Xinzuo Budget Layered 440C Chef Kitchen Knife Set Review!

I have received this kitchen knife set a while ago and would like to share my experiences with it.

Why did I order it?
Some time after I got into the knife hobby and started paying more attention to knives in general I noticed that I wasn't satisfied with the knives I used the most - meaning my kitchen knives.
So I've ordered a budget ceramic knife set (which I have till today and use those every day), but with time I wanted to get a real chef knife set to stay sharp and ready for those special cooking activity.

I have monitored the options for some time but didn't find something that was fit by specs and price, until I noticed this set of 3 knives (Chef, Santoku and a pairing knife), with the following specs:

1. Description: 5 inch utility knife .
Parameters : length: 235mm, blade length: 125mm, blade thickness: 1.8 mm, blade width: 22 mm, net weight: 82.6 g.
2. Description: 7 inch santoku knife .
Parameters : length: 306mm, blade length: 178mm, blade thickness: 2.0 mm, blade width: 44.5 mm, net weight: 185 g.
3. Description: 8 inch chef knife .
Parameters : length: 330mm, blade length: 202mm, blade thickness: 2.0 mm, blade width: 46 mm, net weight: 190.5 g.
Material : High quality three layers clad steel (440C core and 410 steel).
Handle: exquisite Micarta handle, optical lens processing. Use for a long time not to distort, not faded, not shrinking, tasteless environmental protection .
Hardness : 58±2 HRC (core).
Characteristics : sharp and durable; Super anti rust; Light energy.
Surface Craft : forging and wire drawing (satin finish).
Sharpness level : the level of cutting force: 6.0-8.0 N international standards.

I was impressed as I heard of Xinzuo before as a budget Chinese kitchen knife brand with decent quality, fit and finish, but never saw this kind of value from them (usually sell for a higher price).
Anyway, the set seemed to fit my needs and I decided to jump the boat.

First impressions:
The knives arrived pretty fast (less than 3 weeks) and were carefully packed in a black cardboard box (each knife separated by a bubble wrap, nylon and paper sleeve with plastic protector for the tip.
No issues out of the box, no fit and finish or quality problems.

Pros:
- The functionality: this is exactly the set I needed - 2 large blades (one Chef, one Santoku) and a smaller and thinner pairing knife, because those are the knives me and my girl usually use while cooking those special romantic meals, The knives perform as expected and are so much fun to cook with!
- The quality: no issues at all out of the box and since. The micarta handles (although still not sure it is really micarta or polished G10, doesn't really matter) are fitted very well without any gaps, the grind is very thin and the satin finish is flawless and looks great. Overall really impressed.
- The sharpness: the knives are very sharp out of the box and pass the "tomato test" with flying colors.They also keep the edge for a really long time (haven't sharpened them yet.
- The ergos: the handles are comfortable (although will fit even better for larger sized hands) and pretty grippy, especially when wet, so they probably won't slip out of the hands while cooking.
- The looks: the knives are genuinely impressive and look professional (much better than the pseudo damascus versions).
- The price and the bang for the buck.

Cons:
- Lack of storage option: would love it if this set also included some sort of cool storage option, because to store them in a box those came in isn't the most comfortable way.
- Asymmetric sharpness: if you inspect the knives closely, you might see some slight imperfections in the bevel (especially near the tip).

Summary:
- Overall I am very pleased with this set, as it is exactly what I wished for.
Must say that I'm not a professional cook (and definitely not a chef), so I've used the knives about 9 times till now and recommend those especially for a home (non-professional) use, although I believe those will perform excellent even in the hands of a skilled cook, who will use those every day, all day.
So if you look for a budget kitchen knife set - this set might fit your needs perfectly.

Check out the kitchen knife set here: Xinzuo Budget Kitchen Knife Set

Competitive options:

Victorinox Forschner Forged Professional 3-piece Knife Set

KAI Luna 3-Piece Essential Kitchen Knife Set 

Guide to Chinese Ceramic/Steel Kitchen Knives from Aliexpress - Become a chef at affordable price!

AliExpress has a great selection of good quality affordable kitchen knives.
I've selected the best (in my opinion), and would like to tell you about them and show where they can be bought.

Xinzuo Damascus style steel knives:

One good option is ordering steel knives with micarta handle.
Advantages: Great quality, look and feel in hand better than the ceramic ones, come very sharp with good blade geometry and have a comfortable micarta handle.
Disadvantages: Cost more than others. Can rust if not stored properly. Also - the damascus is not a real one and probably not made from VG-10 steel, fells more like VG-1.

Can be found here: http://bit.ly/28J1hbr 
Here: http://bit.ly/28ISOa4
Or here: http://amzn.to/2jMkyKf

Ceramic knives:

Ceramic knives became very popular in the past years.
Their advantages are: great edge retention (far better than steel), comfortable handles, no corrosion and no metal smell or taste. These knives used to be very expensive, but due to the latest development in technology - they are now very affordable for most households.
The disadvantages are: ceramic knives can break if dropped (just like dishes) and are more complicated to re-sharpen if they loose the edge, but at the price, you can just order new ones.
I own 2 sets of the knives, they have served me for more than a year now, and the edge is still very sharp to this day.

Here are few good options to purchase these knives:
ABS (Resin) handles - http://bit.ly/28IrZma
Bamboo handles - http://bit.ly/28IOYcB


Very Cool 4 piece Set:
Really unique design 4 piece set, that can be stored altogether to save room in the kitchen cabinet. This, in my opinion, can be a great gift to any aspiring chef/cook.
Can be found here: https://goo.gl/oNAAlj

Stainless steel knives:
Good, simple, affordable option.
Behave like a regular knife, that you buy in a kitchen store, with regular stainless steel, but is probably cheaper to order them from AliExpress.
Few good options:
Chef knife: http://bit.ly/28IP72F
Cleaver: http://bit.ly/28ITqMF
Affordable set: http://bit.ly/28J9ZaU

Sharpeners for kitchen knives:
Good options to keep your knives nice and sharp.
Ceramic knife sharpener:  http://bit.ly/28J7qVd
Electric sharpener: http://bit.ly/28InQux