Calphalon Traditional 2-Piece Chef's and Santoku Knife Set

i purchased this set (8" chef and 5" santoku) about a month ago. my other kitchen knives are all Henckels (the good German-forged Henckels, not their junk knives), but i've never had an 8" chef's knife and, frankly, i lack the cash to get a Henckels 8-incher. so i know a bit about good knives and after seeing Calphalon knives at a local kitchen store i decided to take a chance on this very affordable set.

The chef's knife is VERY nice so far i find myself wondering how i ever went so long without a knife of this size. beyond the size, the knife itself is pleasant to use. it was impressively sharp right out of the box and the edge re-aligns nicely with just a few swipes on my knife steel. I'm very pleased with the chef's knife and can't see any reason why it won't last just as long as my Henckels. i've only given it four stars because long-term durability is impossible to determine in a month's time, but in all other aspects (and especially for thirty dollars) i am EXTREMELY pleased with it.

the 5" santoku knife is not such an obvious winner i look at it as a bonus to the chef's knife, but not a necessary knife. i know santokus are all the rage right now, but maybe a larger/longer blade makes all the difference. it's just as well-made as the chef's knife, but i haven't found a niche for it in my kitchen yet.

I purchased the 2-piece set on a Friday special. I wanted a inexpesive back up to my Wustoff Classic knives for the times my gf was attempting, and I say that loosely, to help me in the kitchen. What got me was the price, decent reviews and the fact that they're forged. I also had a wustoff santoku before so I'm not new to the santoku style.

Basically it's a pretty good starter set for the new college grad or infrequent dabbler in the kitchen but they can't be taken seriously for experienced cooks. Com'n, it's a pan company who paid a factory in China to make an inexpensive knife for them compared to other companies that have been doing it for hundreds of years. So for the young person, I'd give it 4-5 stars, for the seasoned cook, well if you gave it to them I doubt they'd even consider using them because they already have a good set. From here on the review is a bit more critical. Remember they aren't bad for the right person due to the value.

The chef's knife I found a bit too heavy, handle a bit on the large side and not nearly as balanced as my wustoff. It is forged and looks like it could survive a medieval battle. Food sticks to the side more than my other knives and right in the middle is stamped "Made in China". The part where the blade becomes the tang, it's really un-even like it was made with a jig-saw from a block of metal. Out of the package it was extremely well, not dull but not sharp by any means. Although it's a smooth blade, I really had to hack away at a piece of sirloin.

The santoku was about as a pleasant surprise as the chef's knife was a disappointment. I found the quality better than my old wustoff in fact. The little grooves in the side really help with food not sticking and it glided through food a lot better than the chef's knife even when I tried it on meats for the heck of it. It's nice for certain things like chopping celery and mincing smaller things like garlic. Basically if you need a smaller knife for chopping not too hard food. No way use it for a carrot, you'd loose a finger or something at some point due to it not being heavy enough so it'd be too easy to lose control when attempting to cleaver a hard, thick root vegetable.

Remember, they're not bad for the starter. Better than what you'd find at wal-mart but for a serious cook, get a 'real' knife like a wustoff, Henkles, cutco (a lot in my family really like those, I don't) or one of the many Japanese high quality knives.

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I have been waiting and searching for some decent knives that were affordable , when I saw this set I thought I would give it a try. I was so pleasantly surprised , both knives work wonderfully. Having these knives has really highlighted how poor my old knives were. These knives are as advertised, affordable and have made any task I use them for very enjoyable, what more could you ask for.

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I bought this set on a whim, because my set of Sabatier knives was lacking a santoku knife, and I wanted to see if I would enjoy owning one. As it turns out, this one is so handy that I don't even mind that the handle doesn't match the other ones in the knife block.

However, my test of sharpness involves discovering that every time I used the knife for the first couple of weeks, I cut myself. It's not that the knife slips or anything. I cook extensively at home, and it seems like I'm always in a hurry when I'm chopping. This knife is so sharp that I can chop fast enough that I lose track of the knife. Oops.

But after several months of steady use, I stopped cutting myself, and the knife hasn't needed to be sharpened, which is more than I can say for the Sabatier knives sharing the block.

I got this set for about $20 and for this price, it's the best deal I've seen on knives.

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These knives are great. Well balanced and sharp as can be. Well made and will last a long long time. Watch the price though, I was able to get them both for 18.99 plus I ordered it with some other products so I got $25.00 off the order and free shipping.