thin and sharp, and somewhat flexible so it "gives" when it needs to. 
Just like the favorite shirt in the closet that you always wear, despite owning nicer shirts, it turns out to be the one that I use most. I think I paid 7 dollars for it, and have used it for several years. I am going back to see if they still carry it. Don't know why I need two, but I just love it, and maybe I'll give them as gifts for the next holiday go round. 
You should get one and try it. 
Another go to, for a bigger chefs knife, also inexpensive, is the Dexter Russel. Sometimes called Forstner. With the white rubber handle.


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## galley swiller

Just an ultra-quick reply (I've got laundry in the dryer) about Dexter Russell and Forschners.

Dexter Russell is an American cutlery manufacturer, which specializes in commercial cutlery.  Forschner is an older brand name for what are now known as Victorinox commercial knives.  There is no corporate or trade linkage between Dexter Russell and Victorinox.

Forschner is an older name for Victorinox commercial cutlery.  The original Forschner firm was the American importer/distributor for Victorinox commercial knives (Victorinox being a Swiss company) and the Forschner name and logo were printed on the blades.  Later, Victorinox bought out the Forschner company's American owners, and continued the use of the Forschner name.  Nowadays, though, Victorinox has dropped the Forschner name and substituted the Victorinox name and the "Swiss Army" name.

Victorinoxes use Thuyssen/Krupp 4116 steel (aka "X50CrMoV15") - the same as a lot of upper end German cutlery lines.  What Dexter Russell uses, I don't know, but it's not 4116 steel.

GS

...and now to my laundry...


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## rick alan

Welcome to Cheftalk chefjudge.

I also have a number of cheap stainless knives, most of which I have lovingly thinned, otherwise modified, and all appropriately sharpened, and also get a kick out of using them when better is not needed.

Rick


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## royz

For home use, you can't bear 'em. Super sharp, stays sharp, easy to sharpen. Get the 171. Great rocking motion, nice size.


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## royz

I meant 'you can't beat 'em....'


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