HENCKELS Classic Precision 16-Piece Kitchen Knife Set with Block, Chef Knife, Steak Knife Set

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 purchased these for a gift based on my experience with a Zwilling Henkel’s Four Star kitchen set that has served perfectly since 1993. This Classic set is good, but not up to the standard of the Four Star. Thinner blades and the finish isn’t as good, although they do have three rivets instead of the pressed on handle of the Four Star. The first impression, though. The box had been opened, the wrapping for the knives was sloppy, and the sharpness is not what I have typically received on Henkel knives. The straight edges are coarsely ground and nicked. The four inch parer won’t even cut newsprint or shave, although it did a respectable job peeling and cutting fruit. The 8 inch chef’s edge is slightly scalloped, as though it started as a serrated knife but was then reground as a straight edge. Nothin a little work on a coarse stone won’t fix, though. Am I happy? Yes, even with the initial faults this knife set has excellent quality and with proper care will last a lifetime or two. I also know from experience that the German forged steel will take an excellent edge but is hard enough to hold it for months of use with regular honing. Granddaughter will be happy.

Knifes have started to rust, not good.