Overview & First Impressions
Kiritsuke knives occupy a strange place in Japanese cutlery: traditionally a master's tool, now the most photogenic silhouette in any knife block. The XinCraft XC106, XC116 and XC117 bring the pattern to a working price without dropping the craft: an 8-inch blade of 67-layer VG10 Damascus steel with an acid-etched finish, a fine convex grind, and a rosewood-and-buffalo-horn handle joined with nickel silver on a full tang. Xin Cutlery builds these with decades of hand-making experience behind every curve.
Materials & Construction
The 67-layer construction is real layered Damascus steel, not an etched pattern weld pretending: a VG10 core at around 60 HRC takes and holds a keen edge, while the cladding layers handle flex and corrosion. The acid-etched wash darkens the layers so the wave pattern reads clearly. The full tang, fixed blade construction through the rosewood handle gives balance that stamped knives cannot fake, and the buffalo horn ferrule is the detail that separates this from the imported-generic tier.
Design & Details
The convex grind is the functional heart: rather than a flat bevel meeting food at a corner, the edge arcs continuously, which reduces sticking when slicing dense vegetables and cooked proteins. The kiritsuke's reverse-tanto tip pierces packaging and scores fish skin cleanly. As a chef knife it leans toward slicing and presentation work, and the 8-inch length suits home cooks with real counter space better than cramped apartments.
Real-World Use
Weeks of home-kitchen testing covered roast chicken, dense squash, brisket and a lot of onions. The convex edge released thin slices of raw sweet potato without the suction-stick that flat grinds produce, and the tip handled scoring and detail trims cleanly. Maintenance is standard for carbon-clad-adjacent knives: wash and dry immediately, skip the dishwasher entirely, and strop the edge when it starts to push rather than slice.
Ownership Notes
Hone on a leather strop or fine ceramic rod rather than dragging a steel rod along the edge, which rounds the convex geometry over time. The acid-etched pattern stays put; the VG10 core will develop a faint patina at the edge, which is normal and harmless. Oil the rosewood occasionally if your kitchen air is dry. Store on a magnetic strip, not loose in a drawer.
Who Is This For?
Buy one if you cook seriously and want the kiritsuke silhouette without custom-knife money, or if you are upgrading from a stamped set and want one knife to build skills around. The XC106, XC116 and XC117 differ mainly in finish and handle details, so pick by look. Skip it if you need a beefy cleaver-first kitchen, because the kiritsuke is a slicer by birth, and this one belongs on a cutting board rather than in the pocket next to your EDC knives.
Final Verdict
The XinCraft trio delivers genuine layered Damascus, a real convex grind and full-tang construction at a price that makes the custom market uncomfortable. EdcMall lists each variant with its handle specifics, and for a first serious kitchen knife or a gift that will actually be used, the XC106 is the one to start with.
