Unmarked Knife ID Check Please

[Culverin]

Hi,
I saw this on offer on my local FB marketplace. There are no maker's marks on it,

My initial thought was that it was one of those Chinese knives flooding the market, especially since the dark finish seems to go all the way to the blade edge.

However, the seller said it was a gift, and came from Tsukiji fish market. Is anybody able to identify it?

I remember there was a very tiny shop at Tsukiji (with gorgeous meter long tuna knives), and out front there was a little table with factory seconds and OEM knives (exact same knife, but different branding).
I'm wondering if it can be a random factory second?

My guess is it's a stainless blade, and coated?
And probably not a quality carbon steel blade?

The nice octagonal handle is throwing me off.

Any thoughts? Thanks for the help.

 

[Culverin]

Bump

Any thoughts on this?
My gut feeling says to avoid.

 

[xsmx13]

That's an Ali Baba knife. I bought one for about $12-15.00 out of curiosity and gave it to a neighbor. Definitely not a Japanese knife, but a mass produced one from a Chinese oem manufacturer.

 

[xsmx13]

Another note on the steel. They list it as 440c, but it's probably 7cr17mov, 8cr13mov (AUS-8 analog), or an outside chance of 9cr18mov (European 440B analog). The latter two are often used for pocket knives, including non-USA made Kershaw's and some Spyderco's. They're decent for what they are as budget steels with easy sharpening, but they're nothing to write home about. I'd guess they're slightly better than the x50CrMoV15 used in many mass produced kitchen knives just due to the extra .25 carbon content, but I'm certainly not an expert. The steel analog references above come from Larrin Thomas who has forgotten more than I'll ever know about knife steel.

 

[Culverin]

Thanks so much for the info xsmx13.

I really appreciate the help for dodging a bullet.

Still waiting to buy my first traditional octagon handle.

 

[xsmx13]

Thanks so much for the info xsmx13.

I really appreciate the help for dodging a bullet.

Still waiting to buy my first traditional octagon handle.

Here are a couple of fairly inexpensive options:

https://homebutcher.com/collections...ts/hatsukokoro-kokugei-blue-2-165mm-santoku-1
https://homebutcher.com/collections/featured-knives/products/hinoura-ajikataya-shiro-2-210mm-gyuto
https://homebutcher.com/collections/featured-knives/products/hatsukokoro-3-layer-silver3-210mm-gyuto
I really like the silver 3 one and think it punched well above its price point, though some might not like the heel height. There are also several other Hatsukokoro options and they're all 30% off once you add to the cart.