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4.5
[UPDATE--they finally fixed the picture (showing the 6" inch utility knife ), but I still do not recommend the set]> I rate the Zwilling JA Henckels Signature 8" chef's knife at 4 stars; the paring knife at 3 stars, the 6" utility knife at 1 star, and this particular set at 2 stars.> On the "pro" side, the Henckel knives are beautiful, and very well-made, from top quality materials. They will hold a very sharp edge, and longer, than less expensive knives. Unfortunately, they are not ergonomically designed, and this "set" is a particularly poor selection of knives.> This is NOT a "starter set" as some other reviewers describe it. It's one useful knife (the 8" chef's knife), and two special use knives, which are not appropriate to a starter set. Henckels manufactures 6" vegetable or general purpose knives and 4" paring knives which would be appropriate for general use, and would be appropriate in a "starter set" --- but the knives in this set aren't appropriate in a starter set.> I have no doubt that the marketing strategy is to sell this "starter set" for gifting to people who will never use them -- and stick the recipient with the need to purchase a general purpose Henckels medium-size knife and a Henckels paring knife in order to have a matching set.> The so-called "6 inch utility knife" has a blade about 6 1/2" long (but actually seems much larger) and is an inadequate boning knife -- the heel of the knife extends in a curve downward, lower than the edge of the blade (which I presume is intended for cutting the meat off of large round bones, but isn't long enough to be useful for this purpose). You can’t use the knife for slicing on a cutting board. You can slice near the edge of a cutting board, with the knife heel (and your knuckles) hanging out in thin air -- but usually, I want to slice in the middle of my cutting board.> Of course, if you need a general utility knife, the 6" knife is sharp and pretty. --- and will really last forever -- because you will never use it.> I found that I can purchase EXACTLY the same Zwilling JA Henckels Signature 8" chef's knife on Amazon for $49.96, and EXACTLY the same Zwilling JA Henckels Signature "paring" knife on for $19.95 (although I do not recommend it), That's a total of less than $70 --- whereas the set was $130. So, in effect, purchased in the set, the useless 6" knife will cost you $60. You can purchase two or three much more-useful knives for $60.> The Zwilling JA Henckels Signature paring knife is useful (for special purposes, such as artfully plating a noveau cuisine plate), but isn't a general purpose paring knife. It is particularly unsuitable for peeling. Without any finger guard on either the top or the bottom of the slick slippery handle, I find my forefinger creeping dangerously close to the blade. Moreover (when peeling) the handle seems much too small in my smallish-man-hands for a good grip, and I found the edge of the blade touching the ball of my thumb, nearly slicing it open. I've subsequently purchased better designed paring knife and a better-designed general-purpose peeling knife.> I'm a bit disappointed with the 8' Chef's Knife, because (unlike my old cheap dull no-name chef's knife) it is almost impossible to cut a slice of cheese from a block of cheese with the Henckels, and moist vegetables (tomatoes, zucchini, etc.) stick to the blade of the Henckels, making slicing more time consuming and difficult. The reason my old cheap dull no-name chef's knife is superior for slicing cheese (and would be superior for slicing vegetables if it was sharpenable) is because (unlike the Henckels) the edge is hollow-ground.> Note that these are stamped, not forged, knives. The distinction between stamped and forged knives is NOT a question of quality (albeit comparing knives of equal quality, forged knives are more expensive. because they are more costly to manufacture to the same high standards). Generally speaking -- Stamped knives are thinner, lighter, and more flexible. Forged knives are thicker, heavier, and more rigid. Buy forged knives if you will frequently use them to cut very tough vegetables such as rutabaga, old butternut squash, or for cutting through bones. Buy stamped knives for slicing vegetables and boneless meat. For filleting fish, a flexible stamped blade (none of the blades in this set) is the best choice. For dismembering a beef carcass, a rigid forged blade is usually the best choice.> Caveat, the Zwilling JA Henckels Signature 8" chef's knife is relatively thick, heavy, and rigid for a stamped knife, and can handle heavy duty chores as nearly as well as a similar forged knife. Even so, I would reserve it for precision work (mostly to keep the edge in the best possible condition for the longest possible time between sharpening, with minimal maintenance), and use a cleaver, or a 10" or 12" forged chef’s knife for heavy duty chores.> Note that frequent sharpening degrades knives --- eventually you get to the point that any knife cannot hold a sharp edge. Blades are not uniform, only the very edge is treated to be able to hold the very sharpest edge --- grind that off, and all the sharpening in the world will not restore the edge. However, a Zwilling JA Henckels Signature 8" chef's knife, or other comparable-quality knife, should last a lifetime , if the edge is protected. "Protected" means:-> used only on a soft cutting board (wood or plastic, not metal or marble),-> hand-washed and dried immediately after every use,-> stored on a magnetic holder (not in a plastic or wooden block, which can hold moisture),-> not used to cut bones, or anything else that's very hard.For light home use, use a honing rod (to micro-straighten the cutting edge, without actually removing any metal) about once a week. If you protect the edge, the blade will rarely need sharpening (maybe once every 3-4 months when used for daily home cooking) and will never wear out. A commercial kitchen is a different environment -- where most knives are damaged by accidents or "involuntary" misuse.ALTERNATIVEI ultimately replaced the Henckels knives with four much cheaper Mercer knives. (The Henckels are still in a magnetic holder in my kitchen, for decoration). The ergonomic design of the Mercers are far superior, and for me are much more useful. The Mercers need more frequent sharpening, which will translate into a shorter life. But at third the price, I can just replace the Mercers (in 10 years or so) when they no longer hold a sharp edge. If I could buy Henckels (or similar quality knives) with the same designs as my Mercers --- I'd jump at the opportunity. I'm not saying that every Mercer is an exceptionally well-designed knife, but those that I have carefully chosen, are.
