Questions on Xerxes Knives

[mack]

I've been in this hobby for a long time, and only heard of him for a few months now.

It's not his fault that you didn't hear about him and his work. That doesn't say anything about quality. And - no offense - I ask myself, how much you are into high quality kitchen knives outside the US or this forum , if you didn't knew him before. There are great knife makers in Europe, Xerxes is (one of) the best.

And in general: I find it disrespectful (this doesn't go against you in any way, @AFKitchenknivesguy I think you are a great guy from what I have read!) that he is charged by one knife that costs 4K. He is normaly under or around 1k which is absolutly fair in my opinion. I bought a 21cm laser custom once for 376€. And he is planning on a new production series knife which will be around 430-450€.

To all who don't know his work: Get one of his knives, test it and than we can talk again.

Best,
Mack

 

[AFKitchenknivesguy]

It's not his fault that you didn't hear about him and his work. That doesn't say anything about quality. And - no offense - I ask myself, how much you are into high quality kitchen knives outside the US or this forum , if you didn't knew him before. There are great knife makers in Europe, Xerxes is (one of) the best.

And in general: I find it disrespectful (this doesn't go against you in any way, @AFKitchenknivesguy I think you are a great guy from what I have read!) that he is charged by one knife that costs 4K. He is normaly under or around 1k which is absolutly fair in my opinion. I bought a 21cm laser custom once for 376€. And he is planning on a new production series knife which will be around 430-450€.

To all who don't know his work: Get one of his knives, test it and than we can talk again.

Best,
Mack

I have lived in Europe, Asia, and thd Middle East. I have knives from multiple places, mostly Japan. Not to mention most of my (very expensive) straight razors are from Germany and Austria. Its interesting how you decievably attack me when I wasn't remotely attacking this maker. Maybe he is big in Europe, I haven't lived there since 2003, and my point was there are top makers charging far less for their top work. My opinion only affects my world, not yours or anyone else's. Unless you wanna chip in on my future purchases?

 

[alterwisser]

I've been in this hobby for a long time, and only heard of him for a few months now. Nothing about his work, im sure its good, but 4k good? When I buy knives I balance desire and future ability to sell (I have a lot of excess). The point is, a 4k knife from someone I only recently heard of when there are top makers selling their product for half that cost. My minds made up.

well, but the fact that you have not heard of him really Says nothing about him as a maker.

All things considered he is the best pure custom maker out there.

Most custom makers are quite limited and very much stay within their niche. Jannis can pull off making a HUGE variety of knives, and they’re all excellent. His craftsmanship is superb.

can you resell a 4K Xerxes? Well, if it sold for that amount in the first place the educated guess is: Yes! Sure, you can compare that knife to Maumasi ... but at the end of the day, THAT particular knife is one you wouldn’t be able to get from him or other top makers.

i would not buy it either, just for the record. I think €4000 is too much for a single knife. I have my personal limit, and that’s €1000....

 

[AFKitchenknivesguy]

well, but the fact that you have not heard of him really Says nothing about him as a maker.

All things considered he is the best pure custom maker out there.

Most custom makers are quite limited and very much stay within their niche. Jannis can pull off making a HUGE variety of knives, and they’re all excellent. His craftsmanship is superb.

can you resell a 4K Xerxes? Well, if it sold for that amount in the first place the educated guess is: Yes! Sure, you can compare that knife to Maumasi ... but at the end of the day, THAT particular knife is one you wouldn’t be able to get from him or other top makers.

i would not buy it either, just for the record. I think €4000 is too much for a single knife. I have my personal limit, and that’s €1000....

In your opinion.

 

[mack]

Its interesting how you decievably attack me when I wasn't remotely attacking this maker.

I don't attack anybody. I said and say it once again: a person that didn't knew Xerxes a few months ago, has missed a lot in the kitchen knife world.

That's simply my opinion.

Best,
Mack

 

[alterwisser]

In your opinion.

you can look at the knives he made, the steels he uses, the variety etc, the iron he melts etc.

Pure craftsmanship and versatility, there’s no one else out there who matches that output. You can judge that without ever having touched any of his knives. It’s Quite observable ...

Haburn and HF come close, Maumasi maybe, but he works much more within his comfort level.

not talking about performance here.... a $120 Tanaka performs perfectly fine.

Sure, it might be a opinion, but it’s an educated one, as I have owned way over 100 knives, still own 70+ And have tried dozens more. It includes Xerxes knives.

You made up your mind about his knives without ever having held one... and you partially base it on never having heard of him. Your opinion, of course ;-)

His knives have been mentioned, shown, discussed, sold, traded etc in this forum for over 4 years. It’s not that he’s unknown in the US, Canada and Australia.

i prefer other makers btw, Dalman and Smide, for example, over Xerxes. Just in case someone accuses me of being a fanboy

 

[AFKitchenknivesguy]

Just wondering based on your assumptions of me, do you own an original Kramer, Rader, or Litch, etc.? Just trying to gauge your actual knowledge.

 

[AFKitchenknivesguy]

I'm guessing you live in Europe so you have built in biases, exactly what you are politely accusing me of (preferring American knives for instance). What you don't understand is that while I didnt hear of him until recently, never did i attack him or his knives. Just said I could get top quality for less...hardly a judgment. Considering I own custom razors from American makers, but still prefer German and Austrian makers disproves assumptions i'm an ignorant American.

 

[friz]

Someone who earns 10k a month just bought a 4k knife.

Just let this person enjoy the knife, he/she works a fortnight and got the money back already.
I need to work for 2 months eating bread and drinking tap water to afford it.

That doesn't mean he is a bad knife maker or that is an expensive knife.
It means I got the ****ing wrong job.

My current car is cheaper than the integral gyuto he recently sold.

I'd still go for the car though.

 

[alterwisser]

I'm guessing you live in Europe so you have built in biases, exactly what you are politely accusing me of (preferring American knives for instance). What you don't understand is that while I didnt hear of him until recently, never did i attack him or his knives. Just said I could get top quality for less...hardly a judgment. Considering I own custom razors from American makers, but still prefer German and Austrian makers disproves assumptions i'm an ignorant American.

Your assumptions about me are wrong.

Yes, I do live in Europe. But I have lived in the US for 10 years and actually got my “knife education” in the US, because that’s where I started getting into high end knives.

Your assumptions that I assume you’re an ignorant American are quite incorrect, I’m afraid. While indeed there are many ignorant countrymen (in my experience), I don’t judge people based on their passport. There are very dumb and very intelligent Americans.... as well as Austrians, Australians, Germans etc.

not sure it’s funny or not, but when I first lived in the US people often asked me about Hitler (REALLY OFTEN!)... I think a lot of Americans have a strange fascination with evil manifesting itself in one person (Hitler, Osama, Stalin, Saddam....Obama ... just kidding). At first my standard reply was: “I don’t know much about him, he was Austrian and I’m German.”

When it got to much I would tell people that every year on Hitlers birthday all Germans walk on the Autobahn towards Berlin to celebrate The Führer! It was astonishing how many people believed it ....

 

[AFKitchenknivesguy]

Someone who earns 10k a month just bought a 4k knife.

Just let this person enjoy the knife, he/she works a fortnight and got the money back already.
I need to work for 2 months eating bread and drinking tap water to afford it.

That doesn't mean he is a bad knife maker or that is an expensive knife.
It means I got the ****ing wrong job.



I'd still go for the car though.

No doubt, not sure why this is a point of argument. Maybe the guy is the best in the world and a porno star, doesn't change my opinion I can get top knives for half that. Doesn't mean they are "better", whatever that may mean. Its all opinion, and life circumstances, which is what I've been getting at.

 

[AFKitchenknivesguy]

Your assumptions about me are wrong.

Yes, I do live in Europe. But I have lived in the US for 10 years and actually got my “knife education” in the US, because that’s where I started getting into high end knives.

Your assumption that I assume you’re an ignorant American are quite incorrect, I’m afraid. While indeed there are many ignorant countrymen (in my experience), I don’t judge people based on their passport. There are very dumb and very intelligent Americans.... as well as Austrians, Australians, Germans etc.

Sorry I assumed your assumptions. Just a long week.

 

[friz]

No doubt, not sure why this is a point of argument. Maybe the guy is the best in the world and a porno star, doesn't change my opinion I can get top knives for half that. Doesn't mean they are "better", whatever that may mean. Its all opinion, and life circumstances, which is what I've been getting at.

Just wanted to stop you guys talking back at each other that way, that's all.

 

[alterwisser]

Someone who earns 10k a month just bought a 4k knife.

Just let this person enjoy the knife, he/she works a fortnight and got the money back already.
I need to work for 2 months eating bread and drinking tap water to afford it.

That doesn't mean he is a bad knife maker or that is an expensive knife.
It means I got the ****ing wrong job.



I'd still go for the car though.

you know who bought the knife?

i think you would appreciate the knife more than someone who makes 10k a month.... just saying

 

[friz]

you know who bought the knife?

i think you would appreciate the knife more than someone who makes 10k a month.... just saying

I wish I have the money mate. It really looks beautiful.
I had the opportunity to buy a crazy expensive knife, a Konosuke Honyaki , so Japanese maker, but I am not sure I want to invest so much money in a single knife, when I can get 10 knives for the same price.

 

[alterwisser]

No doubt, not sure why this is a point of argument. Maybe the guy is the best in the world and a porno star, doesn't change my opinion I can get top knives for half that. Doesn't mean they are "better", whatever that may mean. Its all opinion, and life circumstances, which is what I've been getting at.

i agree that you can get top knives for half of that, even 1/4th. I have a Wrought iron clad cleaver with 1.2562 core from Smide that I would not trade for a 4K Xerxes

 

[alterwisser]

Sorry I assumed your assumptions. Just a long week.

no worries. All good. Got a splitting headache not a good state to post Stuff ....

 

[AFKitchenknivesguy]

I don't attack anybody. I said and say it once again: a person that didn't knew Xerxes a few months ago, has missed a lot in the kitchen knife world.

That's simply my opinion.

Best,
Mack

To be fair, I was in a near death motorcycle accident last August and sustained a traumatic brain injury/TBI which affects my memory. I'm gaining memory back, but still don't remember him. Not sure if I agree about missing a lot in the knife world, at least doesn't feel like it to me. Plenty of popular makers that do nothing for me and I don't feel like I'm missing out.

 

[tchan001]

There are so many knife makers out there that are great craftsman. You are welcome to be fans of whomever you want and collect whomever you like. Whether there is a secondary market for the knife you collect is a concern for some people more than others. I believe we should all try to enjoy the process and try to buy the best we can afford while appreciating the ones out of reach as if we were appreciating the Mona Lisa at the Louvre.

 

[alterwisser]

There are so many knife makers out there that are great craftsman. You are welcome to be fans of whomever you want and collect whomever you like. Whether there is a secondary market for the knife you collect is a concern for some people more than others. I believe we should all try to enjoy the process and try to buy the best we can afford while appreciating the ones out of reach as if we were appreciating the Mona Lisa at the Louvre.

i might add: the best we WANT to afford.

 

[danemonji]

Well whoever bought the wrought iron 1.5k €, I think also bought the 4k€. They both dissapeared at the same time so I guess the same transaction. Congrats to the guy!
What i liked about thd 4 k integral was
1) it had a superb finish
2) the wrought iron damascus and the hagane damascus just flowing one into the other.
3) the bolster resembled a vertebra so very intricate and complex geometry there
4) the handle was just flowing into a perfect shape and the knife was screwed into it with a brass cap.
Amazing.

 

[tchan001]

Well whoever bought the wrought iron 1.5k €, I think also bought the 4k€. They both dissapeared at the same time so I guess the same transaction. Congrats to the guy!
What i liked about thd 4 k integral was
1) it had a superb finish
2) the wrought iron damascus and the hagane damascus just flowing one into the other.
3) the bolster resembled a vertebra so very intricate and complex geometry there
4) the handle was just flowing into a perfect shape and the knife was screwed into it with a brass cap.
Amazing.

If you are talking about #77, I bought it.

https://www.xerxes-knives-shop.com/77-24er-laser-mit-einer-schneide-12562.html
But I didn't buy the 4K #81. That one was out of my budget.

I had to stay up until 2 am Hong Kong time to get it.

 

[AFKitchenknivesguy]

I like it, looks nice.

 

[HSC /// Knives]

My current car is cheaper than the integral gyuto he recently sold.

don't feel alone, mine is too

 

[Barclid]

I've been in this hobby for a long time, and only heard of him for a few months now. Nothing about his work, im sure its good, but 4k good? When I buy knives I balance desire and future ability to sell (I have a lot of excess). The point is, a 4k knife from someone I only recently heard of when there are top makers selling their product for half that cost. My minds made up.

And if your mind wasn't made up, it was made up for you when someone else bought it. Doesn't matter.

 

[mack]

To be fair, I was in a near death motorcycle accident last August and sustained a traumatic brain injury/TBI which affects my memory. I'm gaining memory back, but still don't remember him. Not sure if I agree about missing a lot in the knife world, at least doesn't feel like it to me. Plenty of popular makers that do nothing for me and I don't feel like I'm missing out.

I am very sorry to hear that. I never owned a Kramer, Rader, Litch. And I am sure I am missing a lot in the knife world. But not in my real life. I guess it's the same with you.

All the best,
Mack.

 

[M1k3]

 

[captaincaed]

If you are talking about #77, I bought it.

https://www.xerxes-knives-shop.com/77-24er-laser-mit-einer-schneide-12562.html
But I didn't buy the 4K #81. That one was out of my budget.

I had to stay up until 2 am Hong Kong time to get it.

I’d love to see a family photo of the knives you’ve been collecting some day. I suspect it‘s going to be a beautiful collection.

 

[captaincaed]

My primus tip was too thin. Only knife I've ever tipped, cutting a bell pepper. Id say it was just over the line too thin, but could have been use error.

Edit. I should add that's my only complaint and broken tips are super easy to fix. Like the knife s lot otherwise.

 

[Corradobrit1]

My primus tip was too thin. Only knife I've ever tipped, cutting a bell pepper. Id say it was just over the line too thin, but could have been use error.

That was my experience too. Way too thin and bendy.