Cutlery Reviews

The knife is solid and very comfortable in hand, however, when I got it new, the blade is slightly bent. I expect it to be in almost Perfect condition, but it's not.

We bought this knife several years ago, and since then we have been buying other Four Star knives from open stock. This particular one is our favorite knife. We use it daily, usually several times. It keeps an edge, looks good, is comfortable in the hand, and is just the right size for most of our kitchen tasks. Very handy.

Some time ago we accidentally left it too near a burner on our electric range, and the handle melted horribly. Even so, we still use it in preference to any of our other knives including any of our other Henckel's knives. Guess what my wife will get for the next gift I buy her? Yep, this knife. Highly recommended.

If you are only going to buy one knife for your kitchen, this is the perfect one. Great for most kitchen activities, sharp, good weight, excellent construction. I highly recommend it.

The Classic series knife was the third individual henckles knife that we purchased. Previously we had purchased knives from the Eversharp line and were not happy with them at all. This knive was a pleasant surprise and led us to experiment with more of the Henckles line until we ended up purchasing a Pro S series set that we absolutely love. Although the Classics are not as sharp as the S series knives they are much more affordable and are very good strong and sturdy knives. The 6 inch utility knife is a great all purpose knive that I find myself reaching for more than any of the others.

This is the go-to knife for just about everything: slicing tasks when the paring knife just isn't big enough, cutting vegetables where you need more control and precision than a larger chef's knife would give you, and even cutting open the occasional box now and again.

It's a great length (not too short, not too long) and has a substantial feel to it. It has well-forged blade and while it's not a Pro-S or a 4-star (and it shows a bit: though it doesn't matter, the finish isn't as nice), mine lasted through two years of heavy use befor needing a professional re-sharpening. And it only needed it a little bit then -- it was still sharp enough to be safe and effective. Mine never stained, and clean-up just involved hand washing with a mild detergent. As with any good knife, you shouldn't put it through the dishwasher.

At this price, I don't mind keeping a couple of these around. The older one gets abuse (opening those boxes and cutting into avocados, during which I often hit the pits) while the newer one gets reserved for more traditional tasks.

This knife is one of the best products I have purchased as of late. The balance and superior feel of this knife puts it into a class of its own. Other than an occasional pass over a steel it has maintained a great cutting edge. The small size enables you to easily tackle many small jobs that a larger cooks knife is just not practical for. Due to the quality and price I don't place these in the dishwasher. But this is a small price to pay for a knife that I will use for years to come and pass on to my children.

Having used some of Henckel's higher-priced professional lines, when the time came to buy a new set of starter knives I figured I'd stay with the brand. I ended up choosing the Twin Signature line 7-piece block set because it was a good compromise between quality and price.

Because the knives are stamped, not forged, you won't get the precise lines you get on the $80-a-knife lines, but the edges are well-finished and stay fairly sharp if you hand-wash them. I've been generally pleased with how they cut, and the chef's knife in particular has an excellent heft and balance for my somewhat larger hands.

The paring knife and the serrated utility knife are also gems. They're extremely well-sized, and have just enough flex to get the job done without feeling flimsy.

The scissors are sharp and extremely sturdy; I'm hard on this particular piece of kitchenware so I'm very pleased by that. Finally, the block is well-made and thought out. It has room for several more knifes as you expand your set.

The tips on the larger knifes aren't as well-finished as I would like, but that's about my only complaint. Just don't expect the sort of sturdiness you'd find on professional knives; these won't last quite as long without sharpening and you can't bang them about quite as much. For a serious home cook on a budget, though, they'll do just fine.

My plan is to use these for starters, and over time pick up two more Twin Signature paring knives, and one more 8-inch chef's knife from the Five-Star series for serious work.

My mom & aunt bought these Henckels Twin Signature 7-Piece Block Sets and they absolutely love them.
I bought a Pro S set at Macys last year but didn't get a good discount like Amazon does... The knives are 1 of the best investments in my kitchen.

I SPENT A GOOD FEW HOURS LOOKING OVER ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF HENCKELS KNIVES AND REALIZED THAT THE TWIN COLLECTIONS HAD PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THE SAME FEATURES AS THE 4 AND 5 STARS YET THEY WERE ATLEAST HALF THE PRICE. THEY ARE MADE IN GERMANY, FORGED, ICE HARDENED, FULL TANG, STAMPED HIGH-CARBON STAINLESS STEEL BLADES WITH LASER-CONTROLLED EDGE ETC. I ALSO LIKED THAT THIS BLOCK SET CAME WITH KITCHEN SHEERS AND A SERRATED KNIFE, WHICH SOME OF THE OTHERS DON'T. FOR AN AVERAGE PERSON WHO COOKS AT HOME AND IS LOOKING FOR A DEPENDABLE KNIFE TO DO THE TRICK, THESE ARE WELL OVER QUALIFIED. JUST ONE NOTE: I GIVE THUMBS DOWN TO AMAZON FOR SHIPPING THE KNIVES ONLY IN THEIR MANUFACTURER'S BOX AND NOT IN AN AMAZON BOX AS WELL. THESE WERE TO BE A GIFT BUT CAME UNDISGUISED AND RUINED THE SURPRISE. I WOULD THINK AMAZON WOULD HAVE ENOUGH BRAINS TO KNOW BETTER BUT THEN AGAIN I'M SURE THEY ARE LOOKING AT IT FROM THE POINT OF VIEW THAT THEY ALREADY COME IN THEIR OWN BOX SO WHY SPEND THE EXTRA MONEY TO PUT IT INDSIDE ANOTHER ONE. THAT'S PRETTY BAD! SHAME ON AMAZON!

I just bought this knife and I love it. My husband and I like to make many boneless dishes and we use this knife all the time. The handle is very comfortable and easy to use. Your hand does not get tired when you use it.

This knife is full carbon steel. Not high carbon stainless steel, but full carbon. It is old fashioned steel, now rare because it goes rusty and needs care, but can take a much finer and sharper edge than any other knife, even those fancy japanese ones. The steel is softer, so it both blunts quicker, but is faster to sharpen. When using it do as an old fashioned butcher does, and resharpen it with a couple of pulls along a steel every few minutes, when it seems to be dulling a bit. Take care, the knife is super-sharp, so it will cut whatever you are doing like a scapel.
The steel rusts, so never put it away wet, and ideally wipe it down with an spot of oil. The surface will dull and acquire a patina, which is part of the charm. Never, ever put it in a dishwasher. Look after it, and it will look after you, gliding effortlessly through the work. The tang goes all through the handle, so it will never come loose.
This is a boning knife, thin but stiff. Neat, light. Feels like a natural extension to the hand.
Great for slicing, cutting meat both raw and cooked, jointing, carving poultry, cutting veg, slicing cheese and so on It's the knife I use first. Its not so good for mincing, as the thin blade means the tang doesn't allow it to lie flat on the baord, but for everything else it is love at first use.
I had one for years, and recently lost it. I was bereft. Thankfully they are still made, and despite being in the UK I tracked one down and had it sent to me by a US friend. Now kitchen work is again a pleasure.

We were given this same knife as a wedding gift 20 years ago, I was told to simply hand wash and dry it and it would last. Twenty years later, everyday use, the Sabatier Au Carbone 5-Inch Carbon Steel Boning Knife is still sharp. I can't explain why it has kept an edge and I don't think I could cook without it. I just bought a new one to last the next long while.

I recently purchased this knife and have been well pleased with its quality and performance. It has quickly risen to be my second favorite kitchen prep knife (my favorite is slightly larger). The grip is comfortable in my hand and the blade was very sharp right from the factory. I love the fact that this knife is so easy to maintain. Having a riveted synthetic handle makes it dishwasher safe plus it is easy to store in most knife holders/blocks. I would recommend this purchase as well worth the money!

This knife is just as good as much more expensive models. It's weighted perfectly, cuts through everything (including bone) and fits well in any size hand. It's extremely well-made and I fully expect it to last forever. Worth every penny.

If you are looking for a knife for the kitchen, but do not want to spend a lot of money, this is a knife for you. I received my knife from Sabatier and used it right away. I couldn't believe how sharp and well balanced it was, it cut through my vegetables like no other knife I have ever owned. The only thing that I dislike about my knife is that it doesn't come with a sheath to protect the blade. What a great gift!!

This is a very nice set of knives, especially if it's going to be your first set. Eventually, you will probably want to move up to something a little better. The blades do a fair job of holding their edge, but still should be honed before every use. And while it may be somewhat subjective, I didn't care for the balance. For example, the chef's knife...it might be ok for someone who holds their knives only by the handle, but if you hold it correctly (with the base of the blade between thumb and index finger) the balance just isn't there. The handles are hollow (or at least they sure feel like they are) and some added weight would go a long way towards balancing it out, and actually making your work easier. But overall, for the price, it's really not a bad starter set.

I love the set, everyone that see it wants it, i usually give people every thing they ask me for, but finally i learned to say no, go buy your own.

I purchased this set from Amazon and lost it to my youngest child who was highly impressed by the absolutely stunning style of the knives. After using them he was even more impressed by the quality. I have since purchased a second set of Sabatier stainless steel knives for my kitchen

The CA reviewer is wrong. This knife is French-made, not Chinese. I know, I own one. I used to be a chef and this knife compares favorably to Wusthof. Nice balance and comparable edge to any other high carbon stainless knife I've used.

This is the prettiest and most prized knife in my kitchen. When I use it I feel like Julia Child, slicing and chopping with great verve. The balance is great; it's long enough to really get a job done; the handle has enough room to not bump knuckles; but the rosewood handle also makes it stand out visually from the black ones so common today. It's just plain pretty. Hand washing is no trouble; it's like caring for any other fine possession. I consider it a great value and will definitely consider buying others in this line.

I am a confessed knife-a-holic and have more knives than well equipped Boy Scout troop on a camping trip. My criteria for a great chef's knife is that it be well balanced and comfortable, and have enough curvature in the blade to be able to chop/cut on the cutting board without having the tip dig into the board. Some chefs knives, such as the Henkels have a very pointed blade, which tend to dig into the cutting board. The blades I like best are from Sabatier and Wustoff. The Sabatier is a real winner. It is very well balanced and has an ideal blade shape that will handle all kinds of tasks. It can be used for fine work (like dicing onions) to anything that might be expected of a 10" knife. The only oddity, if you will, is the handle. It is a beautiful resin impregnated piece of wood, but the bottom side is flat, rather than rounded. At first it felt a little strange, but I soon began to get used to the feel and found that it added a measure of control to the knife. Maybe I am rationalizing, but I find the handle a real joy to use. If you want a more traditional handle, get the polyproprolene one. It is very comfortable. Either one that you chose, you will have a real winner.

This is a nice cleaver, but it is a tad small for all around work. I used one for a while, and prefer the 5 star cleaver. I wrote this review because someone said that the only difference between the 4 and 5 star is the handle. Not so. The 5 star is a 6" cleaver, while the 4 star is a 5" cleaver. The extra inch makes a huge difference. It can tackle larger jobs, yet does the smaller ones with less effort, and better control. I know that the 5 star description says 7" length, but that is not the blade length. It is 6". Trust me. Also, the 4 star cleaver advertises the use of the multi steel "welded, then forged" contruction that is supposed to offer good edge quality with ease of manufacture, while the 5 star cleaver is made of a single forging of their "ice hardened" Friodur steel. The handle is a personal choice. I prefer the 5 star handle for comfort and control, but some will prefer the other. I just wanted to set the record straight, and let prospective buyers know that there are real differences between the 4 and 5 star cleavers. Some people might need a larger one, but I have never met anyone who would give up a 6" cleaver for a 5" model. It's a cleaver, not a slicer.

This is a hefty, well balanced cleaver that tackles any job with aplomb, then cleans up in the dishwasher and stays sharp almost forever. It will not fit in any block though, so (carefully) arrange a space in your knife drawer for this beauty.

The Henckels Four Star High Carbon Stainless Steel Meat Cleaver is the ultimate meat cleaver. We like it a lot - it's heavy; the balance and fit are perfect. The only difference between the Four Star & Five Star meat cleavers is the shape of handle; and we're much prefer the Four Star's handle.

I am not a professional chef, but I am an avid cook and I found this knife set to be a bit disappointing. I purchased it with hopes of getting a good set of Henckels knives with a longwearing stainless steel handle. Instead, these knives feel VERY light, the shape is hard to handle for fast chopping or dicing, and the handles frankly just feel strange in your hand (they have a sort of a sandpaper texture.) I would only recommend these knives for someone who prefers beauty to function- they are attractive in the block on the counter. In my house, however, they never leave the block.

By far the best cutlery set you will ever own.
A+ in my book, even if this set was twice the price.

The same quality founded in all Henckel's family but with a very polished and contemporary finish at a very affordable price. It looks great in any Stainless Steel countertop, ideal for people who likes quality and beauty in the same object.

I like the knife , but the handle has a funny feel in my hand. Maybe someone withlarger hands would like it better. I like the Henkels with normal shaped handels better.

I've owned my Henckels Twin Star Plus 8" Chef's Knives for about three years. It is still as sharp as it was when I first got it. It can cut tomatoes and onions paper thin, if you so desire. It is so comfortable in my hand that I could use it for hours and not have my hand feel tired. I wish I could get one that is 10 or 12 inches long.

I got one of these knives several weeks ago, and have been using it regularly in place of my previous Henckels chef's knife that I've had for 15 years now. It's remarkably sharp, it seems to have less of a tendency to have slices of things stick to it and disrupt your cutting, and I like the balance and the shape of the handle which gives my knuckles more room so I don't always have to use an overhanded grip like I did with my previous knife (a 10-inch 4-star).

Contrary to the amazon.com review, hand washing is recommended to protect the edge.

I just wish for a 10-inch version; 8-inches, to me, feels too short for even comfortable slicing of large onions and apples, let alone cutting things like pumpkin, squash, or watermelon.