Chef Ron,

I got the Furi Diamond Fingers in the mail very FAST!      I used them on an OLD knife that would not even cut through butter, and the knife was extremely sharp when I was through!  I would never attempt to sharpen any knife myself, lest I ruin them.  I have always paid $25 a pop to have them professionally sharpened.  My Furi Diamond Fingers will have paid for themselves MANY times over after using them just a few times.  The Diamond Fingers are SUPER easy to use, anyone with two hands and a dull knife can use it without the worry of ruining your knives' edges.  I am already thinking of getting these as Christmas gifts!  Chef Ron's business, Culinary Cultures, is a dream to work with as well, and I will definitely use them again!

Sincerely, tsnell@monacohr.com - (October 2003)

Dear Chef Ron,

I have had a chance to work directly with your Quantum Knives and have circulated them through 2 commercial kitchens.  This is our truthful and detailed review of your product:

Chefs rely on two things:  Their hands and their knives.  In many ways, the knives that chefs use are and extension of their hands.  Thus, it is essential that quality knives are used in a foodservice environment.

The Furi Quantum knives are the perfect choice when selecting a knife that will withstand the duty and rigorous use in a busy kitchen.  Because kitchens are universal environments, the tools that are used must be able to withstand a universal workload.

The Furi precision crafted knives have ergonomic features that are not found on other more expensive brands of cutlery.  The no-slip handle, in addition to the wide blade features reduce blistering and callusing that occur with daily use with other knives.  The stainless steel blades and rubber anti-slip handles are easy to keep sanitized and will endure high temperature conditions that are necessary to prevent cross-contamination.

We tested the Furi-Quantum knives in two commercial environments with large kitchen staffs.  After two days, the Furi-Quantum knives became the first choice among those who used them.  They instinctively chose the Qu Knives because they held their sharp edge, were easy to keep clean, and because they were comfortable to use.  Once you've tried the Furi-Qu knives you'll know why their first choice was no mistake.  

Tested and proven, the Furi-Quantum precision crafted knives are a significant and valuable addition to a rigorous kitchen environment.  Affordable and easy to maintain, the Furi-Qu precision crafted knives will ensure years of longevity and comfort, while being durable enough to handle the workload of a universal, busy kitchen environment.

Sincerely, Chef Eric Hahn, www.RestaurantEdge.com - October 2003

Dear Chef Ron,

 My wife and I are manager/caretaker for an association of 40 members on an island in the San Juans, WA with 8 cabins.  For years we have had problems keeping the knives in the cabins sharp.  We have tried about everything you can imagine and some of it taking hours and hours to do.  We tried your Furi Edge Reshaper and Furi Diamond Fingers and were amazed at the ease and quickness that we were able to put an edge on the knives that we have never been able to do before!  We can do all 8 cabins in under an hour!  My wife has a 6" knife and 4" paring knife I could never get an edge I was satisfied with.  WIth your tools it took less 3 minutes to give both of them an incredible edge.  Needless to say, we are telling all our friends about your system.

Sincerely, Ed Kolling, Manager/Caretaker, Decatur Head Beach Association - (August 2003)

Jamie Callison CEC Chef: (July 03, ACF Convention) ACF Apprenticeship Chairperson, WA State Chapter, Director of Foodservice, Lakeside Schools - Seattle Times Article "Many Ingredients Produce an Executive Chef"

When Ron first showed me the Furi Diamond Fingers I was a bit skeptical?  Looked like a strange gadget, but, would it work?  "YES, VERY WELL" was the resounding answer from my staff and colleagues!  My pantry cook always keeps one eye on her Dia. Fingers and becomes very upset if anyone moves it from it's home.  My wife and I also use this fabulous tool at home and we are happy to report that every knife in our kitchen is sharper than ever before!  I also purchased the Quantum East/West Knifes from Ron at CulinaryCultures.com and we are delighted with it's function, durability and design.  The straight edge allows for very precise cutting of fruits and vegetables and the slight slope still allows for traditional chopping as with a chef Knife, need I mention the handles design which greatly reduces fatigue from long hours of kitchen preparation.  This knife and Diamond Fingers are sure to please the most skeptical of Chefs and Cooks!  Thank you Ron for introducing us to your products, we look forward to working with the rest of your quality line of culinary tools.

Asa Rodriquez: (July 03) 2003 Regional Student Chef of the Year, CIA Student

I was fortunate to find your product prior to my competition at this years ACF convention!  This is the PERFECT cutting board system for any type of Culinary Competition.  Clean Cut Cutting Board greatly assisted me in maintaining a very organized and hygienic work station that I believe impressed the judges and my competition very much.  I look forward to using your cutting board at the CIA where I am enrolled.  You are guaranteed to have many culinary students and chefs looking for your product once the word is out!  - THANK YOU!

James T. Ehler: (Webmaster, cook, chef, writer)
Key West, Florida
Food Reference Websites
http://www.FoodReference.com
"SPECIAL PRODUCT REVIEW & WEBSITE OF THE WEEK, (July 2003)
http://www.CulinaryCultures.com
Just before I came down with pneumonia etc. last month, I had been sent a Quantum-Furi East/West knife and a Furi Diamond Fingers knife sharpener.This review should have been published a month ago.  I truly apologize to Ron at CulinaryCultures.com for the delay in publishing this review.  I spent a total of 6 hours on 2 different days volunteering for prep work at 2 local restaurants so I could give the knife and sharpener a good workout.The design of the Quantum-Furi East/West knife is excellent - it is extremely comfortable to work with - the design is as the name implies, a combination of a chef's knife and a chopper - the best of East & West. After hours of chopping 3 gallon buckets of onions, tomatoes, celery, papaya, plantains, green peppers, and pork - my hands and wrists hardly felt the workout! That says a lot for the comfort of this knives' design.Great balance, very comfortable, and it held its edge through it all.
The Diamond Fingers knife sharpener looks strange - but it works better than any other sharpening tool I have ever used. I had a dozen or so cooks at the 2 restaurants use the sharpener. Not one negative comment ! I have never had such a positive reaction to any knife sharpening tool before.  When my hands and wrists were swollen up from the rheumatoid arthritis, the East/West knife was the only one I could use - the additional weight of my other chef's knives (Henckel's) were just too much to hold. The Furi East/West was light enough and felt so balanced in my hand that I was still able to do some food prep for myself. The depth of the blade also helped considerably.I cannot stress the sincerity of my recommendation enough - I really do highly recommend it, and I believe that the design may help prevent motion problems in the wrist and thumb after decades of using a chef's knife.
BOTTOM LINE: You must check these out. If you need a new knife, this is the one to buy. Even if you don't need a new knife, you should buy one. They are that good.

The Chef at Worldwiderecipes.com: (July 2003)

CulinaryCultures.com is the sponsor of today's edition, and I hope you'll drop by their site to see all the cool stuff they have.  I wish I had bought my picnic backpack from them (the one I keep in the back of the Chefmobile at all times) because I would have saved about $50, and they have many other unusual and hard-to-find items as well.  But you don't need to take my word for it - here's what one reader has to say:

C. Kruger: World Wide Recipes Loyal Member & New Culinary Cultures Fan & Customer, (July 2003)

Hi Chef of WorldWideRecipes.com,

Sorry to clutter up your email, but I had to thank you so much for the CulinaryCultures link!  I have been looking for the Fur Diamond Fingers knife sharpener after seeing it in the Bon Appetit magazine.  Not only is it available for a really good price, there is free shipping, too.  There's a lot of other neat, hard-to-find stuff also at the site.  Thanks again!

Kristin: Cyber Store Patron, (July 2003)

I ordered a Furi knife sharpener for myself and received it yesterday --- I LOVE IT!  I decided to order another one for my mother for her birthday.

Andrew Dornenburg: (July 2003) - James Beard Award-winning author of BECOMING A CHEF, CULINARY ARTISTRY, DINING OUT, CHEF's NIGHT OUT and THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF-Coming in October 2003

I LOVE the Quantum East/West Knife!  It has great feel, and its wide blade makes it perfect for any job in the kitchen -- from slicing vegetables to butchering.  The knifes handle cradles right into the hand to provide great control.

Maria Austin: Culinary Arts School Graduate with Honors, Seattle Central Culinary Arts, (June 2003)  

Dear Chef Ron, I have never written to anyone before in praise of a culinary tool, although with Diamond Fingers, I just felt I had to. I would recommend this amazing knife sharpener to everyone without hesitation. Thank you, Chef Ron, for introducing me to this fantastic product.  I hate working with dull knives. Sharpening with a stone could take too much time if you don't really know how. With Diamond Fingers knife sharpener I feel like sending my knives to a knife-sharpener expert in the comfort of my home. Its so easy and fast and my knives are sharpened and ready to use at any time. Not just that, it saves me a lot of prep time.

I was first introduced to Quantum East/West knife when my instructor, KG Miyata, purchased the Qu Sets for our Culinary Team Competition for state of Washington.  I was a bit doubtful when I first took a look at this knife. I wasn't too sure about the handle, it wasn't my typical handle. But, after working with it for a while, I was very pleased with the results! The handle actually fits my hand and is perfectly balanced.  Now I use my Qu knife everyday at work.

I hope more students get a chance to take a look at this product because they will get a quality product at an excellent value. would definitely recommend the Quantum East/West knife and the Furi Diamond Fingers to culinary art students as these products can save them time and money while always performing at peak levels!

John Blythe: Knife Junkie & Culinary Cyber Store Patron, (May 2003) 

Dear Ron, I just received the Furi knife and sharpener I ordered. Thank you for such quick shipping that was a nice surprise I used the knife and Love it. I have been a knife junky for 30 years or better, I have know idea why. after spending lots of $ on pocket, straight blade as well as fantasy knives throughout the years I discovered if I wanted to eat I needed to cook. Thus my interest in cutlery, as you might imagine I have run the whole road. from "never sharp type" knives to what I consider the upper crust , Wusthoff, Global ( I like these knives) forschner (these too) even a F. Dick or two and finally Furi, the search was actually for a sharpener but I kept running across the east /west knife which really interested me. so after another bad experience with a chefs choice electric sharpener I was on the hunt, I look everywhere for knives. so I ran across the fingers. and one day I went to google and did a search for Furi and came across your site. and let me tell you you had an INCREDIBLE PRICE, so I sucked up on it. and from my first experience I really love the knife. the sharpener is yet to be seen. I have been to the furi website and it has been lots of info. The knife feels really good in my hand at first a little heavy in the tip but I began to like it. unlike the german made knifes which seem to be heavy in the butt. I chopped cabbage, filetted chicken breast and minced garlic.all was a great experience i began to like the weight toward the front. similar to the global knives I own. anyway thanks to you my wife will probably divorce me because I will be on the hunt for deals with furi now. I keep a knife block filled with older knives for her and my son on the counter for them as they refuse to take care of them. and I have a drawer full that is off limits to them. sorry to be so breathy but this and cooking are the two things in my life I look forward to on a regular basis. I love to cook and I love using a great knife.

Thanks for returning my e-mail. JOHN

Dear Culinary Cultures, wow - this is great. what terrific customer service. you can be sure I will return to your site. If the knife is as good as billed, I am sure to purchase additional knives. I like "standard" edgeserratedd blades for just about everything, but my wife really likes to use serated edges. We've been shopping around, and she has heard good things about Cutco (serated), but we've made no decisions. Do you have a recommendation from your product line?

Thanks again for your outstanding service.

Thank you very much for your reply.................... I wanted to ask first about purchasing in person because I'm ordering a bit late for my husband's birthday next week. Your response along with the incredible spring offer convinced me to order regardless of the timing!
Debbie

Kathy Casey: President Kathy Casey Food Studios, Featured National Celebrity Chef, (Jan. 2003)

HI Ron - WE have been trying out your knifes and sharper and are very impressed! What great products - love them! Will recommend them whenever I can.   We are excited about carrying them and will send out a big promo e-mail for our feb newsletter - good luck to you and congratulations!

K

Bret Lynch: Corporate Chef, Charlie Baggs, Inc., (December 2002)

Dear Chef Ron - I took the Furi Pro, Quantum knives and Diamond Fingers to a client seminar where I demonstrated many cooking techniques.  Needless to say, my clients were amazed with the efficiency of these very professional products.  Personally I am able to do things with these knives that I have never been able to do with any of my other arsenal of knives.  They are perfectly weighted and hold their edge incredibly well!  The amazing Diamond Fingers are simply the icing on the cake, my knives are like razors!

I will most definitely recommend them to other chefs, cooks and clients.

Thank you!

Stephanie Lynch: Executive Chef, Featured on Food Network, Nov. 02, (November 2002)

Hi Chef Ron,

Diamond Fingers!!!!!!!!  How cool are these?  We use them everyday and the edge they maintain on all our knives is nothing short of a miracle!  So simple yet soooooooo effective.  I also have fallen in love with the Quantum East/West knife, it's durability, sharpness, ergonometry and weight is, "Perfect."  Obviously I am a believer in what Mark Henry has created.  "SUPERB!"

Lots of Love - Stephanie

Philip Johnson: Chef-Owner of e'cco Restaurant. Philip Johnson's e'cco: Awarded the Remy Martin/Gourmet Traveller National Best Restaurant Award (1997/98), and American Express Best Queensland City Restaurant Award (1997/98).

"In any kitchen, commercial or domestic, Chefs and Cooks alike have a habit of using the knives they find best suited to the task at hand. For the first year (since their introduction) I have found myself reaching for my Furi knives every time. It enables me to get the task completed quicker and easier, with a minimum of fuss."

David Pugh: Chef-Owner of Two Small Rooms.

"Dear Mark, During the past few weeks I have worked with your large chef's knife & boning knife & have to say I have never felt more comfortable with a knife than with yours. Having worked for so many years in the kitchen & now experiencing some arthritis problems, I have over the years rejected chef's knives because they have been too heavy. However, the weight & the feel of your knives is perfect for me & it really has restored my ability to work with these knives again. I am really proud to have the opportunity to sell them at the Farm Shop, which will be a true foodies destination for anyone who comes to the Valley." 

Maggie Beer: Chef, Food Writer, and Living Legend! (in a letter of thanks dated May 1, 1999). Maggie operates the gourmet products Farm Shop in the Barossa Valley, South Australia.

"Now I have a set of the sexiest, most streamlined knives I have seen and, boy, do they cut. Called FURI, they are designed in Australia. I keep volunteering for all monotonous jobs I've steered clear of for ages. 'You want 2kg of julienned green papaya? Sure, I'll do it!' I have a resurgence of enthusiasm for tasks that require good knife skills."

Geoff Lindsay: Chef-Owner of Stella, in The Weekend Australian Review/Real Life, August 22-23, 1998. 

"A knife that looks as good as it feels. This Australian-designed knife, with the splendid all-metal look, is also chef-friendly. It has a non-slip handle and is very competitively priced. Smart-thinking engineer Mark Henry is the man behind the Füri Professional Knife. He developed it with an open mind and a bunch of Chefs, and the handle is a revelation when gripped. Made from high-carbon stainless-steel, it would be a shame if these knives weren't seen in a few less-than-professional kitchens, too .... such as at home."

Matthew Evans: Chef and writer, in the Gourmet Traveller, August 1998.

"Having tried most of these newer brands and decided to stay with my mixed kit of Victorinox and Trident knives, I was curious that the comparatively inexpensive Furitechnics knives were receiving so many high accolades in professional circles. In two weeks of serious commercial work, the cook's knife is still as sharp as when I first slid it from its protective packing. These knives are a major advancement in design, not just in their beautifully weighted, slightly rounded edge handles, but their ability to hold an edge." 

Anne Oliver: Chef and writer, in Food & Wine, The Advertiser, January 6, 1999. 

"I discarded all the old European traditions when I began developing the Füri knife. It became obvious, after a lot of work with Chefs, that the traditional handle design was not very user-friendly, particularly for professionals who use them for heavy prep work for hours every day. We patented the Füri handle because it resists slip toward the blade better than any other (it is a wedge in the hand), so allowing a lighter hand grip (for less hand strain). The industry, and householders, are also demanding higher levels of hygiene and products that last longer, so a one-piece construction was the obvious choice. The material in Füri knives is very different to traditional knives: it is designed to hold an edge longer but still be easily sharpened, and to be tougher (less likely to snap and chip) than traditional vanadium stainless steels. This combination of genuine features is what has driven Füri's success around the world so quickly. I believe that Füri will be considered the new standard within a few years, and others will be considered obsolete, or fashion accessories only. Times change!"