Ikea Briljera knives made of VG10 steel with a Damascus cladding.
IKEA Briljera knives made from VG10 steel.

IKEA’s new “Briljera” knives are my new best buys. 

That is because they are made of VG10 steel. VG10 holds an edge longer than the steels used by Henckels Twin, or Wüsthof. Those 8” chef knives are $250 and $195, respectively (from House of Knives website). Ikea’s Briljera 8” chef knife is $60!

VG10 steel for $60 makes the Brijera knives BeSharp Sharpening's newest Best Value in Kitchen Knives.
VG10 steel for $60 makes the Brijera knives BeSharp Sharpening’s newest Best Value in Kitchen Knives.

For a more apples-to-apples comparison, the following 8” chef knives from House of Knives are also made of VG10 steel:

Shun Kanso: $220

Kori Artisan: $250

Kasumi Damascus: $290

How do Briljeras compare to Victorinox SWIBOs, my previous best buys? The SWIBOs will not stay sharp as long, but the steel is tougher. VG10 is not as tough (easier to chip), but holds an edge longer. 

Briljera 6" vegetable knives. Far right is the serrated bread knife, which BeSharp can sharpen!
Briljera 6″ vegetable knives. Far right is the serrated bread knife, which BeSharp can sharpen!

The Briljera range consists of:

  • 8” chef knife $60
  • 6” santoku $50
  • 4” paring knife $25
  • 10” serrated bread knife $50
  • Honing steel: $30
Handles are made of maple, so hand wash only!
Handles are made of maple, so hand wash only!

If you buy a Briljera, I recommend buying their honing steel too. This is because a regular honing steel will be too soft to hone VG10 steel. That’s why the Briljera honing steel is coated with diamonds (!)

I once had a Global honing steel, which was also diamond coated. It’s $300. 

A diamond coated honing steel for $30? Take my money, please!

Tags