Chef Knives Reviews

I just received these knives today.

I have a set of Henckels "International" Pro knives which I bought at Costco for about $150. The Henckels went dull very quickly. I looked at the blade, "Made in Spain". OK, now I know better -- only buy steel made in Japan or Germany.

So, I bought these Calphalon's based on the great reviews and the German steel in the advertisement here on Amazon.

Here's the revelation -- upon examining these knives, they are clearly stamped, "Made in CHINA. German Steel"

I'm not sure if I should feel good about these or not. Time will tell, but I wanted to stay away from products made in China and thought that I was getting a German product.

Having used them today, I can say that despite being made in China, they are very balanced and have an excellent weight to them. I found my hand subconciously and very naturally gripping around the neck of the handle, bolster, and blade and using the weight of the blade to chop down, something like how I'd use a cleaver.

I'm waiting to see how the German steel holds up on these Chinese knives, but so far so good. Minus 1 star for the misleading origin of these.

I've had this set for 6 months now, and am extremely happy with it. They are far superior to the less expensive Henckels and Wüsthof sets. I wouldn't go as far a saying they are the same quality as the top of the line Henckels and Wüsthof sets, but they are very close and cost a LOT less. No problems with rust or discoloration (the maids even ran the chef's and paring knives through the dishwasher by mistake). The stamped steak knives are not the best,(I have the forged steak knives as well)but they work good for everyday tasks. All in all, you can't go wrong with this set.

Friedrich Dick knives are a staple in culinary schools. Their blades have a higher carbon content than most, which makes them a bit harder and capable of holding an edge longer. (Friedrich Dick knives are also sold under the name Calphalon Professional Cutlery). Perhaps this is why the gentleman had a problem with rust. These knives are slighly more prone to rust than some others. All the good qualities described in the other reviews here are true, and with a little more care you get a superior set of knives at an excellent price/performance ratio bettered only by the Farberware Pro Forged set which are 85-90% of the quality for half, or less, the price.

I'm an enthusiastic Calphalon cookware user; have been for some time, can't explain my addiction, but their stuff works for the way I spend time in the kitchen. I recently saw this knife at a price that I think is pretty much scandalous, and decided to give it a try.

Yes, it says it's made from German high-carbon stainless steel; this is a correct statement. However, this does not mean it's a German knife any more than eating hush puppies means you're eating suede shoes. It's actually forged in China (look carefully on the box, you'll see the note). Nonetheless, it seems to be a reasonable alloy, comparable to the various European manufacturers.

It's quite substantial - "fully forged" means the blade, bolster and tang are one solid piece of metal, heated and beaten into shape with forges. Thus, it feels like a much more expensive knife than the price tag would indicate. The blade styling is typically German (tall, somewhat blocky) rather than French or Asian. If you like large knifes, and have large hands, you'll find the balance and control quite good. People with smaller features may not find this length the most comfortable, and should consider the 8 inch knife, found elsewhere on the site.

I was not highly impressed with the factory edge on the knife; I've had better - even in stamped (cheaper) knives. It's nothing that a professional sharpening wouldn't cure, and even at the cost of that, you'll still be substantially cheaper than a comparable knife from other manufacturers.

Overall, I'd recommend this knife for all but the most serious (or neurotic) chefs. Even for the most passionate home cooks, this knife is a stunning value and will let you reduce a big something into a pile of little bits of something in nothing flat.

Very useful shape and size, I have two of these and also 8 and 10 inch Wusthof knives, and use these 6-inch knives more often than any other. Weight is good and the blade shape is perfect for mincing. But they rust - after just a few uses both started to get rust spots every time they're washed, unless they are dried immediately after washing. I've never had that problem with a Wusthof or Henckels knife. One also got a small chip in the blade for no apparent reason, that will probably come out with enough sharpening. Still a decent knife for about half the price of Wusthof or Henckels.

This is a great little chef knife. I got it as part of the 2 piece set with the bird's beak parer(also vary handy). I liked it so much I went ahead and bought the 15 piece set. I haven't had any problems with it yet. It sharpens well and maintains the edge. The overall form is slightly different than the 8" traditional chef. There is also room in the 15 piece block for this knife also.

I have used this set for seven summers of cooking at summer language villages, and have never been disappointed. These are good knives; the blade is of great quality and keeps its edge for longer than you might expect. I have seen these knives get a lot of hard wear from the workers in my kitchen, and have had to use them in the same manner myself. They hold up excellently and are dependable for big food prep needs. Now I just need to get a set for my home. As with anything, you need to know your tools and keep them in repair (with sharpening on regular basis, etc.)

Even though I am a fan of the Calphalon cutlery line (I really think they beat the pants off of the German competition), this block leaves a lot to be desired. The block that came with my 15 piece set was pretty nice, and I ordered this block to house the additional knives that I bought. It appears to be the same design, but the quality control is awfull. Several glue joints were split open when I recieved the block, and the finish was not quite up to par. Given the low cost, I chose to glue and clamp the block into submission, rather than to send it back, but you might be better off buying a more expensive block to start with.

I've had this knife block for 5 months now and it shows absolutely no signs of falling apart. Calphalon must have improved the quality of their blocks or the other writer just got a bad one.

Mine is as good looking now as the day it came into my kitchen. I wiped it down (one time) with mineral oil--as I do with all my wooden kitchen products--and remains fully functional and I can find absolutely no signs that it will be any less 10 years from now.

After all, you don't use it for anything but knife storage, so how could it deteriorate?

Of late, Calphalon has tried to extend their market by putting their good name on flatware, baking equipment, and most recently, knives. Calphalon made thier name by making one of the finest lines of anodized pans in the world - so one would assume their other products would be equally good.

I have purchased three sets of these knives, including a full block set, and I find them to be good, albiet heavy, general purpose knives of a VERY hard stainless steel.

I buy them as gifts for my up-and-coming chef friends because they are well priced and well made. They are not, however, truely fine knives.

Their particular type of stainless - which is not listed on the blade as is the case with most fine knives - is challanging to sharpen to a true beveled edge and does not stay sharp as long as my WMF knives.

They are heavier than many other forged knives and made of thicker metal which is fine for most uses, but they do sacrifice some flex.

One interesting note is that while the advertising on these knives proclaims "German Stainless", the stickers that are all over the box and knives say "Made in China". Perhaps the metal is shipped there...

Overall, I would say that they are perfect for the light duty serious cook. They'd make a nice gift for the just-out-of-college-and-I-want-good-knives kid. They wash well, they cut well (professionally sharpen them first - they arrive dull), and they are really well priced.

For the price, good knives....

The previous reviewer said these knives arrive dull. My thumb disagrees. Sliced very cleanly through it! In spite of my wound I really like these knives. I thought they were well balanced and had a nice edge on them. I have only Chicago Cutlery and Cutco to compare them to. Calphalon Cutlery beats them both by a long shot. Probably ought to professionally sharpen them once a year and use the sharpening steel before each use.