HENCKELS Classic Razor-Sharp 16-Piece Knife Block Set, Chef Knife, Bread Knife, German Engineered Informed by 100+ Years of Mastery

I like these knives. My wife tends to be rough on knives. I hone these every couple weeks and they seem to hold the edge ok. I like the steak knives and find they work well. knives feel good in my hand.

This set gives me the quiet piece of mind knowing that I’ll be protected against anyone who wants to try and break in to TRY and get my “goodies”. Godspeed to them if they attempt it with these on my counter. Their smooth stainless finish allows blood and viscera to clean off quite nicely. And, Unless you want to spend thousands on a set of professional chef’s knives, these will be the best knives you will ever own. After years of having a few pieces here-and-there I finally decided to buy a full set with the block, which is much more convenient than shuffling around for a weapon, err I mean Knife, in a drawer In the dark. I bought this set in April 2018 and, at the time, the 16 piece set was only $159. Since the price was so great I supplemented this set with the Santoku knife. No regrets! In the photo (from top to bottom) Sharpening Steel, Carving Fork, Steak Knife (one of eight), Serrated Utility Knife (I call it a Tomato Knife because it’s perfect for tomato’s), Boning Knife, Chef’s Knife and, finally, the Scissors on the left. The wooden knife block is as pictured in the ad photos so I didn’t want to bore you with redundancy. The sharpening steel is very high quality but I do recommend watching a video or two on how to sharpen your knives. It will make your life easier and make your knives last forever. (I have an aunt who has a 40 year old JAH Classic Boning Knife that can still cut through anything. She gave me a lesson on sharpening). I would have to say that my favorite out of the whole set are the steak knives. They have sooo many uses... from stripping wire to cutting Filet Mignon. And my absolute favorite feature of these steak knives (which must be a recent redesign because they weren’t always this way) is that when you wash or dry them they DO NOT SNAG your sponge or towel. I have owned JAH, and others, steak knives in the past that shredded my sponges. “NO MORE” I SAY! My second favorite would have to be the Chef’s Knife. I am fairly sure that this is the same knife wielded by Jamie Lee Curtis in the classic horror film “Halloween”. If it’s good enough for her, I am in! Overall, I could not have done better. Although it’s difficult to keep tabs on the shears... my kids are always walking off with them.

After using and abusing a set of Forged Synergy for 13 years, I started noticing cracks in the handles and tips would occasionally chip off. It was time for an upgrade. I did a lot of research and found this set to be the best for the money. All but the steak knives (made in Thailand) are made in Spain with German steel. Spain is known for their blades, but perhaps not as well known hence the lower price. You can expect to pay around twice for higher end Zwilling sets, but I don’t think it’s worth the expense. The knives all have nice balance and heft, and are. comfortable in hand. I am very comfortable doing lots of prep with the chef knife, and found it cuts tomatoes and fragile peppers effortlessly. I forgot what that was like! What this set “lacks” in quantity, it makes up for in versatility. You really don’t need a bunch of crazy knives anyways. The paring knife is a full 4 inches, which is a nice change of pace. This makes it more useful for larger knife tasks like boning and trimming chicken thighs. I’m coming from a 3 inch paring knife and had needed a dedicated boning knife prior. My only real complaint is that the bread knife that goes with this set (purchased separately) is only 7 inches long vs. 8 inches in the lower end set I came from. An extra inch of stroke would be really nice for the fat sourdough loaves I make every weekend. I’ll get over it, or maybe make smaller loaves.

I waited too long to spend the money on really good knives. 1. These are very sharp and should only be used by an adult. My husband cut his thumb, acted like his finger was going to need stitches. I the nurse said let me see it, my assessment: small laceration, no stitches necessary. I gave him a water proof band aide, and ice. I asked him sit down, put your thumb above your heart, and put pressure on it for 10 minutes do not look at it. I put the TV on to distract him for the 10 long minute wait and gave him an ice pop for the other hand. So please do not let uhm children use these knives.

I like the compact base. It is attractive and fits well on the counter, making all the knives readily available. It allows for 3 additional slots so you can add your favorite knives to the base. Be careful. They are very sharp. Some have asked questions regarding use in the dishwasher. I have had a single Henckle's knife for several years and put it in the dishwasher regularly. It was fine for several years. However, rust spots started showing up when I used the 3 in 1 hard pods. So, I would recommend using the soft pods or liquid dishwasher soap. But, they are very easy to clean by hand.