REVIEW – Our family has been using the same knife set we received for a wedding gift almost 20 years ago, so I’d been keeping my eyes out for a deal on a decent set of knives, and then imarku reached out to see if we would like to do a review. We definitely would. My brother in law has purchased several multi-hundred dollar Japanese hammered steel knives, and they’re a dream to work with so I hope the imarku Wooden Hammered Knife Set can come close to the performance at a fraction of the cost per knife!
What is it?
The imarku Wooden Hammered Knife Set is a set of 14 knives with a sharpening rod and kitchen scissors in a wooden knife block. They’re full tang, made from German stainless steel, and double riveted into laminated wooden handles.
What’s included?
- 8″ Chef Knife
- Serrated Bread Knife
- Slicing Knife
- Sharpening steel rod
- Santoku Knife
- 6″ Chef Knife
- Kitchen Scissor
- Utility Knife
- Paring Knife
- Steak Knife (x6)
- Knife Block
Design and features
The imarku Wooden Hammered Knife Set felt much nicer than our aging KitchenAid set the first time I removed them from the packaging. I noticed no issues or defects. The blades were all razor-sharp, and there was not a spot of corrosion. The hammered effect looks great on all the knives. The 8″ chef knife shown above is our workhorse, and it easily cut through all sorts of fruits, vegetables, and meats during the review period.
The handles are aligned to the blade tangs without any gaps or ridges, and the wood finish looks and feels great.
The blade tips on all the knives are a nice point, and I didn’t notice any rapid deterioration of sharpness despite constant use over a couple of weeks.
The serrated bread knife was great for baguettes and sourdough loaves, and the flat edge near the tip makes short work of any tougher crust. Applying the force I usually use resulted in a nice deep cut into our cutting board, I had to get used to using less force with these knives.
The steak knives are MUCH sharper than I’m used to. We usually sous vide our steaks (in the Typhur Sous Vide Station) so we don’t need super sharp knives, but it’s nice to have the ability to cut through just about anything.
The kitchen scissors are heavier duty than our previous set, and seem like they’d be able to crunch through bone if needed. The blades are sharp and thick, and a locking clasp keeps them shut when not in use.
We were more than happy to donate our old knife set after using the imarku Wooden Hammered Knife Set just a single time. Several weeks later, there are no regrets in our household. All the cooking is a bit faster and easier and the set looks great on the counter.
What I like about the imarku Wooden Hammered Knife Set
- Great finish
- Stainless steel build with full tang
- Santoku knife included – nice for vegetables
What needs to be improved?
- Angle of knives hits cabinets above, have to pull out the block to get to the back ones
Final thoughts
The imarku Wooden Hammered Knife Set met and exceeded all expectations. They seem to be holding their edge well, handles are comfortable and ergonomic, and the set is a nice mix of sizes including the scissors. While they’re not multi-hundred dollar Japanese knives, they’re a big step up and should get us through the next few decades!
Price: $219.99
Where to buy: iMarku (use code: gadgeteer28 for 28% off (expires 5/25/2024)), Amazon, and Walmart (where it’s only $149.99)
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by imarku. imarku did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
