Chicago Cutlery Forum 8-Piece Knife Set with Block

After much thought and debating spending top $$$ for German knives I opted to buy the Chicago Cutlery. For the price these are great! I always swipe them past the sharpening steel before I use them and I've never had a problem cutting anything.
I find them comfortable to hold and quite easy to use. My *only* complaint-which is the reason for only 4 stars-is that one knife has become very slightly stained and I don't know why. I always wash and dry them by hand, promptly.
I would definately buy from Chicago Cutlery again.

I received this as a present after asking for a good set of knives. I have not been happy with their performance. I have noticed no difference between these and very cheap knives. In fact the only reason I use these is because I don't have another set. They work okay for some items but not great. The chef knife I have found to be useless. It does not chop well and has developed a couple faint rust spots. If I need to chop tomatoes I use another cheaper knife that works better. The silver handles while they look good, are not ergonomic in the least. I find them uncomfortable and even slippery at times. The only saving grace in this set is the bread knife of all things which is fantastic while the rest of the set fails.

These are my first real cooking knives, and I am very pleased with them. Quite aside from the well made blades, I especially like the weight and the grip. I've large hands (and silly comments should be reserved for the adult dating boards) and having knives with a heft and handle that is comfortable and well balanced for me was important. These do that quite nicely.

The blades are sharp, and I find the 8" length exactly right for me. The friend that gave these as a gift was a little worried that I might do better with a 10" blade. But having used these now for a variety of recipies and purposes, I remain satisfied with the shape and dimensions (and even think I would find a longer blade unwieldy.)

Quite aside from the purely practical aspects, I also enjoy the aesthetic element of these knives. They are a handsome presence on the counter, and so there is an automatic (even when sub-conscious) pleasure every time I reach for one.

Also along the...Read more