Henckels Knives

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rustang64

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Only slightly off topic but I'm thinking of investing in a new set of Henckels Twin Pro S kitchen knives and was wondering if anyone would know of where to find good deals. I have looked at the usual Macy's, Linens N Things, Crate & Barrel and on amazon.com so far. Any suggestions would be great.
Thanks!
 
I have seen these on ebay as well for a really decent price but watch the seller. I am a bit of a chef myself and used Henckel knive and loved them but personally found that I like Furi knives a touch better so you may take a look at those as well. Both run about the same price.
 
Can I offer a suggestion? Skip the Henckels. They're not great knives. If you like the heavy German style, Messermeister makes a much better knife. The Meridian Elite and San Moritz Elite are comparably priced with Henckels and Wusthofs but have much more comfortable handles and significantly better factory edges. The Messermeisters also have partial bolsters, which makes sharpening them easier. They're a little harder to find at Towels'n'Such but if you shop online, Chef Depot and Epicurean Edge carry them at reasonable prices.

If you are not married to the heavy German style, MAC knives are lighter, faster, harder and sharper right out of the box and will stay sharper a lot longer than the comparatively soft German steel. MACs can be found at some Sur la Table stores or online at Epicurean Edge and Knife Outlet. The Professional series is the way to go.

I realize that people have very strong opinions about their knives, but having just spent the last couple of years researching and writing about kitchen knives (see my signature block), I have some insights that might help.

Chad
 
Dr Vorlauf said:
I like my Henkels but I hate sharpening them. Good thing we still have professional knife sharpeners around here.

Dr. Vorlauf, you may be more fortunate than you realize. Are you near Alburtis, PA? If so, you have one of the best knife sharpeners in the business nearby. Dave Martell of D&R Sharpening is about as good as it gets and is one of the few people in the US I can unreservedly recommend. His mail order knife sharpening services, especially his upper tier sharpening, is the secret weapon of a lot of professional chefs.

Chad
 
Thanks for the advice all, I'm gonna have to look harder at the other brands, particularly MAC. I definitely have to hold them in-hand for the final test and havent found any MAC dealers around. I guess I'll have to look harder.

My parents have the old henckels Twin Four Star set which is pretty much why I had looked at those. they have had the same set since before I was born and Henckels always has been great about their warranty.
 
Chad said:
Dr. Vorlauf, you may be more fortunate than you realize. Are you near Alburtis, PA? If so, you have one of the best knife sharpeners in the business nearby. Dave Martell of D&R Sharpening is about as good as it gets and is one of the few people in the US I can unreservedly recommend. His mail order knife sharpening services, especially his upper tier sharpening, is the secret weapon of a lot of professional chefs.

Chad

You have got to be kidding me!!! He is only 3 miles away and I had no freaking idea.
If I was not going to get snow tomorrow I would bring the whole set down.

I know how to sharpen a regular knife ( you could shave with it ) but the ultra hard steel just is beyond my skill level.

SWMOB likes cutting on hard surfaces
 
Chad said:
Dr. Vorlauf, you may be more fortunate than you realize. Are you near Alburtis, PA? If so, you have one of the best knife sharpeners in the business nearby. Dave Martell of D&R Sharpening is about as good as it gets and is one of the few people in the US I can unreservedly recommend. His mail order knife sharpening services, especially his upper tier sharpening, is the secret weapon of a lot of professional chefs.

Chad

I will be sending him a few tomorrow. Cant wait to read your book Chad, Thanks for the lead.
 
When it comes to knives, you sure better listen to Chad, he knows his stuff.

Chad - we bought the GE Adora dishwasher today, looking forward to trying it out when it's installed this week.
 
I have a 18 Henkel pro s knives. I think that they are great. My wife and I have been building up the set for years. I recently sharpened several of them on my dads leather sharpening wheel. That is the way to go. Razor sharp. If I were you... Buy 2 good knives that you like then make them gifts to yourselves once a year. The cost doesn't kill you and you can afford to buy em when you see the deals. You can buy a nice block seperatly- buy a big one as I am sure you will add to the collection. Buy the way the pro s never seems to go out of style so you can always add to the collection and keep them all the same. I highly recommend the German Ice hardened knives!!!

Last year I got the cleaver and this year my wife got a santuko(spelling?).
 
I've had a Wusthof for years, it treated me well.

Then this past summer I worked part-time helping a buddy of mine get his catering business off the ground. I got hooked on these, which he used in the kitchen.

They're super comfortable, and very inexpensive .... I picked up a pair for home and I haven't touched my Wusthof since.
 
The grass may be greener on the other side, but for the time being i'm happy with my Henckels. I realize they are not the best, but they are good enough for me.
 
This thread is well timed for me. I want to register for some nice knives, but I'm concerned the Shuns are too expensive. Good to see everyone's opinions...
 
I don't know to much about the other brands of knifes but I just got a Furi from the SWMOB for Christmas, and I have to say I really like them. Really sharp and feel great in the hand.
 
I know everyone has a bias toward European knives, I know I did, but take a look at
these.
Img288.jpg


Very hard steel razor sharp and at $85 a bargain.
 
Having used a standard European Chef's knife for years and years, I decided to pick up an inexpensive Santoku (Granton edge). I am going to buy a good one eventually because they are such a great style of knife. My suggestion to anyone on the market for an all purpose knife look into the style before settling on a 'regular' chef's knife.
 
I think as long as you go with a top line, you can't go wrong. Both Henckels and Wushtof have entry level knives that might be OK for occasional use, but won't keep there edge as long as their pro lines. That being said, I'm quite fond of Global knives. I'd seen them for years in the glass cabinets and snickered to myself about the weird handle design. One day a couple years ago I went to a store that had some out for testing and I thought what the heck I'll give them a try. They felt great in my hand! I walked out of the store with this (minus the grantons) and love it!!!
10450.jpg
.
I've since aquired one of their paring knives and a boning knife.

I think that as important as the quality of the blade is, just as importantly, it must fit in your hand really well. It has got to feel good in your hand. Everyone's hand is different so take the time to find a knife that fits yours. To me there's no point in having a great blade if it doesn't fit well in your hand. If it doens't feel great in your hand, it will be harder to control.
 
pjj2ba said:
I think as long as you go with a top line, you can't go wrong. Both Henckels and Wushtof have entry level knives that might be OK for occasional use, but won't keep there edge as long as their pro lines. That being said, I'm quite fond of Global knives. I'd seen them for years in the glass cabinets and snickered to myself about the weird handle design. One day a couple years ago I went to a store that had some out for testing and I thought what the heck I'll give them a try. They felt great in my hand! I walked out of the store with this (minus the grantons) and love it!!!...
That's basically exactly how I came to the Global knives. I now own the 8" chefs knife, 5" cooks knife, 7" santoku and the straight edge paring knife.
 
I've got some of the Henkel 4 Star knives that I've owned for a long time (used to be in the restaurant biz). They are nice knives and I really like the feel of the handle. That said, they are getting harder and harder to keep sharp. Is there anywhere I can go to find a good local sharpener?

I may one day upgrade the set to something nicer, but these will have to do for awhile.
 
jdoiv said:
...Is there anywhere I can go to find a good local sharpener? ...
Consider buying yourself a diamond stone and learn to do it yourself. It's one of those little DIY things that you can take some small measure of pride in (putting a fine edge on a blade).

Plus once you start sharpening your own blade you're never satisfied with a less than razor sharp edge and you'll tend to keep it that way. :)
 
I own Henkels (decent), wustoffs (I like the pro line), global (my favorite consumer knife), and santoku (expensive and worth it in my opinion)
 
as a former employee of Vector Corp (one of the worst jobs of my life), I have about 600-700 dollars worth of Cutco cutlery. All I use for steak knives is theirs, and they were from when my uncle worked for them in the seventies! Still sharp as hell too. I really dig the Cutco handle construction with their serrated edge that cuts like a straight. Their chef's knife has a really nice weight for chopping as well. Compared to Wusthof and Henckels, I would have to go with Cutco
 
pjj2ba said:
I think that as important as the quality of the blade is, just as importantly, it must fit in your hand really well. It has got to feel good in your hand. Everyone's hand is different so take the time to find a knife that fits yours. To me there's no point in having a great blade if it doesn't fit well in your hand. If it doens't feel great in your hand, it will be harder to control.

Yeah the handle is indeed very important as well as the feel. I am digging the Global handle there, looks sweet. Actually I remember that knife at your place now that I think of it.

I remember spending long days with a regular Chef's blade (can't recall the brand atm, it's been a long time) where my hand would get sore from the handle design.

Does anyone see a downside to buying a Yanagi blade as my general purpose slicing blade? I am seriously considering picking up a Global Yanagi blade. I make Sushi (mostly Maki, but some Sashimi and recently other forms as well) often, so the primary purpose is as intended. But I also would like to extend the use to paper thin slicing of cured meats/etc. I would imagine the blade would be fine for this use?

Chad, do you cover single side sharpening in the book?
 
zoebisch01 said:
Chad, do you cover single side sharpening in the book?

Yup, I do. If you're thinking of getting into traditional Japanese single beveled knives, you might also consider the sharpening videos from Korin Japanese Trading and D&R Sharpening Solutions. The first one is done by Chiharu Sugai, the sharpening guru at Korin. The second on is from Dave Martell's company. He's just produced a sharpening video that isn't on the website yet but if you email him he can set you up. While my book is obviously brilliant and insightful ;) it's hard to beat actually watching somebody sharpen a knife or two.

If you haven't used a yanagi-ba before, keep in mind that most of the good ones are straight carbon steel -- non-stainless. They can be a little fussy to keep up. Not a big deal of you know what you are getting into, but it comes as a nasty surprise to some folks. There is also the sujihiki, which is a very thin, westernized Japanese slicing knife that can work as well as a yanagi-ba but is a little easier to maintain. Check out Korin, Japanese Chef's Knife and Epicurean Edge for good deals on both sujihikis and yanagi-bas.

Chad
 
jdoiv said:
I've got some of the Henkel 4 Star knives that I've owned for a long time (used to be in the restaurant biz). They are nice knives and I really like the feel of the handle. That said, they are getting harder and harder to keep sharp. Is there anywhere I can go to find a good local sharpener?

I may one day upgrade the set to something nicer, but these will have to do for awhile.

The cookware/coffee store across from Pancake Pantry in Hillsboro Village will sharpen knives.
 
GloHoppa said:
as a former employee of Vector Corp (one of the worst jobs of my life), I have about 600-700 dollars worth of Cutco cutlery. All I use for steak knives is theirs, and they were from when my uncle worked for them in the seventies! Still sharp as hell too. I really dig the Cutco handle construction with their serrated edge that cuts like a straight. Their chef's knife has a really nice weight for chopping as well. Compared to Wusthof and Henckels, I would have to go with Cutco

My folks also have a full set of cutco and I really liked their blades and balance but the handles I can't stand. I have pretty big hands so it is pretty difficult to find a handle that fits me. So far I have been able to rule out Wusthof and several of the japanese knives based on the handles.

I would like to try out a MAC but I don't think there is anyone around who stocks them... Just gotta keep searching.
 
I own an average set of Mundial Knives that cost nearly $400 AUS. They are heavy, rigid, uncomfortable and don't hold a decent edge.

My father was a butcher and he taught me how to properly sharpen a knife on a set of 3 stones and a ceramic hone.

My favourite knife by far is the the Chicago Cutlery 72S Boning knife he gave me on my 12th birthday (almost 30 years ago) It has been shaving sharp since the day I got it, and gets used at least a dozen times a week.

My second favourite knife is the Schrade Cutlery "Old Timer" that has been in my pocket every day since 1986.
 
PseudoChef said:
The cookware/coffee store across from Pancake Pantry in Hillsboro Village will sharpen knives.

I thought he might. Do you know if he does a decent job? I could always get in touch with my restaurant contacts and find out who they are using, but I would have to get there when the guy shows up.
 
PeteOz77 said:
My favourite knife by far is the the Chicago Cutlery 72S Boning knife he gave me on my 12th birthday (almost 30 years ago) It has been shaving sharp since the day I got it, and gets used at least a dozen times a week.

I have to admit that chicago cutlery makes a darn good knife. I have a set of their steak knives that are about 10 years old and have never been sharpened, but neither the henckels or cutco steak knives can even come close to them. not too bad for a $30 set of knives.
 
jumping in late on this thread.
I work as a professional catering chef. I might be able to help you out if you haven't bought your knives yet.
-Never buy a knife without holding it first. If one of your friends loves his Shun it don't mean you will, your hands are shaped differently.
-expensive knives aren't always better
-all knives say they are dishwasher safe but the hot water and detergents will dull a blade faster than you can say chifonade.
I currently use a victorinox pro forged 8" chefs knife. nice handle, balance. and holds an edge wonderfully.
-a good knife store will let you play with the knife before you buy it.

Chad, have you been to becks out in apex? Very nice stuff, love the Tuna knife.
 
Thanks, I havent bought yet but it is pretty hard in this town to find a place to try out knives. There's plenty of henckels and wusthof but nothing else. I dont have a dishwasher and never plan on it so thats not a problem.

We have a local store here that only sells henckels twin series and she lets me try them out, will let me trade out knives in the sets, which are heavily discounted. She also sells open stock at the same price as they would be if bought in a set. I will probably end up buying from her if I cant find anywhere to try other ones out. She says she has some MAC knives at home from a rep and I might ask her to bring them in for me to try out.
 
SWMBO is a cook and we do alot of veggies and meat, so last year I got her a good set of knives.. We went with a set of Shun "Ken Onion's"
My mother had a set of Henckel, as well as a set of Wusthof's and these (the Shun) are hands down better.

They're a bit pricey, but in the end, totally worth it!
 
Being in the cooking industry for over 14 years, In my opinion the henkels are over rated. for a more affordable knife and real easy to steel and sharpen look into Victoriknox I have had my Boning, Scimitar, 10" Chef Knife for over 10 years, I will never give them up.

Prices are very affordable. and it is a Swiss knife
 
I realize that we are talking about kitchen knives but....

This is the best pocket knife I've ever owned, I've had one for five years and I use it daily. It's comfortable, light, and strong. But best of all it cost me $11.

5-5-opinel2.jpg


As far as deals on kitchen knives, occasionally, TJ Max will have upper quality knives for a good price. I know that I've seen Henckels in there.
 
HighPlainsDrifter said:
I realize that we are talking about kitchen knives but....

This is the best pocket knife I've ever owned, I've had one for five years and I use it daily. It's comfortable, light, and strong. But best of all it cost me $11.

As far as deals on kitchen knives, occasionally, TJ Max will have upper quality knives for a good price. I know that I've seen Henckels in there.

I have several of their fillet knives, great stuff for salmon & trout etc.
 
Chad said:
Dr. Vorlauf, you may be more fortunate than you realize. Are you near Alburtis, PA? If so, you have one of the best knife sharpeners in the business nearby. Dave Martell of D&R Sharpening is about as good as it gets and is one of the few people in the US I can unreservedly recommend. His mail order knife sharpening services, especially his upper tier sharpening, is the secret weapon of a lot of professional chefs.

Chad

+1 on Dave, I got my knives back from him a few weeks ago and he did a super job.
 

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