J.A. Henckels International Classic 4-Inch Stainless-Steel Paring Knife

First, I preface my review by stating I am not a professional chef, nor am I a very experienced cook, but in fact I am a novice who enjoys learning to cook. My parents have the entire set of the same Henckels International Classic set and thus this is the only set I had ever really used for most of my short cooking life. I presumed all knives were like this and this is the norm. Well, I recently moved and also recently had been cooking at friends and family's houses who don't have this set of knives...well let me just say, I now know the importance of a good set of knives. The knives cut cleanly and easily, leaving clumsy people like myself less opportunity to injure themselves. So, one of my first purchases in my own place was of course the same set of Henkels International Classic knives that I had "grown up on." (The store near me didn't have a complete set, so I bought this little paring knife essentially to complete the set.)

I should also say that in choosing a set of knives, I called the Henkels company to ask about the difference between this set and the Henkel Pro or 4 star. I was told that the difference is in the weight and that this set is a little lighter than the pro and also that this set is designed in Germany but built in Spain. The staff was very friendly and told me honestly that unless I was a professional chef or professional cook that I really did not need to spend almost double the money on the pro and that the international set would be quite sufficient and perhaps even more appropriate.

I would recommend this set and this company to anyone and everyone especially the novice...because good and safe cooking starts with a good set of knives.

BTW I don't compliment companies easily.

Henckels is known for making quality knives and that quality is even evident in this less expensive line of knives. I always hesitated to spend $20-$30 on a paring knife, but no more! I have been using this knife daily for nearly two years. I have others, but always pull this one out. The size is perfect and it's easy to handle. The notch formed into the end of the handle keeps it from slipping out of your hand, especially when working in water in the sink. Occassional sharpening keeps it like new.

Buy J.A. Henckels International Classic 4-Inch Stainless-Steel Paring Knife Now

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)This mid-priced line of Henckel knives, called "Classic" by the company, is a full-tang, single-piece, three-rivet line with sturdy black plastic handles. The handles are notched at the end to prevent the hand from sliding off during use. Although they are not razor sharp right from the package, their edges are sharp enough for the average cook. According to Henckel, all knives in this line are dishwasher safe, but you should expect more rapid dulling under the harsh conditions.

The paring knife has much more weight in the handle than in the blade, making its use feel somewhat awkward. This imbalance results from a relatively long handle which makes it easy to hang onto firmly and therefore more safely than some other brands, especially for those with large hands. Although the paring knife blade is also longer than my Chicago Cutlery paring knife, the change in weight isn't fully offset. Still, I like this knife, and with the other Henckel Classics that I own, it makes a good addition to my cutlery.

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This knife was bought for me by my husband from my wish list for Christmas to replace my old Henckels that accidentally got broken (trust me it took alot!) It is much heftier than the old one and took a few uses to get used to, but this knife is GREAT and for the price, just can't be beat. I'm one to take my knife with me when I travel, as I tend to cut myself when using "foreign" (Inlaw's) knives. So this one will be now travelling with me every summer and of course is my "daily driver"!!

Love, love, love this knife!!

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We have had one of these Henkels International Classic 4" paring knives for several years. It has good weight and balance and seems to hold an edge fairly well although it still needs sharpening. It came as part of a set. At first we were concerned that the 4" blade might be too long, but we have not had any problems with the length and now find it much more versatile than a 3" knife. In fact, we are now buying 5 more in order to also use them as steak knives. Now that's versatility! I'm not sure how the International Classic quality measures up against Henkels top of the line Pro S series, but the Pro S knives are just too expensive for our budget (twice the price of the International Classic series). Also, I couldn't find the 4" length in the Pro S series, which made it an easy choice for us.

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