Knife Block Reviews

While the main knives are quality French made, not all of the pieces in this set are. The mezzaluna and shears are clearly marked "Made in China" and are not up to the quality of the other pieces, though they are functional. The sharpening steel is totally unmarked, and seems quite rough - it does not appear to match the quality of the knives.

I've checked out Wusthof Grand Prix and Henckels Four/Five Stars, but I like Sabatier the best. Each knife has substantial weight to it, and the handle design is the best.

Sabatier's provence line is everything I look for in a knife. Wood handles, clean lines, and high carbon. Emblematic of french quality by means of its hand ground finish and sturdy yet elegant brass riveted handle-the block set still falls short. The biggest disapointment comes from the block itself, roughly cut in taiwan with uneven holes and glaring second rate quality. The knives are less appreciable in such a frame. The set also feels incomplete from the many vacant knife holes in the block. Perhaps this is good marketing, it certainly had me pricing the steak knife set. Nevertheless, the Sabatier knife set is a beautiful and functional grouping of knives, with the bread knife a particular stand out. The craftmanship is rough in a couple of spots, but i consider this the warmth of hand produced materials. Overall a wonderful set that most often shines, and other times leaves a bit desired.

For the first four years of our marriage, we suffered with a cheap set of three knives, adding an equally cheap serrated knife. When we got these a few months ago, I couldn't believe that I had put up with the old ones for so long. The Sabatiers are beautiful and cut wonderfully. I never knew tomatoes could retain their shape when cut, but they do when I use my tomato slicer! Now whenever I use cheap knives at other people's houses I really notice the difference. The only downside is that these knives have made me a knife snob. I'm eager to add the steak knives, cleaver, and additional chef's knife to fill all of the slots in the block.

I originally purchased the three-piece starter set of the Provence line. They were on sale with an additional discount and I had a coupon, and I ended up getting them for about half the regular price. Anyway, I was really happy with the starter set, with their beautiful rosewood handles that fit nicely in my (sort of large) hands. The high carbon stainless steel forged by hand in France blades run through the handle so you won't have that handle/blade dislocation problem you may have experienced with cheaper knives. And the blades feel nice and sturdy, and have held a great edge through the six months that I have used them almost daily.

In deciding whether to complete the set or buy another more expensive (and presumably better quality) set, I had looked at several sets of knives in stores, including more expensive brands such as Global, Wusthof, and some Henckels, etc., and I was never happy about the value those knives offered. Even the most expensive types (where one knife can cost more than a full cheaper set) didn't feel like they were of good enough quality, particularly in the strength of the blade, to warrant their price. I could hold the point of the knives in one hand and the end of the handle in the other hand, and feel a lot of "give"...meaning the knives just weren't very solid.

Anyway, I was so happy with the starter set of the Provence line once I compared to other brands, that I decided that I would complete the set. I ended up watching the price on this 10-piece set and waiting for a deal. The Amazon price seems to fluctuate pretty wildly... the normal discounted rate is around three-thirty, but they somewhat frequently make it down into the mid-two-hundred range. Finally, I saw the set go down to one-fifty plus an additional twenty dollar coupon (toward future purchases), and I thought it was a steal! I ordered my set, and after telling some friends about it they were really jealous, because unfortunately that price only lasted a few hours and was no longer available. So, about a week later the price again went from three-thirty down to one-fifty with an additional twenty buck coupon. I ordered three more sets! I passed two sets on to coworkers who also liked them, and I gave one set to my mother for her birthday.

So, in short, I highly recommend these knives. I offer the following qualifications:

* The block that comes with the set is of extremely poor quality. BE PREPARED TO THROW THE BLOCK AWAY! I was so happy with the value I got for the knives themselves that the block was irrelevant to me, but you should still be aware that one of the 10 pieces in the set is the block, and its not worth diddly. In the four sets I got, every one of the four had a problem with the block...cracks, pieces falling off, weird stains, and one that was so misshapen that it actually pulled itself into three pieces by the time it arrived. I did not count this against the rating of the knives because again, for the price I got, the knives themselves are a great value regardless of the block.

* Whoever prepares the knives for shipping does a bad job...3 of the 4 boxes I received were open because they were barely taped shut, and the packing is not solid enough, so the knives and block slide around quite a bit. Again, not a reason to not buy the knives, but just annoying!

* The knives arrived looking dusty, but after hand washing looked great. If the knives arrive and the handles appear to be discolored, hand wash them to get the dust off (you should never put them in the dishwasher anyway) and they should look fine.

* Most importantly, note that the price seems to fluctuate a lot. You'll ultimately have to decide what you are willing to pay, but I recommend against the full three-thirty price. You may be happy with the two-fifty value that is offered fairly regularly, and I think that this is close to the lower end of average prices you would find if you shopped around a lot...but for a super value, watch for another one-fifty sale!

Good luck and enjoy your lovely Provence knives.

I purchased this item from Amazon back in 2001 and was thrilled with the quality and value of the knives. They were by far the best set I have ever owned.

Flash forward to 2003, and I repurchased the set through Amazon after the originals were lost in a fire. The new set came in different packaging and is noticeably inferior in quality. The steel isn't as thick or as durable, the blades are dull and poorly finished, and the handles have a cheaper feel and look to them. I've already noticed rust and discoloration on two of the knives even though I've always hand washed them. This never happened with the earler set.

I'm inclined to believe that these are seconds or knockoffs, even though they carry the Sabatier "Made in France" inscription on the blades. My advice: stay away, or purchase from somewhere where you can see and feel the knives before buying.

These were too good to pass up for this price. I received a Sabatier Grand Chef as a gift a few years ago and it's my knife of choice for slicing firm vegetables(like carrots and potatoes). The thin edge cuts effotlessly through. I use my Wusthof Trident for meats because the heavier blade helps in cutting paper-thin slices. These Provence Sabatiers have the same blade as the Grand Chefs so I expect the same edge quality. Buy this set - you won't find a better price anywhere else.

I have owned German, Japanese, U.S., Chinese and Brazilian knives. I have also used various Sabatier knives for over 10 years. They are sharp, well-balanced, beautiful and easily maintained. You can spend more money, but you cannot find better knives than these. At under $60 for 3 of the most useful and popular Sabatier Provence knives, I can't believe it's true. I have to look twice, no three times, before I immediately place my order. Buy these today, now!, before Amazon comes to their senses and either take these off the market or double their prices (which still will be a bargain). Just remember, while washing them, use non-abrasive sponges to prevent scratching and to maintain their beauty (as with all high carbon stainless steel knives or cookware). You will thank me and enjoy these wonderful knives for many, many years as I have.

These are great knives. They look great, and cut just as good. The glass block in wonderful. The only reason I didn't give them 5 stars, was that the scissors advertised are not the ones that come with the set. The scissors you get are nice stong sissors, but the product description and picture describe them as having griping teeth, and a notch for bottle opening, they have neither. But this is still a great deal on a great set on knives.

I just received this set of knives. They look great with the glass block. I haven't used them enough, and not all the knives to tell how they are. But the chef's knife is great and felt good in my hand.
The only thing that I was not completely satisfy is that it supposes to come with a "tough pair of scissors with a notch for uncapping bottles and teeth between the handles for twisting off caps"(that's how Amazon described it.) But instead it came with just a regular scissors with no teeth, nor notch for opening bottles.
Not really a big deal. And it is still a nice pair of scissors. But just not as described.

I am not a gourmet cook. I have no need for anything real fancy but I wanted a good Knife set. This one is perfect for the average user. It contains all the necessary knives needed for everyday cooking. The mincer thing is slightly lame. Everything sticks to it and you have to keep wiping the food down to get it minced. My press'n'chop works better for that purpose. Aside from that one tool the rest of the set is great. They are all nice and sharp and the wood black is nice looking. Another good quality is that the blades run through the handle. This is very important, as I've had a large knife break free from it's handle before and I almost cut myself.

I reccommend this set!

I was very disappointed in these knives. The chef's knife was very dull and no matter how hard I tried, it never got sharp. Even slcing vegetables was difficult. After 2 months, I gave up and donated the set to charity. They were a complete waste of money.

When this knife set arrived, the block had one more hole than knife. It makes it look a little incomplete. Also the steak knives have a wierd fit that you have to adjust so that all the knives line up. But these are great knives. I paid more and still think they are worth every penny.

of the discounted price, of course. I gave it 5 stars because I can't think of anything to complain about. The knives look beautiful. I especially like the fact that there are no seams anywhere, including the steak knives. The matte-finish steel handles are not slippery at all as I had feared before buying them. They feel very well balanced in my hand, and a lot lighter than they look. The sharpness of the edges is almost as good as my Henkel. These are the best Chinese made knives I've ever seen. No defects in my set. I'm very very happy with this purchase.

The knives are not bad - although they certainly need sharpening at once before the first usage. The handles are comfortable and they look great. In two weeks, however, I've already had two sets of these knives and am negotiating with Amazon about getting the third replacement. The problem is the block made in China - this time it certainly does not mean even the remotest sense of quality. First time, the block did not have an appropriate hole for the sharpener tool, second time the block was already broken when I opened the box. What really amazes me is that Amazon this time has not been really efficient in helping to resolve these problems. So, if you'd like to risk and get these knives like I did for $69.99, you might just be lucky and get a block that has all the right holes for knives and sharpener. If not, - you've been warned!

If you want a set of knives with a comptemporary display, these are the ones to get. I ordered these knives for a friend for his birthday and he loves them. I got to use them and I like them a lot. They are quite sharp and they are comfortable in the hand. They are made in France and not China so the quality is much better. Has a Ceramic steel so that is a plus. If you don't want to spend that much on a good set of knives, I would recommend this.

This is a very nice set, even nicer than I expected from the picture. If you want a contemporary looking set this is it. The quality is also very nice, especially considering the price, this set is manufactured in Sabatier's facilities in France. Just got it today, We have not had a chance to use it a lot, but so far it looks like a real winner.