New IKEA knife - Briljera

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gaijin

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I just noticed that IKEA has introduced a new "high-end" knife, called BRILJERA (swedish for "to shine, to outshine" or something to that effect.

European style profile and bolster, but with damascus and VG-10:

briljera-kockkniv__0588833_PE673155_S4.JPG


Have not tried it myself. Anyone here tried it?
 
I like more of a flat spot towards heel. This seems all curve.

You live is Sweden. Isn't there an Ikea in every town? Why not go check it out?
 
gaijin said:
I just noticed that IKEA has introduced a new "high-end" knife, called BRILJERA (swedish for "to shine, to outshine" or something to that effect.

European style profile and bolster, but with damascus and VG-10:

Have not tried it myself. Anyone here tried it?
Click to expand...

Sorry, but it holds no interest for me. The fingerguard will make sharpening it a chore, and the "Germanic" profile is suited to rock chopping rather than push cutting.
 
In addition to more belly than most folks here would probably want, the Ikea site lists the blade as only 6" (152mm) long. That's utility or petty knife territory, not what most would think of as a chef's knife. Maybe targeted for people with tiny kitchens?
 
There are two versions for sale here in Sweden, one specified at 200 mm and one at 160mm. And since IKEA had a knife-related incident a few years back, display knives are not available for touching - only behind glass. :(
 
I am not interested in any knife with that type of bolster.
 
gaijin said:
There are two versions for sale here in Sweden, one specified at 200 mm and one at 160mm. And since IKEA had a knife-related incident a few years back, display knives are not available for touching - only behind glass. :(
Click to expand...

Safety first. I lot of people I see in Ikea aren't to be trusted with sharp blades.
 
Hard to give an opinion without knowing what it costs, size, where it's manufactured, etc.

Probably an appropriate knife for lazy/uninspired parents to buy their college-bound kids when buying stuff for their dorms. Could be a decent first knife there, used to portion jello-shots, make their inaugural salsa, slice lime wedges for post-class Margaritas. Maybe the type of knife that'll turn up in AirBnB kitchens.

IKEA's absolutely brilliant at taking great design ideas from others—like Le Creuset—and having similar looking products manufactured with cheaper materials, to be sold at cut-rate prices.




gaijin said:
I just noticed that IKEA has introduced a new "high-end" knife, called BRILJERA (swedish for "to shine, to outshine" or something to that effect.

European style profile and bolster, but with damascus and VG-10:

briljera-kockkniv__0588833_PE673155_S4.JPG


Have not tried it myself. Anyone here tried it?
Click to expand...
 
Personally for 80 euros or 92.70 USD, a better value for a cheap starter set might be:

$36 // Tojiro MVS Petty 150mm
$45 // Tojiro MVS Gyuto 210mm
$20 // Joyce Chen scissors

Probably better performing knives for only about $8 more than the Ikea set. Kitchen shears might be more useful than another chef knife at a similar size.

Corradobrit1 said:
Makes a nice gift set for a non knife nut. $45 for the 'petty'. 80 Euro for the 3 piece set

https://www.ikea.com/ie/en/products...ards/briljera-3-piece-knife-set-art-80392805/

Not sure about that hand technique though
Click to expand...
 
DitmasPork said:
Personally for 80 euros or 92.70 USD, a better value for a cheap starter set might be:

$36 // Tojiro MVS Petty 150mm
$45 // Tojiro MVS Gyuto 210mm
$20 // Joyce Chen scissors

Probably better performing knives for only about $8 more than the Ikea set. Kitchen shears might be more useful than another chef knife at a similar size.
Click to expand...

Agreed.
 
gaijin said:
There are two versions for sale here in Sweden, one specified at 200 mm and one at 160mm. And since IKEA had a knife-related incident a few years back, display knives are not available for touching - only behind glass. :(
Click to expand...
I have gifted a few Ikea 365+ knives to friends but ask myself why whenever they come back for sharpening... but they still represent fair value. I recently saw these Briljeras in store. Attractively presented but traditional German profile in VG-10 with a stated 67-layer Damascus (really?) but with that cursed fingerguard/full-bolster to make sharpening even more difficult.

Regards the inability to handle them in-store - Ikea have a very generous return policy. If your curiosity is piqued, buy it, retain the receipt, remove packaging carefully and try it out. If you're not happy, return it - problem solved. I was going to post their return policy here but it may vary by country - check your local Ikea website.
 
In Germany, they secure the knife with a chain and blunt them.

The 365+ series has something nicely Volks-Global about it....

And it looks innovative (the exact design is new) while that Briljera thing looks kind of been-there.... Kind of "Don't Wakoli do something very similar?" ....
 
My 3 cents:

1. Back when they still had the Slitbar VG10 with damascus chef's at least they had a different and nicer clad than the generic layers you can see everywhere these days.

2. Regarding copying...anyone else notice the similarity with Wustie Epicure coming out earlier this year? Now you can get a cheaper version with damascus and better steel as extra's

3. Damn those Tojiro's are cheap in the US. 119 Euro for the chef knife here :(. https://www.meesterslijpers.nl/tojiro-dp-collectie-koksmes-21cm?search=tojiro dp
 
An additional 2 cents.

I love my Japanese knives and stones that I've been acquiring for the last five years, they've become an obsession. That said, within the kitchen my main priority and passion is firstly food/cooking, my knives are primarily quality tools to help my along—I'd gladly trade my beloved Kato for a freshly caught, sizable yellowfin tuna or pristine turbot. Whatever my personal opinions of how tired and derivative the new Ikea knife design is, or my assumptions that its steel is mediocre at best, or that the German based profile is a backwards step for me—if the knife inspires its owner to cook more, that job well done for the knife.

I'd place the Ikea Briljera firmly in the company of other well marketed, populist, economical, savvy designed knives, which include:
• MISEN
• Kai Pure Komachi
• Global
• Ken Onion "Cascade"
• Guy Fieri

As long as a first knife gets used, perhaps the owner will graduate to higher quality cutlery.

My first knives when I went off to college were a couple of three Wustof classics and three carbon Sabatiers. When visiting my parents, if I don't bring my own knives I'm cooking with old Macs and Kai Pure Komachi.
 
And the result: Didn't buy it. :knife:

I do however have a couple of older IKEA knives that met the stones and got sharp again, and slightly thinner. Used as beaters and when I have guests in the kitchen.
 
I'm surprised they use VG10 instead of Swedish AEB. Its far superior to VG10 and I'm sure with Ikea's purchasing power, they can make it affordable for consumers.
 
Surely someone could combine all the best attributes into a Ikeaglobalonionfieri knife. Would buy...
 
lemeneid said:
I'm surprised they use VG10 instead of Swedish AEB. Its far superior to VG10 and I'm sure with Ikea's purchasing power, they can make it affordable for consumers.
Click to expand...

It is a general trend among european producers/brands that want to try their hand at harder steels. Somehow the market recognition of VG10 cannot be beaten. On the other hand they are probably made in china and with the purchasing power of the chinese manufacurers I'm sure they can get a good deal on their vg10
 
It's quite remarkable how Chinese manufacturing has impacted the kitchen tools and cutlery market. Not just Ikea, but a lot of other cookware shops now stock pans, tools and knives made in China—for the average consumer, price points of Chinese (and Thai/Pakistan/etc.) made products are hard to ignore. There a lot of Le Creuset knock offs out there.

On Alibaba, there're a ton of Damascus knives for dirt cheap, you just have to buy a large enough quantity to purchase. There are 100 pages of Chinese made Damascus steel VG10 knives on this site. Here's an example.
https://www.alibaba.com/product-det...alleryofferlist.normalList.242.1a67b057NHgVod

Personally I'd rather spend the extra money for a quality knife—usually a little more than I think I can afford is my rule of thumb—it's not like I need a knife every few months—a good knife should last many years.

Regarding your comment about VG10 market recognition, I've often wondered why there are so many VG10 knives out there, I assumed it's a very cost effective, durable, easy to work with material. I've never had a VG10 knife.

merlijny2k said:
It is a general trend among european producers/brands that want to try their hand at harder steels. Somehow the market recognition of VG10 cannot be beaten. On the other hand they are probably made in china and with the purchasing power of the chinese manufacurers I'm sure they can get a good deal on their vg10
Click to expand...
 
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