Cutlery Reviews

These knives were really nice looking and felt good in the hand...much like the Henckels Pro S line, but they were not very sharp. This could have just been a bad set, but that may be due to lower standards at the manufacturing facility in Spain. I recommend spending the extra few bucks and getting the Henckels Four Star knives made at the original facility in Germany. When I got the Four Star set they were razor sharp, felt great and worked beautifully. There is a reason the International line is so much cheaper...

Okay, so I'm not a chef, but more of a Seinfeld fan. I am an amatuer who wanted to have a decent set of knives and I picked these out after quite a bit of searching.

A real chef will tell you to get the knife that "feels right" to you. Alton Brown recommends that you handle the knives before you buy, since you won't use an uncomfortable unergonomic one even if it looked awesome before you bought.

These have a very solid handle riveted to a full tang of high quality steel. The top of the blades are all thicker than many of the other brands (and even other models from the Henckels brand). They felt good to me, they are perfectly balanced and heavy in the hand. They feel substantial when you pick them up.

They didn't seem to be as sharp as I expected from such a set of knives, but regular use of the included sharpening steel improved on my impression of this. One detractor is that most burgeoning young chefs have never used a steel or hone and they don't include instructions in the set for this. BAD IDEA! I have since found instructions on the web, from Henckels themselves, even. When I do it properly and take my time, they are simply amazing. Leaving out instructions was bad form. Maybe mine was missing?

Dishwashers are not recommended as bouncing around can nick the blade. I have a plastic basket and I keep planning on putting them in there to see how fare. But I can't bring myself to do it. Handwashing is a pain, but I know they will last that way.

I'm going to chalk up the sharpness to my own unskilled hands (and I'm pretty sure that goes for many others). Even the German made ones would get dull without proper steel use. They are absolutely top notch quality at an amazing price. They hold their edge very well when you use the steel. Avoid bone and glass-surface cutting boards. The only thing I wish is that I could toss them in the dishwasher. But like quality stainless pans, you don't want to subject them to the heat, caustic detergent and banging.

Don't hesitate to buy these knives. Maybe you could use them to whip up some "Clams Casino"! Hmmm... tastes funky.

I bought this block set to replace my Chicago Cutlery chef's knife and paring knife, which I've owned for years. The Henckels are excellently balanced and construction is solid. Out of the box, they are not the sharpest knives ever. However, they're likely to be sharper than the knives they're replacing, and if you get them sharpened, they'll hold an edge with good maintenance. I've used every blade in the set and have been satisfied with them all. I have some slight discoloration of the blades, but nothing too terrible. I've been hand-washing them religiously, but a friend has the same set and tosses them in the dishwasher, and his knives have held up better than mine.

Con:
1. Not the sharpest knives ever.
2. Require significant maintenance.
3. Shears should be included in this set.

Pro:
1. Excellent balance, highly functional.
2. All the basic blades are included.
3. They hold an edge well.
4. Block is utterly functional.
5. You will never be able to buy cheap knives again.

Overall, this block set was a fantastic investment. I'd recommend it to anyone getting into cooking. If you're a professional, you'll probably want something better (there are better Henckels, and Wustof too). If you don't cook much at all, this set is probably overkill.

i had worked in a restaurant for sometime and i wanted a Chef knife at home. This had the lowest price in Amazon.com. i bought one and i regret it now. it is not as sharp as the manufacturers claim it to be. if you plan to cut vegetables(esp greens) with this knife, you will have the hardest time in your life. please do not even think of buying this knife just for its cheap price. for a few extra dollars you will earn 5-10mins extra cooking time and lesser kitchen-rage(with knife in-hand!!) with a better knife.

After working in amatuar kitchens and going through the school of hard knocks I finally got into a real restaurant where I was expected to have my own knives. I looked around quite a bit for a good knife and as soon as I held this one in my hand I knew it was the one and I have not been dissapointed. The weight and balance are perfect. It's still sharp after over 2 months of everyday use chopping everything from chives, parsley, and limes to opening plastic bags and slicing open baked potato's . All I do is hone it everyday before I go into work and the edge stays all night. As long as that is done I'm sure it will provide me many years of valuable service.

I received this Henckels Santoku knife as a graduation present, along with a full set of Pro S knives, when I graduated from Culinary School. I had done a lot of research about different brands of knives and felt that the Henckels Pro S series was the best for me. The grip is not cheap and I love the weight of the knife in my hand. And the santoku knife is excellent. I have been using it almost everyday for 4 years. It has replaced my chef's knife as my primary knife and I now use it for simple tasks like cutting up vegetables such as onions and potatoes. And I also use it for more difficult tasks such as cutting up a chicken. This is a great knife that with proper care and sharpening will last for many years.

This is the knife I use everyday in the kitchen. Blade is the perfect size for pretty much doing everything and remains sharp for while, if honed regularly. It's also lighter than the chef's knife. My only complaint about the knife (therefore dropping it half a star) is that the blade is not perfectly straight,there's a slight curvature of the blade. This makes it a little difficult to do some tasks. Other than that, a very good knife.

Even though I am a fan of the Calphalon cutlery line (I really think they beat the pants off of the German competition), this block leaves a lot to be desired. The block that came with my 15 piece set was pretty nice, and I ordered this block to house the additional knives that I bought. It appears to be the same design, but the quality control is awfull. Several glue joints were split open when I recieved the block, and the finish was not quite up to par. Given the low cost, I chose to glue and clamp the block into submission, rather than to send it back, but you might be better off buying a more expensive block to start with.

Plenty of room for all knifes of all shapes and lengths. Good construction. Only thing keeping it from 5 stars is the kitchen shear slot. To small.

I've had this knife block for 5 months now and it shows absolutely no signs of falling apart. Calphalon must have improved the quality of their blocks or the other writer just got a bad one.

Mine is as good looking now as the day it came into my kitchen. I wiped it down (one time) with mineral oil--as I do with all my wooden kitchen products--and remains fully functional and I can find absolutely no signs that it will be any less 10 years from now.

After all, you don't use it for anything but knife storage, so how could it deteriorate?

The Wusthof 4 1/2 Inch Utility Knife is perfect for almost any small to medium size job in the kitchen. It is exceptionally well balanced and almost infinitely adaptable. The knife is amazingly sharp when it comes out of the box, and holds a great edge even after a lot of use. I find this knife to be my personal cutting implement of choice when I need something smaller than a boning knife.

Wusthof knives have been in my kitchen for years and they are the best knives I have ever used. I used to be a chef in a gourmet beef restaurant and I would have loved to have had a set of Wusthofs then. Now I have my own set, but of all the knives in my kitchen I think this one probably gets the most use. Buy a Wusthof once, and never replace it: they are expensive but worth every penny.

I absolutely love this knife. It's light weight, but can do a heavy workload in the kitchen. Great for dicing, slicing, and paring. I especially love how it easily cuts through onions, making the finest dice. The manufacturer says that it is dishwasher safe, but I would definitely not run it through the dishwasher, may dull the blade. The best thing about it is it's weight in your hand, and also the safety sharpness of the blade. If you love to cook, and don't look forward to the dicing, splicing, chopping, and paring of your favorite recipes...this is the knife for you. It will make those jobs fast, and accurate. The price fluctuates on this item as well. I've seen it on sale for as low as $13.95 at some speciality stores. ENJOY!!!

I purchased this knife by itself (not in a set) and find it to live up to it's "utility" claims. For those of you who buy knives individually instead of in large sets, this is a nice addition. I was looking for something smaller to compliment my Santoku Chef's knife, but thought the smaller paring knife wouldn't be very useful for much else. This size works well for small chopping tasks and is easy to use for paring as well.

It really doesn't make much sense to get a set that includes several of these smaller knives. This one alone has exceeded all expectations.

I bought these knives for my wife as one of her Christmas gifts, not knowing if it would be a good gift choice (like buying a vacuum). She has always been a great cook and we were using an inexpensive knife set we received as a wedding gift 25 years ago. I also bought her the 7 inch Santoku to add to this set.These knives are a joy to use. Once you use them you know what knives are suppose to be. I'm sorry we didn't buy these years ago. She loves these and it makes her meal prep easier and more enjoyable.

I got this as a gift several years ago and would have bought a set myself if I had known how well-made they were. I have seen some Wustof Classic sets with at least 7 pieces for under $200, so shop around for the best deal.

Formerly, I had owned a Chicago cutlery knife, and next to Wustof knives, it's like a flimsy piece of metal. There is no comparison.

These knives are great.

Make sure to take the stickers off the handle before you wash them.

Excellent for slicing ripe tomatoes and thick-skinned fruit as well as dinner rolls, this is a great little knife to complement a quality set of sharp non-serrated knives.

We admit to being a little partial to Henckels cutlery and have wanted a 5" utility knife for some time for dicing green peppers, fine-slicing onions, and similar tasks. This item has a great smooth feel in the hand, with enough heft in the handle, and enough length on the blade, to provide excellent precision in whatever your smaller cutting tasks might be. "Sharp" goes without saying and our prior experience with Henckels serrated edges leads us to believe the knife might well outlast its owner!
We feel the price paid, especially compared to the Henckels Pro, 4-and-5-star models, was a fine deal and we are so completely satisfied, we highly recommend this outstanding piece of cutlery!