As a home cook with way too many gadgets, I‘m always skeptical of those viral knive brands making big claims. But when my Huusk set arrived over 3 years ago, let‘s just say first impressions were sharp. And after daily use on literally everything since, they‘ve exceeded my highest expectations for quality and value many times over.
Here‘s my hands-on review after really putting Huusk to the test from unboxing to present day.
Overview: Killer Knives, Unreal Prices
Huusk sells just a handful of core knives, each forged in Japan using techniques honed over centuries. The minimal lineup includes:
- Chef‘s Knife – All-purpose workhorse for 80% of cutting tasks
- Utility Knife – For precision work like hulling strawberries
- Carving Knife – Long and thin to slice roasts and poultry
- Paring Knife – Short blade ideal for peeling in hand
While each style serves specific needs, the unified construction and materials set them apart…
These full-tang blades sport nasty sharp 66 layer Japanese steel, hand finished to 15° wicked edges. The ergonomic oak handles feel sturdy yet nimble, with 3 rivets for strength and a cutout for added grip.
Sleek curvature combines optimal weight and balance for effortlessly fast cuts with precision. And the hammered tsuchime finish minimizes sticky food adhesion while just looking badass.
Yet despite premium materials and decades of specialized knowledge infused into each piece, prices stay ultra affordable thanks to direct sales.
I‘ll dig into pricing details more below, but expect to pay around a third what you would for comparable name brands. And millions of ecstatic reviews back up these stellar value claims.
Now onto documenting my own experience as an owner…
Initial Impressions Straight Out the Box
When those iconic Huusk boxes arrived, my first thought was "Wow…they know packaging." Sleek black with minimal Japanese lettering just oozes elite quality.
Sliding open the matte black faux leather sleeve reveals the knives cradled in custom molded padding. The tactile oak handles jutting out hint at old world charm. Really a sight before even seeing the blades.
Gripping each knife to remove elicits an audible "ooohhhhh YEAH” – just an absolute perfect fit in the hand. The contours melt into my palm, feeling less like holding a tool than extending my arm.
My old workhorse Wüsthof chef‘s knife suddenly seems clunky as hell in comparison. Weighing each reveals a noticeable heft difference too, with the Huusk scaled way smarter towards the grip end.
First cuts on an onion check sharpness boxes even before reaching the board. And the curved indent guiding fingers shows some serious design consideration for control.
Yup…I‘m smitten already.
Putting Them to Use: Four Favorite Tasks
While Huusk knives handle literally ANY kitchen prep beautifully, they absolutely excel at a few key tasks:
1. Produce Powerhouses
Gone are awkward sawing motions chopping vegetables. These blades glide through onion, garlic, lettuce with just gentle guide force – no chefy skills required.
The utility knife especially makes short work of tomatoes or strawberries, with its narrow grip getting right into the curves of each piece for smooth movement. And pointy tips pierce through everything with accuracy.
Those super thin, lowered angle Japanese edges definitely shine through on the veggies.
2. Carving Made Simple
Larger cuts of meat often put up some resistance with my old knives. But the Huusk carver slices roasts, turkey, chicken, and even bone-in hams with almost no catch.
It rarely needs much sharpening either despite lots of meat duty. Maybe I‘ve just gotten better technique from using it, but something about the shape clicks.
3. Better Bread Wins
Nothing frustrates me more than mashing up my slices of fresh sourdough or sandwich bread when packing lunches. The slightly curved shape of the utility knife guides perfectly clean runs through whole loaves without squishing.
It has just enough height for keeping knuckles off the board while being maneuverable. This thing makes sandwich prep almost (dare I say) therapeutic!
4. Pineapple Party Trick
Ever struggle to peel and slice a spiny pineapple without mangling it or yourself? This used to be a once-a-year attempt for me ending in disaster. But the Huusk pairing knife literally cuts this task down to a party trick.
The compact size gives great leverage staying clear of the prickly outside to remove the skin in a few flowing strips. Chopping the fruit itself turns effortless too thanks to the stainless steel never sticking.
This pineapple magic delighted kids and adults alike at our last get-together. But really it applies to all fruits – no longer fearing juicy berry messes splattering everywhere or melon strands clinging to my knives!
Extended Testing Results: Consistent Quality Wins
After the "Honeymoon Phase" wore off, I started asking myself "Do these knives REALLY hold up daily or just first impressions?"
Well after 3+ years of almost exclusive home use, dozens of sharpenings, and zero special care, I can conclusively say…
Hell YES, without any reservations.
I alternate using each of the 4 pieces on basically everything edible crossing my kitchen. We‘re talking:
- Daily vegetable prep for average 6 person family
- Weekly meat cutting for 2 growing boys
- Monthly butchering of whole poultry and roasts
- Holiday feasts for extended family and friend get togethers
That‘s A LOT of wear and tear across a variety of foods. Most cheaper knives degraded quickly under lighter loads. But the Huusks keep achieving personal bests on consistency, edge life, balance, and durability despite piles of sharpenings.
The handles show some superficial markings and staining, while retaining that nice sanded texture offering a grippy feel. And the blade finish stays basically flawless other than my amateur honing swirls.
For the price, I can‘t imagine better knives even 5 years later, let alone needing to replace them anytime soon minus catastrophe.
How Huusk Stacks Up to the Giants
Huusk holds its own against pretty much every premium brand despite pricing fractions of top shelf names.
Here‘s how I feel the core elements compare to the biggest players:
| Sharpness | Edge Life | Balance | Ergonomics | Aesthetics | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huusk | 💯 | 💯 | 💯 | 💯 | 💯 | 💯 |
| Wüsthof | 👍 | 👍 | 👍 | 👎 | 👎 | 👎 |
| Global | 💯 | 👍 | 👎 | 👎 | 👍 | 💯 |
| Shun | 💯 | 👍 | 💯 | 👍 | 💯 | 👎 |
| Dalstrong | 👍 | 👍 | 👍 | 👍 | 👎 | 💯 |
| J.A. Henckels | 👍 | 👍 | 👍 | 👍 | 👍 | 👎 |
| Miyabi | 💯 | 👍 | 💯 | 💯 | 💯 | 👎 |
As you can see, Huusk competes toe-to-toe with even the Japanese masters in terms of precision and sharpness out of the box.
The stainless steel holds its extreme edge incredibly well over time too matching the top tier performers for real world robustness. No worrying babying these or having them sharpened professionally constantly.
Comfort and ergonomics also rate off the charts thanks to the custom sculpted handles laying naturally across multiple grips. Whereas the other handles often force your hand painfully into their obtuse shapes.
And best of all, prices run just a quarter or third of the big names above. So you simply can‘t lose upgrading daily drivers to Huusk instead of continuing struggling with mainstream brands.
Care and Keeping: My Sharpening Learnings
Like a high performance sports car, Huusk knives need some basic service to maintain peak performance. But not NEARLY as much finessing as cheaper offerings.
I utilize a simple whetstone kit using water lubrication about every 3 months per knife. Light honing on a steel prepares edges for max life between sharpening.
The hardness of the alloy does demand a little more work removing material than say German knives. But that hardness also supports lasting sharpness over more humble steels.
Through much trial and error, I‘ve come up with a 4 step system:
1) Soak Stone: Get that baby saturated! This takes the friction down while floating away the swarf.
2) Find Angle: I do my best between 12° and 16° along the existing bevels. Shoot lower if chopping purposes mainly.
3) Light Strokes: Patience pays off here with consistent swipes shoulder to tip. Let the stone do the grinding with gravity and mild downward force.
4) Alternate Sides: I go only 3-4 times down each side before flipping to distribute wear. Chase the burr to unite the V grinding.
Advanced techniques using microbevels and tricky gear take things even further. But just get the basics down using basic stones for incredible performance boosts between deep sharpening sessions.
And there you have my top tips for keeping Huusk knives slicing like samurai swords indefinitely. Just avoid dishwashers and glass cutting boards scraping up edges.
Expanding the Arsenal: Customization Coming?
I’ve been so happy with my core set that “expansion” hasn’t really crossed my mind. But word through the grapevine is Huusk plans to roll out more styles later this year.
Rumor suggests smaller paring blades, some forged alternatives with even harder steel, and more ergo handle choices. Premium options like engraving and etched damascus finishes sound on the table too for the ballers!
For now I’ll enjoy my current lineup. But more variety could make awesome gifting options as others get turned onto the Majesty of Huusk!
I’ll update here if any official news pops up or early peeks leak out on these special editions and customs. So stayed tuned knife nuts!
Answering Common Questions
Hopefully my experiences give you the core info you need to shop wisely. But in over 3 years of use, I’ve certainly fielded plenty of common questions that I’ll answer below to pay forward:
Who‘s Behind Huusk as a Brand?
Without an explicit public face, Huusk feels like an underground knife Fight Club! Rumors point to a couple Lithuanian knife specialist masters partnering with eastern manufacturers to get volume pricing. All while maintaining old-world techniques from Japan for wow factors and quality.
Can Southpaws Use Them Comfortably?
Indeed lefties report the ergo handles working equally nicely reversed. Spine curves support proper grip alignment either way. Ambidextrous knife skills finally achieved!
What About Care, Storage, and Cleaning?
I hand wash gently just after use, dry thoroughly with microfiber towel, then store separately to avoid dings and moisture damage. Avoid bleach or super hot water corrosion over time.
Do They Really Replace Full Sets?
I’ve gifted family members starter sets of just the Chef + Utility knives eliminating 90% of their old ones. Huusk covers so many needs just two makes sense before expanding specialty pieces.
Can Blades Be Resharpened Like New?
Yup, these take an insane edge initially and sharpen back easily to that level over and over thanks to quality steel. I strop frequently on leather between full sharpenings eliminating the damage of regular steels.
That wraps up the biggest questions I‘ve received over my years of Huusk usage and evangelizing. Let me know any others in comments!
Closing Thoughts
What started as a quarantine impulse splurge buying a viral set of knives ended up improving my entire cooking experience exponentially.
I can’t envision ever needing another knife brand in my kitchen despite trying all the famous names out before. Huusk set the bar so high on performance and pleasure for price that going back seems utterly insane.
From unboxing to today, they‘ve exceeded my expectations and only gotten better with age. Treat yourself or loved one to this Japanese jewel hiding among the mainstream. Just don‘t hog them all for yourself once word gets out!
Thanks for reading my embarrassingly enthusiastic rave review of Huusk knives. Let me know if you grab your own set and your experiences down below!
