I have the JA henkles set as well and going 2 years. I think they are 80 on Amazon. Well worth it in my opinion. I use them a ton. Once in a blue moon one will show a rust spot after being in the dishwasher. Just hit it with a magic eraser quick and back to new. For a useful, and fairly inexpensive gift, they are worth it.

I sold 6 sets of these this weekend:
https://www.coldsteel.com/kitc...ssics-knife-set.html at the Oaks Guns Show in PA.
They list for $265 I blew them out for $160 pers set.
They are really knice German Steel Kray-ex Grips (Non Slip, Gel like feel)
I have my last set which was the display model For $140. Everything put back into it's original packaging. They are out of stock until February. Most households have they worst kitchen set of knives imaginable. People buy names like Cuisinart, Farberware which is all junk.
Henkles are great if you keep them sharp and the same with Wustof. The problem is most people don't and can't sharpen a knife properly.

Wüsthof here and I love it. I buy their Classic Ikon line for their improved ergonomics but the other lines are just as good and have the same fine steel and sharpening angle. Still made in Germany. Holds a great edge and easy to sharpen. I also avoid buying block sets because there will be knives I won’t use—wasted money. Get a good 8” chefs knife and a 3.5-4” paring knife to start with and you can add others as necessary depending on your needs, i.e., bread knife, filet knife, carving knife, general utility knives, kitchen shears, etc.

I think it's best to narrow it down to a few choices based on recommendations and reviews, and then go to a store where you can hold them. I tried Wusthof, Shun, and Global. All were excellent, but I ended up with Global because they felt the best in my hand.

Wusthof is what I buy myself. I've also got some very nice knives from Pro M. Pro M are Japanese and are ground very thin and have very hard edges. They cut like lightsabers but must be handled with care as bones and other hard materials can chip them.

My wife doesn't understand why you can't use nice knives on a ceramic plate, so I bought her the Victorinox chef knife, utility knife, and paring knives. They are great knives, and not just for the price. I don't like them as much as my knives, but they cost about as tenth as much for 90% of the capability. I'll be honest, I use them as much as she does to spare wear and tear on my "nice" ones.

As an aside, a good cutting board is a must.

I agree with the recommendations of a good cutting board. End grain is what I buy.

My friend, however, thought using a large scrap piece of granite counter top from a project a few years ago would make a nice cutting board. He used to wonder why his nice knives could never hold an edge. He also used to use one of those tempered glass serving boards as a cutting board with the same results.

There is no tool in the kitchen that deserves the consideration as that of a good set of knives. They make cooking and food preparation a delight. With that I prefer Wüsthof, but only the original versions. Don't get a set you only need a few to have a relatively complete set.

Butcher's knife (8" or 10")
paring knife (3" or 4")
sandwich knife (6")
Sharpening steel

These items will complete 90% of the tasks necessary in the kitchen but if you want a bit more then add:

meat slicing knife (10" or 12")
fish fillet knife

Wusthof Classic.....great knives!

If you want something moderately priced that works well and is dishwasher safe, then go w/ Victorinox or Mercer.

If you enjoy cooking, appreciate high quality cutlery, and are willing to maintain them (i.e., do more than throw them in the washer), then look at some of the premium brands.

Most newlyweds I see who request and/or buy Henckels and Wusthof get them as status symbols. They don't learn how to sharpen them, and they later complain about their high carbon steel knives rusting in the washer, b/c they're too lazy to handwash and dry them.

If you're looking at Henckels, the rule of thumb is the good models will have "Zwilling" on them and a logo of two guys resembling the Gemeni twins. The cheaper ones have logo that looks like a single guy holding a spear. I've seen some models they should be ashamed to have their name on, such as their serrated Everedge line.

I'm not too attached to any one brand. Generally, any knife that originates from Solingen, Germany or Seki City, Japan is going to satisfy all but the most discriminating users.

Didn't we have a knife edge guy here in the past or something?

KAI Shun Classic + a good cutting board.
Get the Shun honing steel and note that Shun uses a 16 degree bevel. They should last a life time.

quote:

Originally posted by Warhorse:
We have been fairly happy with this Henckels Twins Pro S set. We also added the steak knives to it, and one or two more knives.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...bd6b4&pf_rd_i=409670

We have this set. Very high quality, German made

Shun Classic.

A set can be picked up on eBay for a reasonable price along with individual knives. Bought my son and new daughter in law a set for their wedding followed up with another knife for Christmas (which may become an annual tradition).

This Henckel set would be an ideal starter set, except I prefer a Santoku to the Chef's knife and would like to see a larger one included in the set.

I like the idea of getting a cheap set, then adding a really good Chef/Santoku, carving, filet knife, and pairing knife in this order. The most important is the Chef/Santoku depending on which style you prefer.

Whatever you do, don't get the hallow/scalloped/gratton edge crap. It's a gimmick and doesn't nothing to stop things from sticking. Eventually after 20 years you may end up sharpening into the scallops and making it impossible to sharpen. Plus I think they are ugly.



Don't forget the banana unpeeler.

quote:

Originally posted by Hamden106:
Didn't we have a knife edge guy here in the past or something?

I think it was Seattle Edge or something like that. I need someone to get the edge back on a couple of knives,I’ve been thinking about looking him up and sending some to him if he still does that.

quote:

I am a huge fan of Wusthof.

I am also and have a set I brought back from Germany on one of my visit to some friends.

quote:

Originally posted by frayedends:
Make sure they tape a penny to the knife set or knives. Then use the penny to pay the gifted for the knives. I'm not superstitious but why not play it safe.

This....

Always been a big Wusthof fan. Recently found Cutco. Lifetime warranty and free sharpening. Got some for my chef son and he loves them too.

quote:

Originally posted by 2000Z-71:
Be wary of the Henckles. They have several grades of knives ranging from excellent to marginal made in China.

This, you have to specify the 2 men on the logo. 1 man logo is Spain or even China depending on the set.

I have a complete set of wusthoff classics since 2012 and they are great knives and wouldn’t histate to get them again.