The Ultimate Edge Model 10NUF Oval Ultra Fine honing steel finishes edges of blades with a high polish. If you already keep your knives in good shape, this will bring the edge a degree higher in quality. Don't expect to restore a drawer full of dull knives with the ...

Adding fine abrasive action to the resetting function of the steel hone, the Ultimate Edge Model 10W Gourmet 10-inch Oval Diamond sharpening steel outperforms the traditional sharpening steel. The Ultimate Edge 10W won't completely take the place of flat whetstones -- still necessary for reworking badly worn or damaged blades ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Made from a solid rod of chrome vanadium stainless steel and embedded with a matrix of fine industrial diamonds, this unusual honing steel was developed for the Global knives manufactured by Yoshikin of Japan. Global recommends sharpening with their series of ceramic powder stones, an improvement over the Japanese ...

A matching sharpening steel for fine Wusthof Cutlery, this 10-inch honing steel quickly resets the blades of most good kitchen knives, regardless of brand. The most important feature beyond usability is the handle, styled to match Wusthof patterns and sporting the trademark trident rivet on the end. The steel adds ...

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 ...

For most chefs, the sharpening steel is the preferred method of resetting and honing the edges of good kitchen cutlery. Ordinary honing steels do little more than reform the edge of dulled blades. If damage goes beyond slight dulling to rounding and blunting, reworking with a stone might be the only ...

Applying industrial diamond abrasive technology to the already efficient honing steel most chefs know and use, the Ultimate Edge Model 12W Professional Diamond Hone polishes and resets the edges of high carbon steel blades. Though it won't do the job of a flat grindstone, the hone does put off that inevitable ...

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 ...

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 ...

Something as simple as a honing steel seems difficult to improve, but this ten-inch honing steel from the Henckels Twin Four Star series has a few more things to like. First, it's made with steel hard enough to tune the high carbon stainless in the Four Star knives. Not ...

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 ...

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 ...

Wusthof's ten inch Sharpening Steel is a level higher than the cheap versions many of us depend upon for honing our cutlery daily. Hardened for greater efficiency but still durable and resilient, the Wusthof version will reduce the time you spend on blades and give you more time to cook.

Cheap sharpening steels ...

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 ...

In one compact and durable package only 10" x 6" x 2" Meyerco places everything you need for cleaning bigger game. A very portable field kit with a total weight of 1.75 lbs provides easy access to a folding skinner, guthook with easily replaceable utility razor blade, a tungsten ...

J.A. Henckels International - a major name in cutlery - has mixed and matched blades of multiple cuisines into a 16-piece "East meets West" set of high-quality, fully forged synergy, stainless steel knives that will tackle a wide variety of cutting/slicing tasks.

The set includes an 8" chef's knife, 8" carving knife, 8" ...

Laguiole knives have been crafted in the heart of France for over 200 years. These are iconic knives, known for their high-quality and distinctive style. Each is decorated with a bumblebee on the knife's catch, which is an emblem of the Laguiole commune in France and signifies reliability. ...

Few things make a kitchen look like the home to a serious cook more than a big block of knives. If a big block of knives is what you're looking for, then this set will certainly fit the bill, albeit at a steep price.

Wusthof, along with Henckels, make the ...

No doubt these are popular knives. Cuisinart is a household name and they've done the trendy thing by creating light, stainless steel, bolster-less knives.

And they're really not that bad. Cuisinart has paid good attention to detail here, providing an attractive set that will meet all of the needs of a hobbyist home ...

A set of knives from Emeril? Bam!

Okay, now that we've gotten the obligatory catchphrase quote out of the way, let's evaluate these knives.

Any time a celebrity chef gets together with a mainstream knife manufacturer to make a "value" line of knives, we get nervous. What will they skimp on? How ...

Calphalon files under the radar a bit when it comes to kitchen knives. Without the name-recognition of a Wusthof or the cachet of a Shun, people sometimes forget about them.

That's unfortunate, since they make good knives. The Calphalon Katana set, for example, is a high-end set that stacks up well against the ...

We gave the Forschner 3-piece Fibrox Knives our recommendation as the best $50 knife set around.

But what if you've got a bit more money and are looking for a more extensive set? Does Forschner continue to provide value at the $150 price point?

Indeed they do. This 8-piece set includes the same ...

Not many people need an all-in-one tool sharpener -- They can get really bulky and annoying if they're not being used all the time.

If this sounds familiar to you, you'll like that Gerber released this diamond sharpener specifically made to hone small objects like fishhooks and blades. It was specifically ...

Mundial Knives are the choice of many professional chefs, so you know they're high-quality. But don't just take their word for it; check out the details...

This set includes the essential kitchen knives and not too much else. This is a good thing -- you don't want to pay extra for knives ...

If you're looking for a basic set of sharp knives, and don't want to have to mess with the piecework of selecting particular knives over others, this Calphalon set is a darn good choice.

Calphalon is a trusted name in cutlery, though not as high-profile as Wusthof or Shun. This set attempts to combine ...

People like OXO. There's no denying that. Check out other OXO products on Amazon and see how they've gained a great reputation as makers of reasonably-priced kitchen gadgets that perform well and feel good in your hands.

Their Good Grips line, of which this knife set is a part, is known for its ...