This ten-piece block set in the Classic Chef pattern from Chicago Cutlery does not represent the best that China offers today. Out of this large assortment of imported standard kitchen knives, only the wooden knife block gets an honorable rating.

Serrated knives -- and all knives in this set are ...

This eight-piece bamboo block set from Shun offers knives from the Shun Classic series, with the focus on chef's knives rather than santoku. If you prefer the traditional European cook's knife style but also want the superior steel and cutting ability of Shun's Damascus blades, this set was designed ...

The six-inch carving fork and eight-inch carving knife in the Wusthof Classic Carving Set bring hand forged quality and strength to the dinner service. This elegant pair has a rugged build that serves equally well in the kitchen. As much care went into the production of this tempered high ...

The Henckels Gourmet 3-Piece Starter Set of three high carbon stainless steel knives pares back the complications of J.A. Henckels manufacturing to the bare minimum but still provides three very useful blades of good quality. The alloy steel matches Henckels' usual standards, but construction methods are much simpler ...

This Asian santoku and paring knife set comes from the Wusthof Classic series of hand-forged cutlery. The Classic Santoku combines traditional German craftsmanship with the light and efficient santoku pattern from Japan. Use the seven-inch santoku for fine slicing of vegetables and meats and the three-inch paring ...

Wood, brass, and steel combine to form this six-piece Walnut Tradition Knife Block Set from Chicago Cutlery. Full tang high carbon stainless steel knives with simple walnut hardwood handle slabs have a frontier look and basic serviceability. The brass rivets holding handles to tangs are the only decoration.

How good ...

The three Damascus-type VG-10 steel blades in this Shun Classic Gift Box Set may cause you to put aside the knives you've owned and loved for years. Other companies make good knives, but these good knives have a difference you can feel at work. The 8-inch chef's knife, ...

The J.A. Henckels Twin Pro S nine-piece block set offers a nearly complete set of chef's cutlery ranging from the most basic paring blades to a full-sized santoku and chef's knife. The Twin Pro series combines many of the best features of forged patterns with stock removal methods ...

The four knives in this Shun Classic 7-Piece Bamboo Block Asian Knife set all feature the Damascus style steel that gives Shun's VG-10 blades their superior edge-holding ability and strength. A central VG-10 layer forms the cutting edge and is hardened to Rockwell 61 -- excellent for sharpness, but ...

This eight-piece Metropolitan Knife Block set from Chicago Cutlery offers no-nonsense practical quality. Rated as a "Best Buy" by Consumer Reports Magazine in 2007, this Metropolitan set includes only the most basic knives. Many owners will choose to expand it, but the knife set is still a good start for a small ...

Built with one of J.A. Henckels' best manufacturing processes this Twin Pro-S two piece Carving Set won't disappoint. An eight-inch carving knife and matching seven-inch carving fork handle even large roasts and poultry with efficiency and grace. The construction is ergonomically correct, and the appearance matches the look of ...

The briefcase-sized metal bound carrying case of this set holds three styles of sushi knives plus four reusable lacquered chopsticks and four ceramic chopstick holders. All pieces fit into cutouts in the foam liner, locked away securely until it's time to cut some fish.

Sushi knives have a distinctive look ...

This Wusthof Classic Santoku 6-Piece Block Set switches the classic European chef's knife for the classic Japanese santoku -- which more and more of us are discovering to be the real workhorse of the modern kitchen. More specialized than the versatile cook's or chef's knife, the slimmer and more efficient ...

These three knives from Chicago Cutlery's Signature series are about as simple as good knives get. The design is completely functional and could have come from any American frontier kitchen. The black walnut hardwood handle slabs and brass rivets create durable grips for the full tang high carbon stainless steel ...

Four good knives plus a sharpening steel and a hardwood storage block, the Calphalon Traditional 6-Piece Block Set keeps to the basics. Some of the features you'd see in the German-made Calphalon knives have been trimmed out of this Chinese version of an old German pattern, but the results are functional ...

Chicago Cutlery's Insignia Stainless Steel twelve-piece block set offers a low cost alternative to all metal knives from top modern manufacturers. Made in China, the Insignia series includes taper ground plain cutting edges, gap-free construction, and weight-saving hollow steel handles.

What looks like a satin finish version of today's best knife construction ...

Lighter and harder than European forged steel knives, Yoshikin Global cutlery outperforms heavyweight German patterns in many ways. Using these fine blades does require some adjustment in technique, but most chefs will find it worth the trouble. Older knives won't be obsolete in your kitchen, but you'll love these for ...

The Henckels Twin Select 3 Knife Starter Set offers the three practical blades most needed in any kitchen. The style and build of the Henckels set is similar to the Wusthof Culinar 3-Piece Starter Set but lower in price. Though the Wusthof Culinar set is nearly bulletproof, this competitive selection from ...

Laguiole knives forged in the small town of Laguiole, France, sport a trademark brass bee at the junction of blade and handle and have a fine reputation as quality cutlery based on a old locally developed workman's design. The Sabatier Laguiole knives in this set aren't those knives. Laguiole ...

Wusthof's Culinar knives offer drop forged Solingen steel from tip to tang, with a lighter build than most forged designs and a modernistic stainless steel handle design. This set of three good knives covers most kitchen tasks well, handling nearly everything but heavy chopping. Though chefs will need special purpose ...

Though this set of forged high carbon stainless steel knives is manufactured in Brazil, the design and quality is thoroughly German. Adhering to proven ideas from Solingen knifemakers, Mundial's knives buck no trends. You get knives as knives were made decades ago, with strong bolsters and solidly built blades ...

This starter set from Messermeister of Solingen, Germany, includes three of the most used knives in any kitchen. The eight-inch blade of the chef's knife covers most slicing, carving, and chopping work. The six-inch utility knife bones poultry and meat and comes in handy for sandwich prep. The paring knife with ...

The Henckels Classic series still uses the steel alloy developed by J. A. Henckels for its distinctive high performance cutlery. This unique blend of carbon, chromium and other trace elements creates the backbone of this drop forged carving set. A slim carving knife with an eight-inch blade backed up by a stout six-inch ...

This 38 piece Knife Block set plus an assortment of kitchen tools won't match the quality of Wusthof, Victorinox or Henckels. Actually it won't match the usual offerings from Sabatier, the company which contracted the Chinese production of this full-scale kitchen tool assortment.

Handles of measuring cups and spoons are held on ...

Though this isn't the forged pattern many expect from the established German knifemakers like Wusthof, there's quality here of a different kind. Streamlined methods and improved steel alloys create knives which are lighter and thinner than the old builds. One piece of chrome molybdenum vanadium steel makes both blade and ...

Built in the style of the workmen's pocket folding knives which first originated in the French village of Laguiole, these six steak knives mimic the design but not all the quality of this old French pattern. The full tang plain edged blades ground from stamped steel do flex with a ...

From Tramontina of Brazil, this 7-piece professional cutlery block set will impress you with its solidly drop forged full tang blades. Many modern manufacturers use thinner blade stock that results in lighter knives. These old style blades could be more than you need for many prep and slicing tasks, but there's little chance ...

Since I don't think that a good steak needs to be cut with a huge knife, this four knife set of high carbon stainless steel steak knives from J.A. Henckels appeals to me. Knives like this fit into a dinner service visually and don't give the impression that the food ...

A starter set like the Henckels Twin Pro S 3-Piece set might be all the knives you need for a long time. The Pro series uses high carbon stainless steel, drop forged and ice-hardened for greater strength and a long lasting edge. Whether the extra weight and strength is ...

Henckels International products differ considerably from the traditional Henckels knives. The first impression here is lightweight -- compared to the heavy forged blades from the German branches of the company. The 7-piece International Fine Edge Pro comes from Japan, and the construction methods use stamped steel and welded handles -- ...

Even though eight of the knives in this 26-piece knife block set from Wusthof are steak knives, many home chefs could be overwhelmed by this many choices of working blades. Minimalists will find the collection excessive, but part of the draw is the ability to tackle any recipe and have the ...

Along with the high-tech Twin Select knives in this 7-piece Block Set, Henckels gives the home chef room to expand with four unused slots and a space for kitchen shears in the oval granite-finished hardwood block. Three different grades of high carbon stainless steel welded seamlessly together create blades, bolsters, ...

The Henckels Four Star 9-Piece Knife Block Set provides all the fundamental cutting tools the average chef needs, along with a space-saving countertop hardwood knife block. Polypropylene handles and the trusted stain-free high carbon Friodur blades give cooks the option of fast dishwasher cleaning. Edges and finish last ...

Often mentioned positively in reviews of the Smith & Wollensky Steakhouse, this set of four rugged steak knives brings restaurant-quality cutlery to your own dining table. Built to handle any steak, tender or tough, these cowboy-sized steak knives feature solidly-built hardwood handles, ergonomically shaped and large enough for a ...

In the not so distant past, it used to be that if you wanted a santoku, it took a bit of effort to find one, and when you found one, it would be made by a Japanese knifemaker. Nowadays, courtesy of a certain perky thirty-minute TV chef, the "three virtues" ...

It's unlikely that you'd find many knives from this Henckels budget/entry level line in professional kitchens, but for the casual home cook, a starter set for a young cook, or as a set for the "vacation" house, this set would make a fine choice.

I'm not typically fond of "sets," but ...

This stamped steel steak knife set from Calphalon of Germany keeps some of the features of the company's full sized forged blades but in a lighter one-size-fits-all handle style. The eight knives match the contemporary pattern of Calphalon's forged chef's cutlery, with changes appropriate to dining service.

Edges of these ...

These stamped knives from Henckels aren't of the same quality as their "forged" lines. They're lighter and thinner, which as a rule makes for a more efficient knife, but they're definitely not as robust as the forged knives from Henckels -- so I'd suggest they're a bit more appropriate for ...

I'm always skeptical when the knife gets reinvented -- knives have been around a very long time, and fundamental changes to the design are usually bad ideas. The Ginsu, represented here by the 8 Piece Stainless Steel Block Set, is marginally different, a product more famous for its flamboyant ...

This Wusthof Grand Prix II 8-piece Block Set is a practical assortment of knives that will cover most ordinary kitchen chores -- it's a good choice for starting out, and the block has room for expansion with three extra kitchen knife slots and six steak knife slots.

The Grand Prix ...

This 22-slot knife block plus paring knife from Wusthof of Solingen, Germany, is hardly enough to equip a kitchen, but if you have a set of good knives already or need a storage system for new ones, it's a wonderful way to organize your kitchen.

The paring knife is an afterthought, ...

The traditional style of this cheese knife and fork set from Laguiole of France dates back to the company's early days when the founder made pocket folding knives for workers and sheepherders traveling back and forth from Spain to France. The style became locally popular, and many versions were ...

Wusthof's Grand Prix II six-piece Knife Block Set is a good starter block that's a little short of essential tools. The knives are high
quality and built in a well-tested pattern, but the set is missing both favorites and necessities.

If you start out with this set you'll soon ...

Do the words filet mignon, porterhouse, flat iron, sirloin, and delmonico stir your taste buds? If they do, you'll undoubtedly benefit from a good set of steak knives.

Let's be honest. The last thing you want is a lame knife when you've got a nice steak on your ...

A practical starter set from Mundial of Brazil, this selection of four knives, sharpening steel and kitchen shears comes with a ten slot hardwood block and a limited lifetime warranty. To fill the extra slots you'll definitely need Mundial knives with these same distinctive polyacetal full tang handles. ...

This eight knife set from J. A. Henckels of Germany arrives in a well made wooden storage box every bit as good as the knives themselves. With proper care and reasonable expectations, this durable array of serrated full tang blades, with gap free polypropylene handle slabs, will last many years.

Without ...

Henckels's Twin Five Star 9-Piece Knife Block Set combines the blade of the Four Star series with a new ergonomic molded handle design engineered to fit any size hand comfortably. Full tang construction is fully concealed by the smooth molded polymer handles but still provides the leverage and strength ...

Five high quality chef's tools and a sharpening steel, plus a fine hardwood 10 slot knife block--with this set from J. A. Henckels you get all the essentials and room for more. The assortment includes a 4" paring knife, 5" serrated utility knife, 7" Santoku knife, 8" Chef's knife and a ...

With a handle pattern to match the theme of the Pfaltzgraff Summer Breeze tableware, this eight piece brings to mind all the beauty of a summer's day filled with forget-me-nots, soft yellow sunlight, and inexpensive steak knives.

In the restaurants and kitchens in which I have worked, I've never seen anyone sharpen a ...

One of the first things a new couple does together is to cut the wedding cake, a ceremonial act that traditionally sets the stage for their years together. This simple but elegant stainless steel cake serving set will do double duty as a treasured memento and a beautiful yet practical ...