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If you’re in the market for a new chef knife, you might’ve stumbled upon the Huusk knife from a brand called Huusk Japan. It’s a chef knife that appears in many ads that got knife enthusiasts talking recently. It’s a chef knife with a unique appearance than its competitors – claiming to revolutionize the cutlery industry.
However, many Huusk knife reviews criticize it for failing to meet expectations. Since we all have our preferences in the kitchen, the Huusk knife may or may not be for you. In this Huusk knife review, we’ll scrutinize the knife and brand to conclude if these affordable knives are worth your money. Read to till end to determine if you should invest in Huusk knives.
A versatile chef knife for everyday cooks
The Huusk knife is a versatile chef knife with an aesthetic look. The curved design comes with a rust-resistant and tough blade. These enable the Huusk knives to be utilized for various cutting tasks, from finely chopping onions to carving meat with small bones. It’s an all-purpose chef knife suited for culinarians of all levels, from home cooks to professional chefs.
Our Evaluation
Total score: 9.1 ★★★★★
Specs
- Weight: 0.50 pounds
- Blade material: Stainless steel
- The angle of the curve: 38 degrees
- Handle material: Oakwood
- Length (blade and handle): 11 inches
- Width (blade and handle): 2 inches
- Blade length: 6 inches
The Good
- Multi-purpose use
- Ergonomic design
- Easy sharpening
- Affordable
The Bad
- Not the best edge retention
- Steep learning curve
Ergonomics Review
An ergonomic design is essential for comfortable handling. The Huusk handmade knife excels in this aspect, offering a handle with a natural and comfortable grip. Whether using a rocking motion for chopping or a precise cutting technique, the Huusk knife’s handle design provides a perfect grip.
The handle size is suitable for all cooks, catering to both small and large hands. Although the Huusk knife isn’t a traditional Japanese knife with a wa-handle, its aesthetic appeal remains intact. Moreover, the full tang construction of the Huusk knife contributes to its overall ergonomics, providing a well-balanced and hand-forged feel.
A strategically placed cut-out where the blade meets the handle further enhances grip stability. This feature prevents the knife from slipping during heavy-duty cutting, like cutting bones or other dense foods.
Even though some Huusk knife reviews may criticize the knife overall, its ergonomic design receives praise. While it may take some time to get used to, this chef knife will ensure that your wrists won’t fatigue after extended cutting sessions.
The Blade
The handle size is suitable for all cooks, catering to both small and large hands. Although the Huusk knife isn’t a traditional Japanese knife with a wa-handle, its aesthetic appeal remains intact. Moreover, the full tang construction of the Huusk knife contributes to its overall ergonomics, providing a well-balanced and hand-forged feel.
A strategically placed cut-out where the blade meets the handle further enhances grip stability. This feature prevents the knife from slipping during heavy-duty cutting, like cutting bones or other dense foods.
Even though some Huusk knife reviews may criticize the knife overall, its ergonomic design receives praise. While it may take some time to get used to, this chef knife will ensure that your wrists won’t fatigue after extended cutting sessions.
Blade Materials
The Huusk knife uses stainless steel, but the exact type of steel is unknown. We only know that it’s made in Japan, and the material is similar to what Viking knives or German knives use.
We tested it against acidic foods and cut aggressively to test its rust resistance and toughness, which wasn’t an issue for the Huusk knife. These show that the Huusk knife uses high chromium steel that’s heat-treated properly. Judging by this, it’s accurate to say Huusk knives are durable and won’t require effort to care.
Construction and Design
The Huusk knife has a thick spine with a hollow grind edge that delivers a razor-sharp blade. The edge is extremely sharp, on par with traditional Japanese knives. It slices meat, fruits, and veggies effortlessly. Even though the hollow grind edges aren’t the most durable, the steel’s toughness and thick spine deliver an equally strong blade.
Sharpness and Edge Retention
Edge retention is why most Huusk knife reviews bring the product down. Huusk knives don’t have the best reputation, but we think that other Huusk knife reviews miss the point in this regard. Although Huusk knives are not as sharp as a traditional Japanese knife, they are sharp for the money they cost.
In fact, Huusk knives have the best quality for their price category when it comes to sharpness and longevity. They are meant for a home cook using a chef knife for one or two hours a day.
Besides, sharpening a Huusk knife isn’t as challenging as some other traditional Japanese knives. You can sharpen a Huusk knife at a higher angle and with a manual sharpener to quickly restore the edge. No traditional Japanese knife has this benefit, even if they are a bit more sharp.
Blade Finish
The handle size is suitable for all cooks, catering to both small and large hands. Although the Huusk knife isn’t a traditional Japanese knife with a wa-handle, its aesthetic appeal remains intact. Moreover, the full tang construction of the Huusk knife contributes to its overall ergonomics, providing a well-balanced and hand-forged feel.
A strategically placed cut-out where the blade meets the handle further enhances grip stability. This feature prevents the knife from slipping during heavy-duty cutting, like cutting bones or other dense foods.
Even though some Huusk knife reviews may criticize the knife overall, its ergonomic design receives praise. While it may take some time to get used to, this chef knife will ensure that your wrists won’t fatigue after extended cutting sessions.
The History of Huusk Knives
Before going over how Huusk knives came into the market, let’s look at the history of Japanese knives. All-purpose kitchen knives weren’t popular in Japan until French and German knives arrived in the country in the mid-1800s. It inspired the Japanese to develop their own chef knives, like the Gyuto and Santoku.
Like how Western chef knives inspired Japanese knives, Huusk Japan took inspiration from Japanese cutlery to develop this knife. Huusk knives don’t have all the characteristics of a traditional Japanese knife but take the best from the manufacturing processes. The company utilizes both traditional and modern knifemaking techniques.
However, the Huusk knife isn’t only a Japanese knife. It’s a hybrid, more or less, where tradition and modern techniques come to life in one knife.
The ergonomic design, hollow grind edge, and blade design for precise cutting are what the Huusk knife carries from Japanese knives. Since the main auditory of Huusk knives is chefs in the US and Europe, these fit them perfectly. Traditional Japanese knives use a bit different steel that can be more sharp, but it’s way harder to sharpen at home.
Overall, it’s a chef knife with the attributes of both Western and Japanese knives. It’s an excellent combination of a chef knife that slices fish and meat as effortlessly as other food types.
Huusk Knife Review of Food Performance
Onion
Using a knife with dull edges to cut onion will give you teary eyes – that won’t happen with Huusk knives. This chef knife cuts onions well, whether you chop, dice, or mince. The extremely sharp blade ensures that it doesn’t tear your eyes. You rest the tip on the cutting board and rock the chef knife over the onions to chop them quickly. The finishing and the cut-out also provides a perfect grip when you pinch the blade.
Pineapple
Before writing this Huusk knife review, we thought the thick spine could pose challenges to the steel when cutting fruits like pineapple due to the thick peel. The sharp blade and the design proved us wrong. The blade lifts the peel and ensures nothing goes to waste. Cutting pineapple, watermelon, cantaloupe, and similar fruits is a piece of cake for Huusk knives.
Tomatoes
Cutting tomatoes is a good way to test how sharp the knife is. The Huusk knife cut the tough skin effortlessly with its razor-sharp blade, and the experience was similar to cutting onions. The handle provides a stable grip when cutting a large batch of tomatoes, ensuring it stays firmly in your hands. You can also utilize the finger hole to ensure safety when cutting juicy vegetables and fruits.
Nuts
Huusk knives are handy, from cracking to finely cutting nuts. There’s a good weight to the blade that cuts nuts without pressure. The full tang improves the handle’s toughness, perfect for cracking shells in one blow. Whether slicing nuts in half or mincing them, the Huusk knife’s curved blade works flawlessly. You can cut a handful of nuts in seconds without worrying about dull edges.
Bread
Slicing bread with Huusk knives isn’t as pleasant as cutting tomatoes or pineapple. Although a quality knife, it doesn’t cut baked goods as well. Unless the bread is narrow, like the French baguette, you will need some time to learn how to use the Huusk knife for bread.
The curved edge might result in tears as the inner, fluffy part of the bread is not sliced equally. Of course, after some practice, we manage to slice any bread flawlessly with this Japanese Huusk knife. So it is still a decent option while on the go.
Lobster
A knife must have a pointed tip and enough toughness in its steel to cut a lobster. No matter how many sharp knives you try, you’ll be disappointed if they don’t have these attributes. Fortunately, the Huusk knife has it all. The generous curve from the tip to the belly felt Huusk knives were meant for tasks like halving a lobster. With a Huusk knife, you can pierce the head and drop the heel to split a lobster in half in one motion.
Scallop
Often, preparing scallops requires two knives. One for shucking and another for separating the meat from the shell. During our review and testing of the product, we only used the Huusk knife. It got the job done with high quality. The tip goes inside nicely to shuck the scallop without chipping. The curved profile was again handy for separating the meat from the shell in one cut.
Meat
Traditional Japanese knives aren’t famous for cutting meat. Due to the nature of Japanese cuisine, they are best for fish. But you are unlikely to find a traditional Japanese knife these days. Mixing Japanese traditions with modern techniques has made the Huusk knife more versatile, so it’s great for cutting meat too.
The razor-sharp blade can cut through any type of meat without loss in performance. We found that it can even cut through softer bones, such as poultry. Additionally, since the Huusk knife is very easy to sharpen, we didn’t find any issues with Edger retention after cutting meat for a few weeks.
Fish
Preparing a whole fish from start to finish isn’t a problem for the Huusk knife, but the cutting quality might depend on the size of the fish. A Huusk knife’s blade design is only ideal for fileting small and medium-sized fish. The curved edge is sharp enough and separates the bone without any waste.
However, large fish require a lengthier cutting edge to debone. For general carving and cleaning up, the Huusk knife should work great, though not as well as traditional Japanese knives designed specifically for cutting fish.
About The Huusk Knives Manufacturer
The Huusk knife is manufactured and sold by Huusk Japan, but most likely, only the steel is of Japanese origin. Other parts of Huusk knives are likely made and assembled elsewhere, but we think it’s fair to say that what’s most important for the knife is made in Japan.
Some Huusk knife reviews make guesses that Huusk Knives originate from China and that a Lithuanian company is behind these Knives. But if a Knife has Japanese quality steel and is made according to their traditions, then what’s the difference where it’s assembled?
Regardless of these speculations, it’s a trustworthy manufacturer with thousands of good customer reviews on Amazon. Our purchasing experience for this review was also problem-free. It took a little over a week to get our order. The company has a US and UK number to call and a page to track orders.
What Could Be Better?
The Huusk knife is best for personal use. Its features are more fitting for home cooks needing a knife for domestic use. Professional chefs, on the other hand, may not find knife edge retention sufficient. Considering how many hours a knife gets used at restaurants – can’t blame them. Still, it’s a quality knife that takes honing nicely and quickly restores its sharp edge.
Another downside to this Japanese knife is the learning curve. It can be as steep as its blade or the Japanese specialty knives. Moving from a typical chef knife to the Huusk knife may bring challenges early on, which could be more favorable to novice cooks.
Huusk knives are ideal for various cutting styles, but the curved edge isn’t appropriate for all. You can’t utilize the thrust cutting technique as you would with traditional Japanese knives, for example. But once you get the hang of it, using a Huusk knife to cut pounds of vegetables, fruits, and meat will be quick and straightforward.
Price Comparison
4x
Huusk Knives
$266.40
$79.92
3x
Huusk Knives
$219.80
$65.94
2x
Huusk Knives
$166.47
$49.94
1x
Huusk Knife
$99.83
$29.95
The Huusk knife has excellent value as a quality knife that costs $29.95. It’s a bargain considering how versatile it is. Other knives around this price range don’t have the same quality build and performance. Compared to Japanese knives that start at a $100 minimum, Huusk knives are excellent price-performance kitchen knives.
Forged Brute Butcher's Knife
The forged Brute Butcher Knife features a 10-inch hand-forged blade. Its design isn’t common in kitchen knives, but so is the Huusk knife. Cooks favoring a long blade to slice roast and carve meat cuts will find it exceptional. It can handle other cutting tasks equally well, but the Huusk knife is more convenient. Plus, it costs $40 less for the same quality.
XYJ Serbian Knife
XYJ’s Serbian chef knife is an appropriate pick for cooks that like the features of the Huusk knife but dislike the curved blade profile. The downside to it is the steel quality. It isn’t rust-resistant and requires demanding care to prevent corrosion. Still, it can be a substitute if you don’t mind looking after your kitchen knives.
TUO Cleaver Knife
TUO Cleaver Knife resembles the Chinese Cai Dao. It has a semi-bolster for improved strength. At $24, it’s more affordable than the Huusk knife. When put side by side, the versatility of a Huusk knife overshadows TUO’s cleaver knife. With its adaptability, the Huusk knife is a better product choice for most cooks, and it shows in customer reviews.
Huusk Knives Reviews & Ratings From Around the Web
‘I bought this knife as a gift for a 21 year old upcoming chef. I and the chef were impressed with the quality and sturdiness of the knife. Makes a great gift, but would be a very useful knife in any kitchen.’
“This is the “sharpest out the box” knife I have ever owned. The ergonomics are unparalleled. The fiber hole is genius for safety. I love my Huusk knife, and have already purchased several more as gifts.”
“This knife is awesome!! The hole in the blade makes controlling this very easy. My hands are weak and my other knives roll as a result. Not this one. Heavy blade and shaped handle make short work of the items being processed for cooking. Must have.”
‘This knife is a solid piece of metal. Definitely has a good edge. Love the handle and finger hole for stability in holding while using. Cutting up some meat and veggies was so easy. Nice and convenient.’
“So I originally bought this knife for camping. Not going to make it there. I love this tool! I am now using at home as a main cutter. It made very well and the the feel is so comfortable for a heavy blade. Will definitely buy again.”
Huusk Knives Review: Conclusion
Huusk knife from Huusk Japan is a versatile and reliable kitchen knife for home cooks. With its ergonomic design, razor-sharp blade, and affordable price, the Huusk knife is a decent knife for those searching for a new chef knife.
The curved blade profile allows for efficient chopping and slicing, while the stainless steel blade ensures easy maintenance. The Huusk knife’s food performance is excellent.
While it may not meet the specific needs of professional chefs in edge retention, the Huusk knife is more than capable of everyday domestic use. It’s a balanced and versatile chef knife for cooks seeking a high-quality yet affordable kitchen knife. The negative Huusk knife reviews are largely due to high expectations. This Huusk knife review concludes that it’s ideal for home use.
Huusk Kitchen Knives: FAQ
What is the best way to clean the Huusk knife?
As with all other knives, it’s best to hand-wash Huusk knives. Simply clean with soapy water, rinse thoroughly, and dry the blade. Cleaning it in the dishwasher won’t rust the blade, but it will dull the knife faster.
Are Huusk knives designed exclusively for chefs?
The Huusk knife is an-all purpose chef knife that provides the same value to home cooks and chefs alike. It’s a robust knife that handles various cutting tasks, from precise cutting to hacking bones, ideal for restaurant and personal use.
What materials are used to make Huusk?
Huusk knives have a stainless steel blade with an oakwood handle. These materials make a quality knife that’s forgiving to neglect as the blade is corrosion-resistant and Oakwood is sturdy with its tightly packed fibers.
Does Huusk Knife hole cut-out actually help to improve the knife's control?
The cut-out on the Huusk knife’s blade improves grip. When pinching the blade, the hole is a place to lock in the fingers, improving control. It enables cooks to move the chef knife as an extension of their arm and ensures it won’t slip from their hands when cutting aggressively.
Are Huusk knives forged?
Every Huusk handmade knife is a mixture of hand forging and mother technologies. All Huusk Japan knives are first cut from a large steel sheet, and then professionals shape the steel according to Japanese traditions.
The blade is then heat treated, and the handle is attached. This balanced manufacturing process is one of the reasons Huusk knives are both affordable and of high quality.
Is there a return option from the manufacturer?
Huusk Japan has a 30-day return policy. As long as the knife isn’t used, the manufacturer issues full refunds to its customers within 14 days.
How much does a Huusk knife cost?
Huusk knives are inexpensive at $29.95. The manufacturer also offers a discount for bulk purchases. You can get four Huusk knives for roughly the price of two through Huusk Japan’s online store with your debit or credit card. This deal is a great idea for a gift.