Zwilling JA Henckels Four Star 9-Piece Knife Set with Block

Comment: I love these knives. My mother in law owns all but the steak knives and I've used them before. All I have to say is be very careful with them as they're sharper than most knives I've worked with. First time I used them I accidentally took off the tips of two fingers because I got distracted when I was chopping something up.

Comment: My husband got me these knives for Christmas and I LOVE them. I cook almost everyday and was previously using cheap knives. The day I started using these I could tell an immediate difference in the amount of pressure I needed to apply when cutting food. I'm so happy he bought these for me :) PS - I have one knife of the JA Henckels 2 star and I can feel a difference in the quality been that knife and these 4 star knives. Oh - and they are SUPER sharp, I cut myself the first day I used them because the blade had just touched my skin!

Comment: If you've read many of these reviews, many folks love Henckels knives. To the contrary, I own five and if I could do it over again, my choice would have been different.

Although Henckels are nice looking knives, if you're a serious cook who wants knives that deliver in the kitchen, purchase "French-made" Sabatier knives. They are much sharper (and stay sharp) because they are made of carbon steel. Some people steer away from carbon steel because the blade oxides and rusts if left wet. If "pretty" is what you want, you probably have money but don't cook much. If you're willing to consider a Sabatier knife, please make sure it is the original "French-made" knife. Since the days when Sabatier was the gold standard, several companies have begun manufacturing and selling their own version of Sabatier knives of a much lower quality. In short, not the real deal.

One other suggestion: should you decide to purchase carbon/stainless steel knives (like Henckels), purchase a diamond-embedded steel. If you don't, you won't be able to adequately maintain the edge on your knife. Why? The steel must be made of a harder material than the knife steel. It's a tip I learned from Napa Valley chef/instructor, Hugh Carpenter. (Thanks Hugh!)

Comment: I'm probably not the best reviewer for these knives, as this is my first set of expensive knives, so I can't compare them to anything else in the same price range. However, this is definitely by far the best set of knives I've ever owned, and they were well worth the price when compared to the cheap knives I've previously owned. They cut everything like it was butter, and they feel great in your hand. My only complaints are that the stickers on the handles seem to come off easily, and the handles seem to discolor (turn grey-ish) easily when soaked in water for a long period of time, so you need to be careful when washing them if you want them to look as good as they perform.

Comment: These are very good knives and are a really fantastic deal. For the home, this are just about perfect. They'll stand up to iffy cleaning and sharpening, and work well despite that. I'd recommend them to anyone other than the professional chef, who has different needs.

But, let me mention two things: 1. Don't run them through the dishwasher. Sure, they'll be basically fine, but you really want to hand wash them for best results. 2. Sharpen them! Learn to use a steel and use it regularly. And once in a while carefully sharpen your knives. It's easier than ever before with good, handy sharpeners.