Cutlery Reviews

There are really two main competitors in the high-end mainstream kitchen knife market: Henckels and Wusthof. Those who have used both usually have a preference. My preference (and therefore bias you should know about) is for the Wusthofs.

The Wusthof Grand Prix line is a more modern design than the Classic series, with a simple black handle. The balance and grip of these knives are as close to perfect as I have found. For those wondering what benefits a higher priced knife provides, one benefit is that the blade (or tang) is one piece all the way through the handle. This makes the blade much stronger, and less likely to snap.

This particular model is the 5 inch tomato knife. Most cooks believe the tomato is the most difficult food to slice cleanly (thus its appearance in Ginsu commercials). I think this knife is overkill for most cooks. I happen to think the 4 ½ inch utility knife will do the trick for the mainstream cook. This knife, while a good knife, is used so rarely in my kitchen it is usually relegated to a storage location, rather than the countertop.

If you slice a lot of tomatoes, be my guest and buy this knife, it is very high quality. But, for most cooks, this knife is overkill.

I am not an expert when it comes to knives but I do have a few expensive knives in my collection including Sabatier and Wusthof. This knife is simply incredible. The fact that it is sharp enough to cut tomatoes with ease means that it works great on many other things such as bread rolls, fruit and even veggies. It has stayed beautifully sharp for well over a year already and I have been totally converted to this brand.

There are really two main competitors in the high-end mainstream kitchen knife market: Henckels and Wusthof. Those who have used both usually have a preference. My preference (and therefore bias you should know about) is for the Wusthofs.

The Wusthof Culinar line is an all stainless steel look, rather than a black handle. Although the picture and some descriptions want you to think this is a single piece knife, be advised that the hand is a separate piece of stainless steel molded onto the tang. I personally prefer the handle of the Grand Prix and Classic, because the grip is surer for me, but this is, to some extent, a matter of personal preference. This series "looks" more professional to some (like a Viking stove).

This particular model, the 5 inch boning knife is a good knife. In my review of the 6 inch cleaver in the Classic and Grand Prix lines, I noted that most people really don't use a cleaver anymore, as they buy either pre-cut/pre-packaged meats, or they have the butcher cut the meat into loins or steaks for them. However, I think this knife is slightly more useful for the everyday cook than the cleaver. I find this knife useful for both boning and fat trimming. Although this knife is probably not essential for a starter collection, I would add this knife before a cleaver.

I wanted to replace my cheap knife block set with a great one that can last a generation and found Wushtof Culinar Series to my liking. Initially, I thought the metallic handle could be slippery. So, I went to a local store and tested it and found it to be be very very grippy and solid to hold. I liked how these knives curve on the handle. That helps handle get a perfect grip in the hand.

I always hated cutting meat because of hard it was to cut out some fat that was streching forever with my old knife. This knife is not only very sharp but it is not slippery even though the handle is steel.

This probably will be your favorite knife if you cut meat a lot.

There are really two main competitors in the high-end mainstream kitchen knife market: Henckels and Wusthof. Those who have used both usually have a preference. My preference (and therefore bias you should know about) is for the Wusthofs.

The Wusthof Culinar line is an all stainless steel look, rather than a black handle. Although the picture and some descriptions want you to think this is a single piece knife, be advised that the hand is a separate piece of stainless steel molded onto the tang. I personally prefer the handle of the Grand Prix and Classic, because the grip is surer for me, but this is, to some extent, a matter of personal preference. This series "looks" more professional to some (like a Viking stove).

The Wusthof 4 ½ inch utility knife is a great all-around knife. This is the knife I use for the majority of my small chopping work (when I don't use a Chef's knife).

I wanted to replace my cheap knife block set with a great one that can last a generation and found Wushtof Culinar Series to my liking. Initially, I thought the metallic handle could be slippery. So, I went to a local store and tested it and found it to be be very very grippy and solid to hold. I liked how these knives curve on the handle. That helps handle get a perfect grip in the hand.

You will not regret spending money on this.

We have a complete Henckels Four Star knife set put together over time. There is not a better kitchen tool set available at any price.

The Kitchen Shears were the last item we added. They compliment the knives perfectly and work just as well. Feel solid and secure in your hand and can cut everything from coupons in the Sunday paper to heavy string or plastic. Hold their edge very well.

An excellent kitchen tool.

After over 10 years of use, my Henckels shears look and function the same as the day I bought them. They have yet to need sharpening, and the semi-matte sheen of the handles is in pristine condition.

Two points to remember: Don't try to cut metal items with them, it will ruin their cutting edge, and dishwasher use is not recommended.

The blades are great for everything from plant stems to raw fish and chicken, and the tips of the blades are very sharp and will get into tight places. For instance, it's the perfect instrument for preparing artichokes, from neatly cutting the thorny tips, to getting inside to the fuzzy center.

Being left-handed, I appreciate its balance, and ambidexterousness, and I think no matter what your hand size, your fingers will fit comfortably.
A function I use a lot is the serrated inner grip for opening bottles and small jars...it does the job better than anything else I've used.

For garden, kitchen, or workplace, they will cut just about anything non-metallic, they're easy to clean, attractive to look at, and will serve you well for many years if used as intended.

Just to let you guys know, Cutco hires what they call "web solicitors" to hype up their products on sites like this. Also, Cutco is sold by Cutco salespeople only and these salespeople have an interest in bashing other knives on the net.

I purchased these as a cheap (Amazon[.com]'s price on this set seems to be a moving target so your milage may vary) alternative to all of the "hand-me-down" dull knives in our guest apartment. I'm sure they will work out fine in that capacity.

However, if you think these are "great" knives, then I suggest you first purchase a knife such as the Wusthof-Trident Santoku so you have a basis for comparison (i.e., perfect balance and heft, brilliant metal finish, and a razor sharp edge). Also note that the "Sabatier" name has been used by more than one company, and that the knives associated with high quality have traditionally been produced in Thiers, FRANCE not China. For example the Fuso, Au Carbon and Grand Chef Sabatier line are made in France.

I gave this set 3 stars based on the price I paid -- where else could I get a useable 14-piece knife set for roughly the cost of three music CD's? A plus is that they are drop-forged instead of stamped. Major points off for the lower quality of the metal finish (dull with factory grinding marks), unknown quality of the metal itself (how easy will it be to resharpen and how long will they stay sharp?), and the lack of a really sharp factory edge.

I received these knives for Christmas. I had asked my husband for quality everyday knives. I have the expensive wonderful knives but I only like to break them out for serious cooking. I needed a knife set to use for quick jobs and to replace my steak knives. I am pleased with this set. I especially like the utility scissors, I must use them 50 times a day. The knives are not as sharp as the good set (you get what you pay for) but they work great for my needs. I like the handles and the look of this set. If you are looking for high quality, super sharp knives, well you will probably have to spend more money to get the quality you want. However, if you want a decent set with a nice variety of knives at a good price, this is it. By the way, I've had the cheap knife sets from discount & department stores (given as gifts) and used them for years. Once I got these knives, those other sets were in the trash. I like these knives and recommend them.

this knife set is not only wonderful to work with, it looks stunning in the kitchen too. knifes are easy to handle, have a good grip and are perfectly sharp. and it's a abfab present, for a very, very reasonable price. brought it with me to holland (no not in my carry-on luggage) and even customs at schiphol airport admired it.

I bought the 9 piece Pro S set as a Christmas present for my father. I looked at all the different grades Henckle's makes and decided to go all out and buy the... Pro S set made in Solingen, Germany. I believe you get what you pay for, or at least that's the way it's supposed to work. After the excitement wore off of opening this... gift, for my father anyway, I took a close look at these knives and was somewhat disappointed by what I found.

This set is comprised of 6 knives, a scissors, sharpening steel, and wood block. The problem I immediately noticed is that on the six knives, none of them had the back edge of the blade, "the top of the blade," deburred. The top edges of these knives was very sharp, sharp enough to cut your finger if you rubbed or pressed your finger on them. This is alarming because some people like to rest their forefinger on the top of the knife when cutting, or like to rest the knife in the web of their hand, between thumb and forefinger, when chopping. Not only is this pathetic quality control, but it is also a safety hazard. This set of knives should never have left the factory in this condition. Five seconds on a buffing wheel would have cured this dangerous condition, but hey, if you can make a few more dollars by rushing a shoddy product out the door, at least the stockholders will be happy. They're the only ones who will be happy.

Another thing I noticed is that the sharpness of these knives is uneven. They, the non serrated knives, are fairly sharp from the bolster until about half way down the blade. However, as you get closer to the point, the duller they become. The 3 inch paring knife was the worst. The last 3/4 inch of the blade was so dull that you could press your thumb against it hard and not have to worry about cutting yourself. The grind lines on these non serrated knives, "the honed edge," were also uneven. Not to impressive...

Speaking of the serrated knives, the 5 inch serrated utility and the 8 inch bread knife; they were both slightly bent. Not severly, but they both had a slight arc to the blade. I was afraid the 8 inch carver would also be bent, because it has a thin blade like the serrrated knives, but thank "whomever," it was straight. Maybe this slightly bent condition is unique to Henckle's serrated knives. A final negative observation: the handles and stainless steel rivets on a few of these knives had scratches on them. A minor complaint, after all after a few months of use these knives might get a little "worn," but isn't nice to buy something expensive, open the box and get a perfect product? These Henckle's were far from perfect. It's inexcusable that these knives left the factory in this condition. I feel like I paid... for a... set of semi finished, dinged up knives. On a positive note, the steel appears to be of an excellent quality though extremely hard. I have resharpened a few of these knives and they do take on a very sharp edge- you can shave the hair off of your forearm - but because of the hardness of the steel, this takes about 20 minutes per knife. Tip, start with a semi rough stone to profile the blade, and finish with a fine Arkansas stone. All in all I would not buy this set, or probably any Henckles knife, for the price they charge. The shoddy workmanship, uneven sharpness, and scratches don't justify the high cost. I guess I could, or should have, looked at each individual knife before buying this brand, or any future Henckles, but should I really have to? No!

If you're thinking about buying the Henckels brand I would urge you to go to a cutlery store and physically examine each knife before purchasing it, otherwise you may be in for a disappointing shock. Thank you.

The chef knife in the set I received has forging defect. The support person kept telling me that Henckels had almost perfect quality control. The knives should not have any defect. But, it did. I had to return the chef knife for replacement. The sufaces for couple other knives were scratched also. after two weeks, I did receive the replacement knife, but it didn't match the original set. I didn't bother to send it back again. Quality: poor. Support person: not knowledgable.

I bought this knife and block set as a Christmas gift for my wife. She loves it. Our only disappointment was that the block was a different style than that shown on Amazon or, for that matter, on the box it arrived in. The picture showed a block with six slots for steak knives. The block we got is the one now shown in the Amazon add. Apparently Henckel made a change in their set about the same time I ordered it. We can live with the substitution though as the knive set is now selling for $50 more than what I paid for it in December 03. I would have bought the set regardless of the block design but the steak knive slots was a nice feature that appealed to me. The knives are well crafted, have a great feel, extremely sharp and we love them. There were two extra slots in the block that accomodated another Henckel knife we already owned and one other. We also love the selection of knives, especially the paring knife and small serrated knife. Some other reviewers have mentioned scratches or uneven sharpening but we've not noticed either of these conditions.

These knives have survived hard cooking for five years and counting, with only two sharpenings. The handle is comfortable, although it can be nicked in the dishwasher.

The knives have good, one-piece blades. Although the handles are not the best, they are by and large sturdy and comfortable (occasional nicks aside).

I was recommended this set of knives by a professional chef, and they work more than well in my non-professional kitchen. The only problem with this block set is that it lacked two necessary items--kitchen shears and a bread knife. However, buy them separately--there is space for them in the knife block.

...this set is a great deal and will more than adequately serve even the busiest amateur chef.

Talk about quality. This is a superbly crafted knife set. The knives are so sharp I can shave the hair off my arm with them. There is NO comparison to the typical department store $30.00 to $50.00 knife set. The blades are very strong and don't bend while cutting things like big white boiler onions. My cheapo set couldn't even cut these mungo onions without bending and ruining my attempt for a nice uniform slice. Love EM.

This is a terrific present for someone who's getting serious about cooking--that's how I got mine! There's no piece of equipment that's more important than a good set of cooking knives. These have held up over ten years, three households (with some careless users), and numerous sharpenings and show every sign of outlasting me.

There are 3 main reasons people cut themselves with knives: 1) bad technique, 2) bad knife handle, 3) dull knife blade (you have to struggle to cut and then you slip). This knife solve the knife handle problem wonderfully. It also should give you no problem with sharpness if you have a knife sharpener. This is not one of the great chef's blades that can have a lot of use before requiring resharpening.

If you have a good French Chef knife and have no problem with the handle (some are just so big and hard to grip!), do not bother with this knife. If you need a decent Chef knife and are willing to sharpen it occasionally, this is a good buy. (You have to sharpen ANY knife eventually.)

I am a quadriplegic/tetraplegic (C5-6 if you care) and I love this knife. Not for its mediocre blade, but for its handle. I have 1/3 use of my hands and 1/2 use of my arms, but I have no problem using the grippy handle on this knife. I own an expensive French Chef knife with a BETTER BLADE, but I use this one far more often because of the BETTER HANDLE.

My Mom has mild arthritis and she loves this knife, too.

This is absolutely my favorite knife. (including a few by Wustoff Trident) I'm not much of a cook, but WHEN I cook, I want it to be painless and hassel free. I picked up one of these at TJ Maxx here in the Chicago area about 2 years ago for $10.00, and now I wouldn't be without it. It replaced a much more expensive chef's knife by Chicago Cutlery that I found to be a useless piece of junk (gave it to my brother - now the thing is his problem!). This one has a much nicer balance to it, sharpens beautifully, and as with all the Good Grips products, love that no-slip handle! I'm not a gourmet or a professionally trained chef, but for the average household kitchen, I think this knife would be a great addition. Great for kids in the kitchen learning to cook too. Smaller hands seem to find this knife much easier to use than most.

PS - my other two top Oxo picks: the red spoon shaped spatula, and the red regular spatula. Spend $30.00 for the 3 and make your life a whole lot easier!

THis is a great knife that arrives quite dull. After correct sharpening, however, it became one of my favorites. It is easy to hold and the balance is good... a great buy overall, but it does dull easily. If you hate the rusting and/or discoloration of expensive high carbon steel knives, this is the knife for you. I find myself using it even when I could use a smaller knife. Use a stone to keep the edge on it after every use.

I have had these knives for a few months now and even bought some as gifts. They are very beautiful and a pleasure to use. Mine were very sharp right out of the box and hold up very well. They are a little lighter than some knives but with normal use and hand washing I expect to be using them for years. Highly recommended, especially at Amazon's price.

I'm not really much of a cook, so I have made do with a drawer full of cheap knives for a long time. What attracted me to this set was the appearance and the price. I'm not the type that is going to spend $250 for a set of knives at Macy's. I have no idea if the 'list price' on the Amazon page is anywhere near a real number, but at $35 this set seemed to be a bargain. And I was really struck by the appearance of the copper handles. I wasn't disappointed. They look just as good sitting on my kitchen counter as they do on the Amazon page. Better really. And for the money, I haven't seen anything to beat this set.
The knives are lightweight relative to their appearance. They are nicely balanced. I find myself inventing things to chop just to hold them. The knives were very sharp right out of the box. I haven't had to sharpen them yet. I have had to learn to be a little careful, however. I am not used to sharp, efficient blades like these, and I have a small puncture wound in one pinky to prove it.
I don't think anyone would be disappointed in this set of knives. They are really beautiful, a pleasure to hold and cut with, and for the price I don't see how you can go wrong.

I am very pleased with this set! I have had it for several months and really enjoy the durability and impressive look of the knives. I am a guy and I imagine that almost any guy will love the look and feel of these knives. They seem like the perfect gift for someone (a guy) who might normally look askance at "kitchen stuff" as a gift. I bought the additional 8-piece steak knife set-- several months after buying the block-- so I must like them! I have not had one problem with the sharpness of the set... everything has cut easily and evenly. Guests have offered only compliments. When I first ordered the knife block, I bought a knife sharpening tool (like the Sharpening Shark) because of the other reviews you see below. I've never had to use the tool, however. I know that "true" chefs/gourmands insist on the "best" cutlery (and say that the proper knives make all the difference in the kitchen) but to the average guy-- like me-- these knives are fantastic and classy... And worth EVERY BIT of the purchase price. They look cool, they cut well... what more could you ask for?

I purchased the 5 piece set which is a nice combination. However, the handles were marred and discolored. I sent them back and got another set with the same problem. I have since visited many retail stores and seen the same problem. I contacted Henkels and they told me that they were aware of the problem and to try rubbing some oil on them. I did which darken them up but did nothing to the scratches.
The blades are excellent, however the 5-star handles have issues. Just check them out carefully before you buy.

First of all there's no doubt that Henckel 5 Star are top quality knives. Bought them and love them. However according to Consumer Reports here are the top ten knives: 1. WUSTOF (Trident Grand Prix) 2. WUSTOF (Trident Classic) 3. Henckels (Professional "S") 4. Henckels (Four Star) 5. Tramontina (Professional) 6. Cuisine de France (Commercial Sabatier) 7. Chef's Choice (Trizor Professional 10X Cutlery) 8. Chicago Cutlery (Legacy Forged) 9. Lamsonsharp (Forged) 10. Henckels (Five Star)

The Henckels Five star (which is the same as the Henckel Pro Series except for its handles) was rated 10 because it is "more likely to corrude". I would contest the validity of that statement but I'll let you decide. As an amateur cook, I can't tell any significant difference between the top of line Wustof and Henckel knives. From what I have read the true test of quality is how it feels in your hand. I choose this set because of its exceptional grip. They are easier to handle and more comfortable to use than the traditional full tang handles and still maintain a nice balance. As for the price, it is a little steep but it's worth every bit. As an alternative consider getting a good starter set and build up your knives collection later on.

These knives are the bomb. Absolutely the best set of knives you can own.

The Cutco mouth-breather (who graces us with three of the same reviews, as if we need his advice even once) needs to be hit in the head with a ball peen hammer, to straighten things out up there. Cutco knives are vastly inferior to Henckels, in terms of blade quality, balance, and overall construction.

At any rate, go with the 5 Star series, and you won't go wrong.