After using a friends set of Henckels, I thought I'd grab a set for myself. What I've discovered in my research is Henckels now makes some cheaper quality and cheaper priced knives as well as their high quality stuff. Fortunately, they have an easy way to identify which is which. The higher quality knives have the original "Twins" logo (looks like two little stick figures side by side) where the cheaper sets have just a single little stick figure man. They still make some very nice sets, this particular one isn't one of them. Just look for the twins and you'll get a much nicer set.
The short story:
Pay a little more money and buy Wusthof cutlery,
and get a lot more bang for the buck.
The long story:
J. A. Henckles make different lines of cutlery. Their
"International" line is lower quality and less expensive
than their top lines "Pro S" and "Five Star."
(The only difference between the "Pro S" and "Five Star"
is the handle. The "Pro S" has a full-tang riveted handle,
and the "Five Star" has a bigger, synthetic handle. Some
people claim the full-tang riveted handles have better
balance.)
Though, Henckels name is more well known than Wusthof
and they sell more knives to the general public, people
who have used the two brands, for the most part, agree
that Wusthof is the better knife. Also, Wusthof seems
to employ much better quality control than Henckels.
Henckels cuts corners when it comes to their sets.
Henckels supplies a relatively small, low grade
sharpening steel with their top line "Pro S" and
"Five Star" sets.
In their top line 18 piece sets, their steak
knives come from a lower line.
Henckels has a recommended retail price and a sale
price on their cutlery. Just about all vendors,
sell Henckels knives at the "sale" price. Henckels'
warranty department will only give you credit for
the sale price of their product, even if you pay
more, and have a receipt to prove it.
On the other, hand, Henckels warranty department is
generous when it comes to replacing old Henckels knives
damaged due to consumer misuse. I thought knives
completely submerged in salt-free water would
not corrode. I thought corrosion needed salt or
air. Wrong. My Henckels knives corroded even
though I just left them submerged in soapy water.
The most popular knife today is the Wusthof
Grand Prix, Santaku knife with a granton
edge. This is the knife used by Rachel Ray
and other chefs on the Food Network. "Granton"
means the knife has semi hollowed-out ovals on
its sides. Granton edges may provide a smoother
cut, with less drag. Vegetables may stick to
their sides less. But knives with granton
edges are not supposed to be sharpened at home.
Moreover, they have very little edge to sharpen
and so have much less life expectancy than an
Identical knife without a granton edge.
Buy J.A. Henckels International Fine Edge Pro 13-Piece Knife Set with Block Now
one of the blades broke within 3 weeks, and the box does not contain any warranty information or an (800) number to call the company for a replacement.
Read Best Reviews of J.A. Henckels International Fine Edge Pro 13-Piece Knife Set with Block Here
I have owned these knives for two weeks and they were everything they said they would be. I found them to be well balanced between blade and handle and the seraded edge on the steak knives made for easy slicing. Although not their most expensive set, I don't think the average user could tell the difference.
Want J.A. Henckels International Fine Edge Pro 13-Piece Knife Set with Block Discount?
I've owned this set for over a year now with no real complaints. The knives have performed beyond my expectations. They keep an edge despite daily use and abuse.
If I could improve anything at all about the set it would be the steak knives. These are thinner than the rest of the knives but are more than adequate to the task.
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If you are searching for fully forged, qualities knives on a budget, I highly recommend the Mercer Genesis series. I am a bit of a foodie and have used ceramic blades, Wustofs and Henkels in the past. On a functional level, these knives pair right next to those. Used in culinary schools, the blades are of top quality and the knives are well balanced in the hand. Some who I have shown my knives to have objected to the synthetic "soft" handle, but I think they were mostly just mad at the price I paid when they compared these to their much more costly German ones. Are they as pretty as a set of Global knives? No. But they are sharp, durable and won't break the bank. If you are looking for a show set, you might want to look elsewhere, but if you have some cutting to do, these knives should please.
