Does anyone have an Ginsu Knives?

[Rebookie]

I bought some new Ginsu knives from Sears (with a gc from christmas). I read some reviews online and for the most part people liked them (except they rust with too many dishwashing cycles, which is like any old knife) . Just wondered if you guys had any info! =D

Thanks!

[Josephhgoins]

I do and the blades are awesome! I would compare it to Henkels anytime. The only problem is they made them so cheaply the handles don't last long at all. A knife isn't that good if you can't hold on to it.

[Libby]

Not sure if we have a knock off of them but what about hand washing them instead of putting them through the dishwasher - therefore you save yourself with the rust problem?

[lotsadebt]

I have had a few of the ginsu steak knife circa 1970's. I got them from my gramma when I went out on my own in the late
80's. They have a brown plastic handle and are still going strong. Gotta say they are one of the first knife I reach for alot of times.

[Rebookie]

I do and the blades are awesome! I would compare it to Henkels anytime. The only problem is they made them so cheaply the handles don't last long at all. A knife isn't that good if you can't hold on to it.

Well it's got a "limited" life time warranty that states if the knives are rendered useless or unusable that they will replace them. Would the handles coming off be apart of that warranty?

PS I just went to pick them up (bought them on the sears website and had them ship to store FREE) They are gorgeous! They are all stainless steel and heavy! I am so glad I purchased them!

It was a 14piece set WITH the butcher block!

[Josephhgoins]

That sounds like the set that I purchased a several years ago. The handles were not solid steel. I would wash them by hand and I bet they last for a long time.

I washed mine in the dishwasher cause I'm lazy like that. They still held up for a few years. Mom still has them although some have the plastic that is underneath the steel.

[Duckster]

Holy jumping... people put knives in the dishwasher? I just... ok, here's the skinny, if you want your knives to last, there are a couple of very simple things you can do.

After working in kitchens for 10ish years, and cooking at home for the last 20 or so, knives are extremely important. My most expensive knife, however, was 36$+ tax.

I don't have a matching set, but a collection of various brands that I've found work well for the various types of knives - chefs, paring, bread, cleaver, etc.

Do not ever, and I mean never, put a knife in the dishwasher. At least, not one you want to keep sharp for more than a week. Sure, it may seem like a good idea, but there are a number of problems. The first has been mentioned here, water gets under the handles and breaks down the glue, making them loose. Also, the edge of the knife is pitted by the detergent, and dulls it very quickly.

Also, if you do your dishes by hand, don't leave them in a sink of hot soapy water. They can be forgotten, then when you reach in to get the next whatever, you're sliced. I left a job because the kitchen manager did that. I berated him in front of the whole bar staff, then left for a job where the manager wasn't an idiot (this wasn't an isolated incident, I'm not that much of a drama queen!).

All a knife needs is a wipe with a wet rag after use. If you're cutting raw chicken, you probably have a sink of hot soapy water ready anyway, just dip the knife in, swish it around, wipe it with a rag, dry it, and put it away. Simple. Takes about 6 seconds, and the knife is in perfect shape the next time you go to use it. When you wipe it, though, make sure and keep the spine of the knife (non-sharp edge) in the crook of your thumb/forefinger. If you want to wipe the other side, flip it over, and switch hands. It's really quite easy.

Another thing that I've seen many, many people do over the years- scraping a cutting board with the blade. It's easy to clean a cutting board with a knife; flip it over, and use the spine. Scraping with the edge will turn it, rendering the knife dull.

It's way, way, way safer to cut food with a super sharp knife than it is with a somewhat sharp knife. The harder you have to work to cut through your food, the more likely you are to have your off hand in the way, it's just the way it works. There are plenty of knife-sharpening hardware stores around, and most of them are affordable. Get it sharpened, pick up a steel, and go on youtube to figure out how it works. 10 minutes of research now will lead to hundreds of dollars in savings as you no longer have to buy new knives.

[pop goes the weasel]

I have a couple just like Lotsadebt. They've been through the dishwasher and I have cut things from wood to tomatoes and they are still sharp. Hey I had to check and make sure they would actually stay sharp lol.