4 ms·

A good quality well sharpened knife already works incredibly well, doesn't cost $500, doesn't need to be recharged, and isn't going to be e-waste in 5 years (wh

A good quality well sharpened knife already works incredibly well, doesn't cost $500, doesn't need to be recharged, and isn't going to be e-waste in 5 years (when the battery fails). It's a cool idea, and I hope it is commercially successful, but not for me.

karmanGO 1y ago
The battery is comes out for recharging, so replacing a dead battery should be trivial
- scrlk 1y ago
  It's a proprietary form factor, so you're gambling on replacements being available down the line. I don't think it'll be easy to rebuild the battery pack without compromising the casing.
  - Zak 1y ago
    Given the battery specs and the form factor of the products, they could have used a 14500 cell that retails for $5. That's not as much recurring revenue as charging $80 for something proprietary though.
  - ReptileMan 1y ago
    3d printer and couple of cells and I guess a board will get the job done.
    - aembleton 1y ago
      Or chuck it out as e-waste and buy the shiny new one
    - xxs 1y ago
      You will have to print it from something like polyamide or polycarbonate, definitely not PLA
- prmoustache 1y ago
  The dead battery is still e-waste and recycling isn't a magically neutral activity that brings back one new product out of an old one with no loss or energy spent.
tptacek 1y ago
This thing is $399, which is on the expensive side of prestige chef knives, but by no means the extravagant side of it. People who buy knives that cost more than $150 generally buy lots of knives, and this is priced for that market.
- Philip-J-Fry 1y ago
  But it's not priced for the market of people who buy lots of knives. Because those who buy lots of knives aren't going to be interested in some mediocre knife with a vibration motor attached to it. Those who are interested in knives would be able to get a more impressive knife for $399. And they are usually the type of people that enjoy sharpening a knife until it cuts better than this ultrasonic knife ever will. This is a product which is targeted at people who don't really know a lot about knives and prep their meals with a dull blade.
  - tptacek 1y ago
    Yeah I mean, the product is either going to work or it isn't going to work. But the only people who are going to be early adopters for this are knife nerds. Obviously, you'll get a knife that r/chefknives admires for cheaper than that! I'm not hyping the product. I keep a knife set up to easily slice tomatoes, and if I don't want to clean it carefully afterwards I just use a good thin serrated bread knife. I'm still not really sure what this knife is "for". But I'm also not ruling out that it is "for" something interesting.
  - UltraSane 1y ago
    Why do you think the knife is mediocre?
    - Kirby64 1y ago
      The knife itself is made out of AUS-10, which is a very mediocre steel. It's not bad per-se, but when you're spending $400 on a knife, you typically expect premium steels to be used. Additionally, most knives in that price range typically have some sort of flair to them to make them visually appealing: Damascus patterning, nice wooden handles, etc. I know the handle itself is integral to the ultrasonic function, but it reminds me of a cheap kitchen thermometer. For comparison, 'analog' knives are much nicer looking for sometimes far cheaper. Here's a $309 knife by Miyabi (which is owned by Zwilling): https://cutleryandmore.com/products/miyabi-birchwood-chefs-knife-26657 https://cutleryandmore.com/products/miyabi-birchwood-chefs-k... You can even find down-market knives by the same company that have the similar steel with different finishing: https://cutleryandmore.com/products/miyabi-mizu-sg2-chefs-knife-33133 https://cutleryandmore.com/products/miyabi-mizu-sg2-chefs-kn... https://cutleryandmore.com/products/miyabi-kaizen-ii-chefs-knife-39031 https://cutleryandmore.com/products/miyabi-kaizen-ii-chefs-k... https://cutleryandmore.com/products/miyabi-evolution-chefs-knife-36560 https://cutleryandmore.com/products/miyabi-evolution-chefs-k...

karmanGO 1y ago

The battery is comes out for recharging, so replacing a dead battery should be trivial

scrlk 1y ago
It's a proprietary form factor, so you're gambling on replacements being available down the line. I don't think it'll be easy to rebuild the battery pack without compromising the casing.
- Zak 1y ago
  Given the battery specs and the form factor of the products, they could have used a 14500 cell that retails for $5. That's not as much recurring revenue as charging $80 for something proprietary though.
- ReptileMan 1y ago
  3d printer and couple of cells and I guess a board will get the job done.
  - aembleton 1y ago
    Or chuck it out as e-waste and buy the shiny new one
  - xxs 1y ago
    You will have to print it from something like polyamide or polycarbonate, definitely not PLA
prmoustache 1y ago
The dead battery is still e-waste and recycling isn't a magically neutral activity that brings back one new product out of an old one with no loss or energy spent.

tptacek 1y ago

This thing is $399, which is on the expensive side of prestige chef knives, but by no means the extravagant side of it. People who buy knives that cost more than $150 generally buy lots of knives, and this is priced for that market.

Philip-J-Fry 1y ago
But it's not priced for the market of people who buy lots of knives. Because those who buy lots of knives aren't going to be interested in some mediocre knife with a vibration motor attached to it. Those who are interested in knives would be able to get a more impressive knife for $399. And they are usually the type of people that enjoy sharpening a knife until it cuts better than this ultrasonic knife ever will. This is a product which is targeted at people who don't really know a lot about knives and prep their meals with a dull blade.
- tptacek 1y ago
  Yeah I mean, the product is either going to work or it isn't going to work. But the only people who are going to be early adopters for this are knife nerds. Obviously, you'll get a knife that r/chefknives admires for cheaper than that! I'm not hyping the product. I keep a knife set up to easily slice tomatoes, and if I don't want to clean it carefully afterwards I just use a good thin serrated bread knife. I'm still not really sure what this knife is "for". But I'm also not ruling out that it is "for" something interesting.
- UltraSane 1y ago
  Why do you think the knife is mediocre?
  - Kirby64 1y ago
    The knife itself is made out of AUS-10, which is a very mediocre steel. It's not bad per-se, but when you're spending $400 on a knife, you typically expect premium steels to be used. Additionally, most knives in that price range typically have some sort of flair to them to make them visually appealing: Damascus patterning, nice wooden handles, etc. I know the handle itself is integral to the ultrasonic function, but it reminds me of a cheap kitchen thermometer. For comparison, 'analog' knives are much nicer looking for sometimes far cheaper. Here's a $309 knife by Miyabi (which is owned by Zwilling): https://cutleryandmore.com/products/miyabi-birchwood-chefs-knife-26657 https://cutleryandmore.com/products/miyabi-birchwood-chefs-k... You can even find down-market knives by the same company that have the similar steel with different finishing: https://cutleryandmore.com/products/miyabi-mizu-sg2-chefs-knife-33133 https://cutleryandmore.com/products/miyabi-mizu-sg2-chefs-kn... https://cutleryandmore.com/products/miyabi-kaizen-ii-chefs-knife-39031 https://cutleryandmore.com/products/miyabi-kaizen-ii-chefs-k... https://cutleryandmore.com/products/miyabi-evolution-chefs-knife-36560 https://cutleryandmore.com/products/miyabi-evolution-chefs-k...