I purchased these knives over two years ago, and I am still loving them! As soon as I opened the box I was impressed with how well balanced they are, and how sharp they are. And although other reviews have some complaints about the fact that these Henckels knives are made in China rather than the more expensive ones made in Germany, I have had no problems. They have remained super sharp over the years (yet to be sharpened a single time) and although they have been put into the dishwasher (against both the Mfr recommendation and my own wishes) I have not seen any rust spots as other reviews have mentioned.
They are still excellent and I much prefer them over the cutco brand because of how well balanced they are. My only complaint is that I wish I would have purchased a larger set with a block back in the beginning because I now know how high quality they are. I want the bread knife, santoku, and steak knives to match at a minimum, but to purchase them individually is similar in price to purchasing a set, and I feel like purchasing the full set would be a waste (since I already have these three). What I am saying, is they truly are high quality--go ahead and buy the full set if you need them!
After first opening the package I was very impressed with the weight, the feel of the knives and how extremely sharp they were. Now that I've used them for a few months I'm still impressed with how well they cut but I'm starting to notice rust spots. I have never put them in the dishwasher nor let them soak in water for any length of time. At first it was only the smaller of the knives and though I wasn't happy I could have received a single bad blade. Now all three are showing small rust spots. I have owned much less quality knives and not taken nearly as good care of them and non of the previous sets have rusted. These knives are not worth the money you pay for them. I'm still giving two stars due to the fact that the knives are well balanced and sharp but for this price I would like them to last too.
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Yes, yes I read all the reviews bemoaning this set was made in China but bought it anyway and by far, this is the best set of knives I've ever owned, the weight and feel in the hand is superb, and when I first cut vegetables I applied the same pressure I used with my previous knife and the blade shot through the carrots making a bang on my cutting board startling me due to the sharpness and ease of cutting with a real blade. I appears Henckels is mandating strict quality controls in the china facility hey every magically precise iPhone is built in China.
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After buying a great serrated JA Henckels knife and having it for a couple years without any problems, I decided to buy these. I've owned them for about four months now. The knives are used about five times a week and always hand washed.
Pros:
VERY sharp They cut through almost everything without any effort. This is the biggest factor for me when buying a knife (obviously). Cuts great through carrots, potatoes, and all fruits and veggies I've tried with it.
Fit great in my hand I have smaller hands and they fit just fine. My husband can also use them without any problems and he has normal sized hands
Look cool
Well balanced
Cons:
Has one very slight discolored spot after a few months of use Looked rust colored, but washed off alright and hasn't come back.
Price I think that the price is a little much. Then again, you get what you pay for.
Overall I would recommend these knives as long as you intend on taking proper care by hand washing and not letting them soak for very long in water.
*UPDATE*
Well, it's been almost two years that I've been using at least one knife twice a week and I have to say that I still love them. I usually let them air dry and once in a while they soak in the sink and I haven't seen any problems with rust. They also are still quite sharp.
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These knives were a gift for my daughter, and her excited response was, "I can slice a tomato with no effort!" She reports that the feel of the knives is great.
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This item is an amazing work of art. The picture doesn't do it justice. It is large enough for a couple of wedges of my favorite cheese (St. Andre) with crackers and grapes. The wood is very heavy and beautiful. The serving knife and spreader are magnetized to stay in place. They are stainless steel but gleam like silver. I keep this out on my antique bar cart because I love to look at it :) This would make a memorable wedding gift.
