Cutlery Reviews

I tried this knife at Sur La Table at the Furi demo. They appeared to be very sharp. However I did not like these knives for the following reasons

1) I dont care much for the cheap plastic-like orange handles


2) The finish on the knives appear to be cheap. Furi implies that these knives are made in Germany. However they are cheaply "Made in China". Now generally I dont care that much .. everything is now made in China anyways.. But when I am paying so much money for a product, I was hoping it was made in Germany or USA.

3) The case is even more cheaply made.

Personally, I would wait for a sale on the Global or the Wustof knives.

I just purchased this knife, having a larger Wustof Santoku Knife. I wanted this smaller knife to handle jobs that the larger Santoku was unwieldly to do. This knife is simply wonderful; and despite other reviews about the orange handle, the ease of use makes up for the color. The handle is quite comfortable and the grip makes it easier to chop and cut without fatigue. Highly recommend!!!

I bought this knife after watching Rachel zoom through all the prep for her 30 minute meals, hoping it would make my time in the kitchen a little less tedious. I wasn't disappointed!! This knife makes food prep so easy it's almost fun, lol! I highly recommend it for all the other amateurs out there!

If you are tired of your knife sets that don't cut without having to feel like your sawing through it this is the set you need. Cuts through meat and veggies in a snap. It also is perfect for wedding gifts. The box is not as durable as I would like, but still good for storage.

Why is everyone complaining about the case? It's Free. Not the best quality, who cares. The knifes are great. Good looking, sharp, and seems high quality. So what if they are made in China, isn't everything? However, it does make it sound like it's made in germany. You get what you pay for folks. $100 for 2 Santoku knifes, that's what you'd pay for One Henckles or Wusthof.

I ended up returning them because of the ugly washed burnt orange handles. Didn't look so bad in the picture, or on her show. I just couldn't stand the color.

But hey, if you love Rachel Rey, you do get a nifty CD-Rom on how to sharpen kifes, gotta love the value.

This is a great product, and you can get it, along with any other products on Amazon up to $500 Free! Participate in this special promotion and get a free $500 Amazon Gift Card at this web site: nocoststuff.biz/amazon

I work for a kitchen cutlery company called CUTCO..some of you may have heard it before. This company teaches you everything there is to know about knives. SAM" knows what he is talking about too. HIGH carbon steel blades will rust but..maintain a sharper edge longer though. Stainless steel blades wont rust but are much softer which will make them dull quicker. Sam was right when he said 420 grade steel is the best steel for kitchen cutlery without taking exotic steps to make it better. Well just to let you guys know CUTCO has a 440 grade steel...that wont rust. There is alot more to discover from cutco..so just visit CUTCO's website. Youll love the "forever guarantee".

These knives are amazing for the price. you can't beat it! they are sturdy, cut amazingly well, never need to be sharpened and i haven't had any problems with rust! I never put them in the dishwasher because i know that they would probably start to rust. its so easy just to hand wash them. Nothing will stick the to blade so its an easy rinse wipe and your done!! For anyone looking to buy great knives but don't want to spend a lot of dough, this is the buy for sure!

Obviously the people who gave a bad review on these knives all just lazily threw their knives into the dishwasher. GOOD QUALITY KNIVES SHOULDN'T BE THROWN IN A DISHWASHER. HAND WASH ONLY! I don't care if the label said it was dish washer safe. Don't always believe what you read. Dish washer safe is on alot of things, but sometimes the dish washer doesn't even do the best of jobs. ALL KNIVES ARE TO BE HAND WASHED! The dish washer will damage the blade. And you must have the common sense to think that anything sharp thrown into a dish washer is going to get thrown around and the tip banging against things will eventually become worn to the point where you can't even sharpen it the best anymore. Oh...and...STAINLESS STEEL MEANS SPOT-FREE WHEN IT DRIES AND SUCH, NOT RUST-FREE!!!!!! Some people shouldn't be given knives.

I bought this set based on the reviews, please shop cautiously for this brand of knife to make sure you "know" what you're getting. These knives are sharper than any knife I have owned or seen. Comes with a great sharpener that will put a real edge on your other knife collections too. I have The Henckels steak knife set too and I quite satisfied with this purchase am sure anyone will, very reasonable price.

Henckels Twin Signature 7-Piece Block Set is exactly what I'd hoped that it would be: a quality set of knives that is ideal for the home.

The set of Henckels that I've owned since the mid-80s finally gave in to a lot of use, sharpenings and dishwashings (dishwashing a good knife is a nice way to shorten the handle's life expectancy!). But 20 years of great service from my previous set of Henckels certainly warranted a loyal update/upgrade to another Henckels set.

And I am not disappointed. The new set is quite sturdy. Home users will be impressed with their strength; pros might be used to a higher standard, but I used to work in a professional kitchen and I can't see how these would not be as effective as anything a pro has.

These knives come out of the box SHARP too...a lot sharper than the sharpest that I've ever had my previous set sharpened to.

There were two descriptions from Amazon that tell you what you get; one of Amazon's descriptions included a carving knife (product description) and the other a peeling knife (what's in the box). Amazon seems to have corrected the error as of this updated 2-13-2006 writing. To be sure, here's what you actually get:

- 2 1/2" peeling knife
- 4" paring knife
- 5" serrated knife
- 8" chef's knife...this baby cuts through a roast like a hot knife through butter even though it's designed for chopping and dicing. In my opinion, it's better than a carving knife.
- a sharpening steel
- kitchen shears
- and a storage block with 11 slots which is great because some of the knives, especially the serrated knives, from my old set are still in mint shape (like the 8" bread knife), so there's plenty of room in the block for knives in your current collection looking for a new place to sleep.

No 8" carving knife. But like I said above, the 8" chef's knife works better than any carving knife that I've used.

The only things missing from this set for the average home is a nice large bread knife (as I said this was not a problem for me) and steak knives (also not a problem as most households already have these). Plain and simple, this is a great set of food preparation knives that--if my previous set is any indication--will last for decades.

Bon Appetite.

A very solid knife set, especially with the extra slots for those who have a few "favorite" knifes left in the drawer. MAKE SURE when you buy Henckels to get the "twin" set instead of the single little henckel-man, that's a big upgrade in quality. Oh, and for goodness sake people, quit putting your knife set through the dishwasher and just clean them as you go.

I purchased this knife for my mother and used it several times before deciding I wanted a Santoku for myself. The reason I purchased the Wusthof is because she is one of those utterly silly people who think they need to have the same brand for every style of knife, regardless of other choices available. Anyway, the knife is a typical Wusthof: decent quality but lacking in sharpness compared to the higher quality knives available. Nonetheless, I liked the santoku style so I got my own: a Shun. While the Shun was a fair amount more than the Wusthof, the difference in price is well worth it. Comparing these two knives together leaves no doubt to which is superior. The Shun is better crafted, weighted, styled, and most importantly, waaaaay sharper than the Wusthof. One test I did was to drop potatoes of equal size and firmness from about 18" above each knife. The Wusthof 'caught' the potato about half way into it while the Shun shaved it right in half. For me, I would compare the two knives to swords of the past: the Wusthof being a Medieval style- decent quality but not very sharp while the Shun is a Samurai sword- the highest quality and sharpness available.
Spend the extra dough for the superior knife, opt for the Shun.

Working as a prep cook I use many different types of knives and also cut many different types of meats, vegetables, fruits, ect. Of my entire knife set, my Wusthof Santoku is by far my favorite. The balance and how light it is as well as how well it fits into my hand makes it the perfect knife for cleaning the rhines of fruits, creating finely diced vegetables, or anything else that requires a lot of control. You can chop, rock, or use any type of cutting technique with this knife well, and I have absolutly no complaints about it.

Obviously, for some things a heavier knife is required, and for that I have a Wusthof classic chef's knife, but I still use this more than any other.

Quite frankly, I am one of those guys that will check out the reviews, but not give one. I have to give a review on this knife. It is simply incredible. Wusthof is certainly a well known and established manufacturer of fine cutlery, but this particular knife is the best everyday knife you will ever use. Go try it. You will agree and then tell your family and friends about it.

I got these knives because I had a cheap wood block with knives of all kinds on it ..NOW I have a way nicer block, a sharpening tool, bonus knive..and all these knives really ARE super sharp..had to get the block with the scissors for conveniant kitchen use..I would recommend these to friends and family because I like them

I bought this set to replace our odds and ends collection of kitchen knives and could not be happier. The block gets the knives out of the drawer and now I have something that I can keep sharp. I good sharp blade and an easy to grip handle, makes all the difference.

I tried a few knife sets before settling on this one. I tried the Kitchenaid & Farberware sets and they cannot match the quality of these Cuisinarts. They are so sharp that I had to change the way I prepared vegs - they are like razors! They are heavy and well balanced. Did I mention sharp? Be careful!

This knife became dull in 3 months with very little use. I only use this knife 2-3 times a week cutting meats and vegi's. Now I have to go get it sharpened as it can't even cut a pineapple properly.

Better spend a bit more on a decent knife than on this low-end set.

Don't know a whole lot about knives but I know what I like. This is a really nice knife, it has good weight and a very comfortable grip. The blade is rather long, so I would suggest this as something to augment what you already have. The sheath is made of a sturdy hard plastic and locks solidly onto the blade.

The cutting board is a VERY nice added bonus. I got this when Amazon had it for 20 beans but I have noticed that it has gone up recently. If you see that it is this price again then I recommend that you snatch a set for yourself or your favorite cook.

I have used every major brand of cutlery and I can tell you there is no better value than analon knives. I have been cooking and managing restuarants for over 30 years and I have found that the $100 knives are no better than thr $25 ones. The analon product looks and feels just as nice as the most expnesive brands out there and is one third the price. Try them you will love them. I might add that all knives have to be reground from time to time as the edge will become blunt and no sharpener will restore it. When this happens find a local grinding service and have them restored. A good knife can last you a lifetime if you take care of it happy chopping Mike

This was my last shot at buying a low priced knife set. After trying several others and having to simply toss them out, I finally found a set that is a keeper.
The knives are very sharp and heavy....well worth the money spent!

I was very pleased to find this set of knives at such an affordable price. I was even more pleased at the quality of the set. I knew, with the Farberware name on it, I would be satisfied but I got more than I expected.
The knives are sturdily made with a nice sharp edge and a comfortable grip. The block they come with sets up nicely too. I was especially happy with the serated edge on the steak knives.

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This knife block is wonderful for people who are just beginning a collection of good knives. After years with only one or two "good knives" in the house we've finally replaced them all with a number of very nice Wusthof Culinar and Japanese ceramic knives...none of which we wanted to have out on the counter in a block! The Henckels 13-Slot In-Drawer Knife Tray is well crafted and all the features it does have are wonderful - the combination of longer and shorter slots, the center slot for a sharpening piece. My only complaints are similar to those already stated: there's no place for shears and there's not enough room for any steak knives if you actually have a decent assortment of regular knives. I definitely recommend this product, but if you have the room and a lot of cutlery buy two!

I really like this Henckels knife tray. The design is perfect and it holds all of my knives & steak knives in one drawer. It's so much neater than a knife block that sits on the cupboard in the way.

It's substantial and attractive. The knives are off the countertop and beautifully stored. Thank you!

This is a good multitool except for one thing. It does not have a regular knife blade! I was shocked when I received it and could not find a regular pointed knife blade. There is a serated knife blade. But it is rounded at the end.

This is a high quality tool. The fit, finish and action are very impressive. It would be perfect for the handyman, tradesman or anyone that doesn't care about bulk or weight. I especially like the locking feature for the tools. Because it's such a nice tool, I plan on keeping it. It will likely last for many years with minimal care. Having said that, it's probably not for the backpackers out there. The pictures don't capture how large and heavy this tool is relative to most other multi-tools and most swiss army knives. So if you're a backpacker who watches every ounce, there are better alternatives.

I've been on a quest for the best multi-tool for years. Over the last twenty I've had leathermen, SOGs, Schrades, Gerbers, swiss army knives and more. In this review I will put the Spirit up against the Leatherman Charge Ti and the Gerber Legend 800 - what I consider the primary competitors for best multi-tool on the planet at the moment. I owned the Gerber Legend 800 from 2002-2004 - and lost it when the cheesy nylon case broke. I owned the Charge Ti from 2005-2006 and recently had it stolen or lost in my living room by either my kids or a houseguest when I left it out over a vacation week. I got the Victorinox Spirit to tide me over until I found the Charge Ti. As the months pass I'm pretty happy with the Victorinox and can live with the fact this might be a permanent arrangement. I've had it for 3 months now and it has answered every call.

As way of background I'll share that I'm a computer guy and medium-duty handyman. I use multitools to repair electronics, gutters, minor carpentry & electrical; around the house and work stuff mostly. (Work has been a museum construction site for years).

Short and sweet - the Victorinox is smaller and more dainty - yet stands with the big boys in performance. Smaller and lighter than the others, the Spirit is superbly laid out and moves with solidity beyond its size and a fascinating precisions that is ... well... Swiss. Each tool is easily accessible to the thumbnail and comes out smoothly BY ITSELF. Each tool locks with an individual springlock (the spring lock back looks like the musical part of wind-up music box). Lock release is via an intuitive pull latch. Everything is a chromed glossy mirror finish except the pliers head - which is nice unit. Here's the lowdown on the matchup:

Pliers: Winner - Gerber Legend 800. Gerber has spring-loaded pliers that open themselves up. They also have replaceable interchangeable wire cutter blades. These two features are unique and are great. The downside for Gerber is that the pliers don't open quite as far as the other two - limiting their utility for plumbing. Victorinox and Leatherman have similar pliers - but on the Victorinox the jaws are a little stubbier, and the jaws only touch at the tip when closed (they become totally parallel when the jaw are open 2mm) as opposed to most others where the pliers jaws are totally parallel at the point of closure. In practice none of this made a bit of difference. The most controverial part of the Spirit is the curved handle which gives the pliers grip a short finger throw. This is a nice refinement - they make an elegant pair of pliers - but at the cost of the ruler markings on the grip. In the end I prefer the older swisstool style on this score. Put Victorinox #2. The final issue the the grip. The Gerber has all the tools inside, so the pliers grip is wide smooth metal all the way but theres a seam. The Leatherman charge - like the Wave, has the small tools recessed out on the grip side - so your hand grips the smooth back of the 4 long tools (knives, saws, and files). This makes the grip wider than the old-style leathermen, where you gripped only the metal edge, but narrower than the other two offerings. The Victorinox has all the tools inside the grip - and your hand mostly bears down on the smooth spring lock mechanism.

Knives: Winner: Leatherman Charge Ti. The Charge Ti has two knives, a superb smooth bladed clip point in a special hard alloy, and a nice serrated. Both can be opened with one hand without opening the tool. The Spirit has a single blade - a razor shaped aggressively serrated blade that must be opened with two hands. It's wickedly sharp, but serrated blades are harder to resharpen and the razor shape lacks a point. I find I use the awl when I want a knive point. I guess Victorinox figures the serrated blade will stay sharp. We'll see. The Gerber has a single clip point blade with a smooth front half and serrated back half. This sounds like a bad thing - but it actually worked well. It's openable by one hand.

Saw: Winner: Tie Victorinox & Leatherman. Both are wickedly sharp dual action teeth and are the same thickness. The Victorinox has a lower profile, but the Leatherman has teeth all the way to the tip - call it a tie. The Gerber has a cool mechanism that accepts jigsaw blades, allowing you to choose your own and replace as needed. Great concept - but trouble is that there aren't any great jigsaw blades made - nothing comes close the quality of the saws on these other two.

File: Winner Tie for Victorinox and Leatherman. Very close all around. They all give good files. The Victoriox is the sharpest, but the Leatherman is almost as sharp and gives you a bit more surface area.

Philips Screwdriver: Victorinox - for having the longest (gets in the most crannies). Leatherman Charge and Gerber both have interchangeable bits associated witht he philips screwdriver. The Leatherman Charge has the much better interchangeable bit scenario with cool low profile bits that store in the belt case and have a great selection. Gerber takes regular size bits - which is a plus, but the bit holding adapter doesn't mate totally securely with the screwdriver head and must be carried in a separate case. Victorinox also has a bit arrangement - with a cool little rotary ratchet - but its a completely freestanding separtate arrangment. This is bound to get lost.

Scissors: Winner: Victorinox hands down. Like a swiss army knife scissors, but with an upgraded beefy spring that's gonna last and which also holds the scissors closed enough that the blades are just crossed - so you can breeze through paper. The old Leatherman wave had a great scissors, but they upgraded for the new wave and Charge series. The new leatherman scissor is smaller and wimpier and opens too far to cut when the hand is relaxed. Gerber's is too skinny with too tough a spring (hurts to use it) - but compensates by being the only one openable with one hand.

Flat head screwdrivers: Winner Victorinox (but special honor for Charge Ti for glasses screwdriver/tiny philips). Like a swiss army knife, the Spirit has the excellent can opener combo with small screwdriver head, a beefy big screwdriver with wirebending notch, and now a cool sharp small-mid sized flat screwdriver head with a long narrow shaft - great for computers with serial ports. The Charge Ti has the interchangeable bits - which are great but have a very short shaft, a glasses screwdriver as a full tool which you can pull out and reverse to get a tiny precision philips head screwdriver (unique and totally awesome - great for watches and model trains and glasses), and a medium sized stand along screwdriver that is OK, but not particularly well shaped or long or distinguished in any way. The Gerber has the interchangeable bits and three decent built-in flat head screwdrivers.

Can Opener/Bottle Opener: Winner Victorinox - has good toold for both functions - just like the Swiss Army Knife. The Charge has a combo can/bottle opener that just barely tolerable. The Gerber lacks these tools.

Awl: Victorinox is the only one - and a great awl it is. Good for belts and for cutting nylon cable ties. Makes a great and safer box opener too.

Ruler: The Charge Ti is the only one of these three to include this important feature.

Chisel/Wire scraper - Victorinox - unique and great tool. You can always use the wire cutter to strip and scrape wire. The Victorinox has about a half dozen ways - but thise chisel/scraper tool is a really great wire stripper as well a solid chisel for detail work. For model building this is a big plus.

Handle grip: Winner: Charge Ti - the titanium textured grips are totally awesome. The Gerber has big aluminum grips with inset rubber panels. The rubber comes out after a year. The alumninum is light but bulky. The curve is kinda cool - but also kinda dorky. The Victorinox has a super shiny polished grip that looks like it's going to be slippery. In practice the grip is fine (I haven't used it in muddy or oily situations - but that would be bad for any multitool).

Case: Winner Charge Ti - available leather case with snap closure. Snap is more durable than velco. The bad thing about the Charge's case is the stretchy side panels. I wonder about their durability. The Victorinox has solid leather case - very nice - but velcro closure. After the velcro stops working I'll take it to a leather shop to have a snap closure put in. The Gerber only has a nylon case with velcro closure.

Cost - the Victorinox is half the cost of the Charge - but lacks the bits. The Gerber slots between the two. The Victorinox at $50 isn't dirt cheap - but is pretty good value for the money.

Size - the Victorinox is the smallest and lightest by a wide margin.

Fit and finish: The Victorinox is the slickest with the tightest tolerances and smoothest most polished motions. As someone else points out - however, it has dead pins, preventing you from replacing tools down the road. The Charge is a close second and has torx pin closure. The Gerber must be singled out for scorn on the design front. A number of tools cannot be taken out without removing the adjacent tool and the scissors opens and closes in such a manner that you risk a cut each time.

Overall winner depends on your list of priorities. I'd say the Charge Ti is the best overall - most useful in the widest range of situations. Ultimately, any of these tools will serve you well. The Victorinox Spirit with its high utility, great refinement, light weight and low price is real nice pick - expecially well suited to the well dressed, ladies, and anyone who appreciates a nice unit.