I’d guess that the someone who got Kimball the Chan Chi Kee knive would have been the woman cooking with him, Fuchsia Dunlop. I’m pretty sure the reason the knives have become more popular in Europe and the US is that she’s been recommending them for years, as in the article below:
https://www.thekitchn.com/fuchsia-dunlop-5-chineseinspired-essentials-for-home-cooks-expert-essentials-187613
I’m sure they’re great, but I have an ancient old carbon steel one I got in Chinatown years ago for about $3.00 and I love it.
