Brands of knives Ginsu knives have been around for more than 40 years. With their ground-breaking informercials, they became a household name in the late 70’s and 80’s.
You’ve probably heard Ginsu knives marketed as “the sharpest knives on the market”, and you’ll remember the “but wait, there’s more!”.” Looking for best Japanese Knives? We have a list of review you can check.
The knives were used to cut all sorts of things you’d never cut in your kitchen, such as aluminum cans, frozen food blocks, and more. Their prices were also so cheap, not to mention that they seemed to cut everything! Here’s a throwback Ginsu knives commercial from years ago, where they offered an entire set for less than $10!
Stunning! Isn’t that a far cry from the infomercials and graphics we see today? The marketing back then was actually cutting edge. Probably you have either bought or wanted to purchase knives from Ginsu. Is there anyone who didn’t? They were able to cut through anything!
Ginsu Knives History
Ginsu probably seemed like a gimmick back when their weekly infomercials aired, but maybe for the right reasons. All the hype about cutting random items that you would never cut in order to show that it never becomes dull. Wonder how they did it?
There is a straightforward answer. Their knives used serrated blades, similar to Forever Sharp knives . The micro-serrations on these blades meant that the majority of the edge never made contact with the cutting surface. This ensures the blade stays sharp longer.
Did they ever have the sharpest knives on the market? I wouldn’t bet on it!
Ginsu has clearly changed their marketing strategy today. They make great entry-level knives at a very affordable price. They aren’t the best knives on the market, but they are a great value for the price.
Ginsu’s Knife Line-up
It’s a good/better/best sales model with a few outlier special lines to draw in others looking for something different. Click on any of the following lines to be taken directly to that review further down the page, along with our favorite Ginsu knife set.
Ginsu Koden
When you see the five different lines above, it seems like a lot, but when you dig deeper, there aren’t that many choices outside of the Chikara series.
Kiso and Essentials are basically the same with one small difference, and the Daku series has a single 5-pc set of knives to choose from. Ginsu Koden knives seem like they are being discontinued. Read more below about each Ginsu series.
Ginsu Chikara Knife Set Review
The Ginsu Chikara Series knives are the best in the line-up. They are made from a single piece of Japanese stainless steel, 420J, and are forged from the same material. Forged knives are much stronger and more durable than stamped knives.
They are the most expensive Ginsu-brand option, but they are still very affordable when compared with other knife sets on the market. This particular set made our list of the top 10 best kitchen knife sets under $200.
It is by far our favorite Ginsu knife series because of how much you get for your money. They’re the perfect compromise for consumers who don’t want cheaply-made kitchen knives, but can’t afford expensive, high-end knives.
Ginsu Essentials Knife Set Review
Ginsu’s Essential Series knives look nearly identical to the Kiso knives, despite the fact that the Kiso Series is dishwasher-safe and the Essential Series is hand-wash only (How to Sharpen Serrated Knives).
If you’re looking for cheap knives, why not get the Kiso knives that are dishwasher safe? Even if you don’t wash them that way, you know they’ll last longer. Would you buy them? Probably not! Besides that, there’s not much else I can say about the Essentials knives. Even if you’re trying to save some money, they’re not your best option.
Ginsu Daku Knife Set Review
The Daku series doesn’t have many options: a small set of black, ceramic-coated knives. They’re cheap and unique-looking, but not very special. I guess that if you want cheap knives this is a good option.
You might also want to check out Dalstrong’s Shadow Black Series if you’re looking for black knives. They’re bigger, made with better materials, and a more high-end set, but they’re also much more expensive!
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