Chicago Cutlery Insignia2 12-Piece Block Knife Set

I picked this set up recently on a lightening deal for $49 and that is why I give it three stars instead of two, which I would have if I paid the regular Amazon price of about $84 for the 12 pieces. I really like the heft and balance of forged knives, especially steak knives, so I was eager to give these a try. They arrived extremely sharp, no complaints there. The handles are thick and heavy giving these a very substantial feel. But, the three problems I found were:

1) Four out of the nine knives in my set had small chips in the cutting edge (two steak knives, the 5 1/2 utility and chef's knife). So I had a replacement set sent, which arrived before I shipped the other set back. Good thing I waited to send the first set back, as the new set had three knives with chips in the blades. These chips appear to result from grinding the soft metal too thin or aggressively at the factory. These are tiny chips, but they pose a potential rusting issue (see problem #3 below) as well as an aesthetic one. The utility knife also had some issues with the edge being rolled a bit along the two inches closest to the handle, further indicating just how soft this metal is.

2) The workmanship is shoddy around the bolsters and handles. If I hold the knives up pointing at the ceiling with the cutting edge facing away from me and look at the bolsters, I can see that the curved bolster is lower on one side than the other on about half the knives (easily an eighth of an inch or more on some of them). This is not a deal breaker to me as it is something I can easily live with-it just shows a lack interest from the people making these. There are also gouges and scratches around the bolsters and across the handle tangs on all of the knives, as well as on the plastic parts too. Almost all of the cutting edges are ground unevenly, with grind marks that have wandering widths along the edges much like my only other Chicago Cutlery purchase, a chef's knife Chicago Cutlery WSF 7-3/4-Inch Chef Knife, Sheath Packaging that I gave as a gift to my mother.

3) These can rust in a hurry! The very first time I used a steak knife it rusted in three places. While cooking up a huge meal, the original block of knives was sitting on the counter while I was mulling over requesting a replacement set and I used a couple of these. Later, I put four knives (two from this set) into some water in a dish in the sink to soak for a few minutes so I could clean them more easily. I forgot them until the next morning and was astounded to find the steak knife badly rusting along the chipped area on the blade, as well as on the bolster where the plastic handle meets it, and on one round spot on the side of the blade. One of the paring knives from this set was also soaked over night but it did not rust, so maybe that tells something about the varying quality among the individual knives.

I have had many stainless knives over the years, including some incredibly cheap ones (Maxam brand, eight dollars for 14 pieces at my local hardware store) that have never rusted after much worse abuse than this. The two other knives that were accidentally soaked over night were Victorinox brand stamped steel knives, the (Victorinox 40520 Fibrox 8-Inch Chef's Knife and a paring knife from this set Victorinox 48042 Cutlery 3-Piece Paring Knife Set ) that have never hinted at rusting.

This Chicago Cutlery knife set is a low cost way to get the heft of forged knives without paying several hundred dollars, but the compromise is much softer metal that is more likely to rust than other cutlery and a lot of poorly finished parts. With the low price I was not expecting premium quality, but was still surprised by the chips and rapidity with which I found one rusting. I was able to put together a whole set without chips from the two sets Amazon sent me and shipped the worst ones back. Overall, I think I can enjoy these knowing I paid just fifty bucks for them but will have to steel them often and never, ever, let them be wet for very long. For the money, and after I combined my two sets to get blades without chips, I think I ended up with a three star product.

This knife block set is great for the average home cook! I use it all the time and each knife works well. The kitchen scissors is especially handy, and the knife sharpener is convenient. The wooden block looks really nice next to our wood cutting board. To keep these knives looking their best, try not to wash them in the dishwasher very often or the black handles will fade a bit.

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Bought this same set almost 10 years ago and probably paid more for it back then. Reading the reviews I was concerned about quality and a careful inspection did find some cosmetic issues. I looked at my old knives and found they had some of the same cosmetic issues though in ten years I had never noticed them. The new knives feel good when handled, are very sharp and I expect will also last ten years. Simply put, a great value for someone wanting very good knives at a bargain price.

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This set has just the right number and type of knives needed for our cooking. They are of very high quality, with all the best features from the blade to the handle. I was amazed at how well they handle. They are nice looking. I can not imagine another improvement they could make.

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This Chicago Cutlery set is great. All the knives are durable and sharp. They are balanced better than many other knife sets and that makes them easy to use. These make great gifts for anyone who spends a little time in the kitchen.

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