Many of the features of the four knives in the Classic set are not innovations -- these knives look like the fine dining knives of yesteryear but incorporate better materials. Black polymer handle slabs have replaced the traditional hardwood and resist moisture and heat without distorting or losing color. The stainless steel is the same alloy of high carbon molybdenum vanadium steel that goes into Wusthof prep knives and was developed both for stain resistance and the ability to hold a sharp edge.

Forged construction yields a 4-1/2-inch blade, solid steel bolster, and full tang handle from one seamless piece of high carbon stainless steel. The knives are light but strong and stiffer in the blade than equivalent knives of stamped or laser-cut steel. The forged bolster eliminates the weak spot where the blade joins the handle, which is often where cheaper and lightly built knives break.

Cleaning the Wusthof steak knives should be a simple hand wash in mild detergent solution after use. Although Wusthof does rate the knives dishwasher safe, ordinary dishwasher procedures will deteriorate even high quality blades. Rust from other utensils or from worn washer parts may migrate to the blades and give the impression of corrosion. Hand-wash the knives and store them dry in the aluminum presentation case for the best long term care.

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Begun by an emigrant from Germany, Mundial's Brazilian manufacturing center now exports fine cutlery worldwide. The Oliver Anquier line was designed in partnership with Chef Anquier and represents some of Mundial's best work, holding true to old standards many modern chefs still prefer. These drop-forged chrome molybdenum steel knives have a heavier build than many modern counterparts with bolsters the full width of the blades. Taper-ground edges are made to German standards with bevels rugged enough to hold up to the toughest jobs, yet easily restored with simple sharpening systems.

Knives include paring and peeling knives, a six-inch utility knife with long-lasting serrated edge, and both six and eight-inch chef's knives. With modern preferences in mind, the set also includes an eight-inch hollow ground carving knife and a hollow ground santoku. If you've developed new habits by using modern laser-cut blades, you'll find the Mundial slicer and santoku comfortable and familiar. An eight-inch serrated bread knife, easily cleaned kitchen shears, and a matching sharpening steel complete the tool set. The 23-slot hardwood knife block has room for expansion, including enough secondary slots for eight steak knives.

Mundial's choice of woods should satisfy any customer with concerns about the fate of the rain forest since the guajavira hardwood in these handles comes from renewable tree farms rather than virgin timber.

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Good features include laser-cut stainfree blades of chrome-molybdenum-vanadium steel alloy. Manufactured with plain edges, these steak knives can actually be honed with a sharpening steel. With only a little extra care, you'll have no more dull steak knives at the table. Like the other smaller knives in Wusthof's Gourmet series, these steak knives do not have full tang handles, but they come close. The narrower flat tang of these knives is completely encased in the polymer handle and triple-riveted in place, giving the knives the same general appearance as Wusthof's full tang prep knives.

The shape of the knife blank is laser cut, not stamped, from a sheet of high carbon steel. Laser cutting reduces stress on the knife blank, eliminating distortion. Since there's no forging involved, the steel retains all of its original characteristics. On the down side, there's less steel in these thinner blades, making them more vulnerable to bending stress -- especially at the junction with the handle.

This stain-free steel is rated dishwasher safe but does discolor if food dries on the blade and may spot with rust if improperly dried. A quick hand wash-and-dry after use -- with a mild detergent and no citrus scents (the acid may etch the metal) -- is the best way to care for these knives. High temperatures and harsh cleaners in an automatic dishwasher could shorten their lifetimes.

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Chrome molybdenum stainfree high carbon steel is at the heart of these fully forged knives, but the most striking part is the ribbed hardwood handle. While most of Brazil's beautiful woods have come from endangered rain forest and questionable clearcutting methods, a few important species are now farmed and renewable. One of those -- Brazilian guajavira -- has the stability and hardness needed for the handles of kitchen cutlery. The guajavira handles of this set are both beautiful and functional, holding up well to hand washing and extremes in humidity and temperature. A rubdown with mineral oil keeps the finish in good condition.

These knives are very comfortable to hold with ribbed grips, strong bolsters, and a size that gives diners full control. The serrated blades of this set withstand hard surfaces and encounters with bones. Edges remain serviceable for years without sharpening. Take them to a professional when the set does need re-working.

Mundial's knives are still made to old standards and are heavier than many modern brands. In a steak knife set, that extra strength and weight isn't absolutely necessary, but it gives these knives an appearance and quality that's well above the usual lightweight, modern styles.

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Dividing large cheeses into easily worked portions requires oversized equipment. The Wusthof Gourmet cheese knife features uplifted handles on either end of a specially etched 12-inch blade. The cross-hatched design on the blade reduces friction as the knife glides through what can be a very difficult project. With a hand on either side and steady downward pressure, even tough parmesan will yield -- and if the block parts suddenly, as the very hard cheeses are apt to do, the extra knuckle room keeps hands from smashing against the cutting board.

Construction of the Gourmet Cheese Knife is simple and strong and able to take as much pressure as a chef can bring to bear. The knife blade and double full tangs are laser-cut from one blank of chrome/molybdenum/vanadium steel. This process eliminates any weak points by not distorting or heating the steel. Grips of black polymer handle slabs triple-riveted to the steel tangs provide a wide surface for firm hand pressure and control.

This is not a slicing knife, however, and will work the best when dividing large cheeses into halves. Halve each cut section until you reach a workable size for your slicing knife or electric slicing machine.

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What used to be considered stamped and cheap has become one of the better ways to make a knife today, as laser-cutting of high quality steel blanks makes stress-free, unaltered steel the foundation of a good knife blade. Pressure cutting often distorted and weakened the steel stock of stamped knives, building unseen flaws into the product, and reheating and forging sometimes altered the composition of the steel alloy.

The laser-cut chrome molybdenum vanadium stainless steel used in the Wusthof Gourmet series has been cut and ground without changing the original characteristics of the alloy. Owners get knives with the same qualities engineers designed. The build itself is simple with full tangs and triple-riveted black composite handle slabs. The handle material extends slightly over the base of the blade to form a simple bolster, giving the knife extra strength.

Wusthof Gourmet knives are flat ground from thinner stock than the company's forged knives, making these good knives lighter and more flexible than the older patterns. The stain-free steel resists rust and corrosion, but the level of nickel has been reduced to provide a more durable cutting edge. Sharpen the knife with an ordinary honing steel as needed. Wash the Gourmet Carving Knife by hand in mild detergent, not in a dishwasher. Leaving food to dry on the blade or cleaning with acidic solutions could mar the blade.

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The hot forged axe head includes a carabiner hole, as does the equally tough spiked handle tip. Chrome molybdenum tempered steel creates a head that stays sharp with little maintenance, keeping the axe in top form longer. The axe is shaped to provide a firm hold when climbing in either ice or snow -- a thin tip penetrates ice and the wider section provides the snow anchor.

The spike of the Petzl Summit is made from a different stainless steel alloy than the head for greater durability when traveling over bare rock. The tip grips well and won't quickly wear out.

The Petzl Summit, one of the axes from Petzl's Classic series, offers climbers increased efficiency in a lightweight and very durable package.

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Synthetic molded handles have the same shape as Wusthof's classic knives but fully enclose the handle tang. Securely held by wide stainless steel rivets, the construction is gap free and sanitary. Dishwasher safe, the knives retain sharpness and finish better if washed by hand.

The 7-1/2-inch santoku's hollow ground granton blade slides easily through vegetables and other light slicing chores. Thinner blade stock causes less resistance in the cut, and the multiple hollows shed sliced food easily from the sides of the blade. If you're accustomed to a European cook's knife for that kind of prep, you'll be surprised and pleased at the degree of difference. You'll still need heavier knives for chopping, but there's no question that a light Santoku outperforms a heavy chef's knife for slicing. Since slicing is often what you do most when you cook from scratch, this is a very handy blade.

For light paring and peeling, the three-inch paring knife excels, but the light blade won't be as good for prying apart joints of meat or breaking up frozen food. Reserve levering and piercing tasks for the old prybar knife styles.

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Made from high carbon stain-free chrome molybdenum steel, the five knives in the set cover most kitchen tasks including carving meat and light chopping. The knives use full tang handles and a heavy forged bolster to strengthen the connection between tang and blade. The bolster adds some safety, keeping fingers on the handle where they belong, but also stops the blade from sliding all the way through a slicing cut. Paring knife, utility knife, eight-inch carving and chef's knives, and a serrated bread knife give a beginning chef tools to cover all the basics. All knives use the same molded nylon handle slabs, poured around rivets and fittings to eliminate gaps.

Correctly sharpened, these flat ground and satin polished blades will cut razor smooth. Daily touch-up should be easy enough with the sharpening steel also included in this set. When the blades start to give problems, it's time for regrinding, and the plain edge knives can be reworked at home with a flat stone. Save the bread knife for breads and pastries to put less wear on the serrated edge, which should be reground by a professional if dulled. Using the bread knife for carving meat could shorten the edge's useful lifetime.

The hardwood block has a small countertop footprint and gives easy access to each knife, but doesn't include any open slots for expanding the collection.

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Global knives were the first mass-marketed Japanese kitchen knives aimed at the Western market. They won fans in restaurant kitchens everywhere with their mix of lighter weight, thinner blades, high performance molybdenum/vanadium steel which takes and holds a very fine edge, and the attractive high tech appearance.

This boning knife will outperform any comparable boning knife from the usual German makers, plus the one-piece construction offers significant advantage where sanitation is concerned since there are no seams where handle meets blade. The lack of seams eliminates the possibility of particles of meat or juices becoming trapped in the handle where bacteria could flourish.

Unfortunately, the Global isn't the least expensive option out there, but the price is comparable to knives from Wusthof and Henckels.

Not every cook needs a specialized boning knife, but if you do, this one will be able to keep up with the rigors of the most demanding environments, at home or in a professional setting.

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