Chicago Cutlery Centurion 14-Piece Knife Set

We have been using a set of the classic Traditional Walnut Chicago Cutlery knives for over 25 years. We received this Centurion 14 piece knife set as a gift about three years ago and I was immediately impressed with how sharp the new knives were. Not to say that the old ones were dull, in fact they are still serving us quite well, but the Centurion knives had a decidedly keener edge. Actually, the construction is totally different. The Traditional Walnut knives appear to be stamped from a sheet of stainless steel, sharpened, and assembled, while the Centurion series is made of forged stainless steel, like the very expensive German imports.

While I love them both, I prefer the Centurion knives for serious carving. The exception is the steak knives for which I still use the old Traditional Walnut. The Centurion steak knives with this set are serrated and just don't "feel right" or cut straight. Kind of lightweight. They also snag if you hit a little gristle. The Traditional Walnut steak knives are not serrated, heavier, and slice smooth and straight. In all fairness to Chicago Cutlery I believe they offer a heavier, non-serrated, "Steakhouse" knife in the Centurion design which would probably be great, but it was not what came with my set.

If you are comparing brands, I think the Chicago Cutlery Centurion knives will stand up well against the much more expensive German brands. Mine are still extremely sharp and look brand new after three years, while receiving only the normal reasonable care I would give any good set of knives.

So far these knives are meeting my expectations and look to be exactly what I was looking for, a set of knives that I can use and sharpen. The last set I was given had the little perforations on them and you couldn't sharpen them.

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