Henckels CLASSIC 2-pc Asian Knife Set

I have had my Zwilling J.A.Henckels twin knives (Made in Germany) set for many years and yes they are expensive and were an investment but I absolutely love them! I wanted some additional knives as my set was not the largest one so I thought I would give the Henckles Classic Made a Spain a try. I have read good things about knives made in Spain and they are sooo much cheaper than their German counterparts. Well seeing them side by side I can see why. As you can see from my pictures my Henckels set arrived with a marred blades on the back side of the blade of paring knife and along the blade of the santoku knife. The handles are a bit thin but are comfortable and knives overall have a nice weight. For comparison in the last photo I included my 7” Zwilling Santoku which gets daily use and is due for a sharpening and you can see the blade is pretty darn nice for a knife that gets beaten on daily and the handle is definitely ergonomic and larger than the Henckels for that perfect grip! However, that being said, at this price point, I think this set overall is definitely a nice set and with proper sharpening, care, washing and storage it will last. I really wish my knives did not arrive marred and I am apprehensive to return in the event I end up getting another set that’s in even worse condition. So hopefully these knives won’t let me down and will be a set that I will have for many years functioning daily along side my Zwilling JA Henckels.

It's not the Zwilling Henckel, it's the Henckel. It's a bit hard to determine that from the advert. Still quality no doubt but just disappointed.

I work in a commercial kitchen. This is a review of the 5.5" classic compact chef knife by Henckels. Like all of the Henckels knives, they are unfinished. The spine of the blades are all very very rough and sharp and will cut your hand. You have to use a stone or grind off the backs of the blades to make them workable. The steel is very good. Takes sharpening and honing very very well. I use both stones and diamond plates on this brand and it is very easy to sharpen and keeps an edge for a while. It's not brittle and it's not too hard, but it's not a soft metal by far. The factory edge felt like the burr was still on, and after a quick few swipes on a strop felt very sharp. The handle is just barely big enough, and the belly of the blade isn't very deep. It's a good 'bigger than a paring knife, smaller the a chef knife' general purpose knife. I would not feel comfortable handing this knife to someone who doesn't know how sharp the spine is. I have cut callouses on Henckel blades before, ripped right through. Be careful with a brand new blade. But after a little elbow grease these knives are the best dollar for value you can get. It behaves well above the 50-60$ price point they sell for; they are balanced, ergonomic (after you fix the spine issue), and the cutting edge is great. And if you don't mind putting a little effort into the finishing touches, which is where you can tell they saved a few dollars in manufacturing... these are excellent workhorses of a knife. I have the classic 8", classic 6.5" nakiri, and the statement 5" from Henckels. I don't like the handle on the 5"; it's tiny and I have larger hands. The classic 5.5" is very similar to that blade with a bigger handle and a slightly deeper belly.

I’ve been searching for YEARS for a knife that truly stands up to the test of time. I’m sure we’ve all been there, right? We think we’ve found the best knife only to hate the darn thing two years later. You search and buy another brand and same thing happens, you hate it. It doesn’t stay sharp, it sharpens like crap, and it just plain doesn’t look good, feel good or do the job anymore. The cycle seems never ending and now you have a kitchen drawer full of knives that you never use but don’t really want to throw out or donate. The cycle has ended! Search no more!! Three years ago I bought a full set of Henckels International Classic (15 pc Cutlery Block Set) kitchen knives, complete with steak knives and sharpener. I’ve never been more impressed. The cutting edge stays put. The knives fit well in my hand and get the job done with ease. My favorite? The 5-inch Hollow Edge Santoku knife. It’s not as large as the 8-inch Chef’s Knife, but my feminine hands have more control over it and I can cut up veggies or meat fairly quick with it. It’s my number one go-to knife, which is why I bought a second set (J.A. Henckels International Classic Forges Hollow-Edge Stainless-Steel 2-Piece Knife Set). Now I have two!! One for meat, one for veggies, for the same meal prep. I love these knives so much that I put my mother AND my mother-in-law out of their knife-misery and bought them each a set for Christmas!! **I want to clarify that EACH type of Henckel knife is DIFFERENT. The CLASSIC is my favorite for the look, the balance, its longevity and performance. I have gone to department stores that carry Henckel knives and tried other Henckel types. I didn’t care for them. They felt like cheap plastic and didn’t balance well in my hand. I don’t know about their longevity and how well they perform, but the cheap feel of them really turned me off. Try to search and buy only Henckels International Classic.**

Outstanding knifes

I have had several Henckels Classics knives for over 20 years and have been satisfied for just as long. The classic is not the most expensive nor the least expensive, however they keep their edge and perform as well or better than any knife I own. I know that these are the knives I want as they say made in Spain on the blade. Not sure how the small pair of cheapo knives that are promised as a gift work, because I never got them...so don't fall for that. Still in all, these knives are what I expected and I love them.