I have a few cutco knives that were gifted to me, and there is absolutely no doubt that they are real stainless steel. They do go dull and need to be sharpened, but the same is true for any other knives I own, including reputable Japanese knives. They're much better than typical cheap knives and pretty decent, but obviously much more expensive, and there are other brands that would be better at their price range. I wouldn't own them if they hadn't been a gift, but I wouldn't say they are necessarily bad quality knives, just overpriced for what they are.

Do you have a source for them being aluminum? I tried searching and found literally nothing like that and no allegations that the knives are aluminum. It doesn't really make any sense that they could be, because it would be too obvious and easy to prove that they are fake. People do complain that they are stamped instead of forged and not the best quality stainless steel, but they're definitely stainless steel. Maybe this is a joke that went over my head...

The cutco handle shape is pretty divisive, but I do really like the shape now that I am used to it. I can understand why people think the handles are slick or not an ideal shape, because that was my first impression too. Now I have gotten very comfortable using it and the handle shape has become my preference.

The MLM scheme sucks though.