I was looking to buy a ceramic utility knife and compared several brands of ceramic knives including Kyocera, Cuisinart, Newport, Forever, and Jaccard knifes.
The features that were important to me:
1) 4"-5" inch utility knife
2) Sheath to keep the very sharp blade covered for safety
3) Ergonomic handle which protects the knuckle from the blade
4) Good performance based on other people experiences
I started looking at Kyocera knifes but the handle shape and the lack of sheath lead me to this Jaccard knife that fit all of my requirements. I have used it for a week now, and I am very pleased. It is very sharp and easy to handle, comfortable to hold and it fits snugly into its sheath for storage. I've never sliced apples as thinly as I can do with this knife. The price was not the primary considerations, but I liked that it fell in the middle of the price range for the ceramic knives of this size. I think it is a good value.
I am attaching a collage of three photos:
1) Photo #1 show the under side of the handle. I find it to be very comfortable.
2) Photo #2 shows the knife next to the sheath on a ruler. You can see that the knife is 4 inches and the handle is slightly over 4 inches.
3) Photo #3 shows the knife in its sheath. The sheath goes on easy, but stays fairly tight. If I hold the knife with the point down the sheath does not slip off.
A ceramic knife does have limitations. It works very well on fruits, vegetables, and boneless meat. But it should not be used to cut bones as this is like to chip the knife. It also should not be used to cut frozen foods. The knife should not be used for prying things open or other tasks that would cause the knife to flex. Finally, the instructions say to use the knife only on wooden or plastic boards and not use it to cut on glass, stone, marble or tile.
A nice feature of the knife (since it is not metal) is that it is rust free and it does not transfer metals to foods you cut, and it is the metals which cause foods like apples to brown.
The Jaccard knifes come with lifetime warranty replacement guarantee. Should the knife becomes damaged for any reason, Jaccard will replace it for free with "no questions asked". To activate the warranty you need to register within 90 days of purchasing the knife. To make a claim you need to obtain an authorization number and return the knife along with $5 check to cover return shipping. The warranty is satisfied with one replacement (i.e. the replacement knife cannot be returned for the third knife). Contact number for warranty replacements is 1-866-4478-7373.
Ceramic Knives maintain their factory edge 15 times longer than stainless steel. If you feel your knife needs sharpening Jaccard will sharpern the knife at no charge. The $5 shipping charge is mentioned for replacements, and even though it is not mentioned explicitly for resharpening I suspect it would apply to re-sharpening as well. Contact number for blade sharpening is 1-866-4478-7373.
Overall, I am pleased with the knife and recommend it.
You can find it on Amazon by following this link.
Ali Julia review ★★★★★
