Find Zwilling J A Henckels Four Star 6 Inch at Amazon
| Most helpful customer reviews 18 of 18 people found the following review helpful. Many knife manufacturers come up with so many different ‘lines’ for their knives that the consumer has no idea what the hell he’s looking at. It took me months to research these knives and determine they were the best value. Why? Henckels has two major lines: ‘Twin’ and ‘International.’ Twin are made in Europe, International are made in China. Within the ‘Twin’ classification are about five or six different lines, from ‘gourmet’ to ‘pro-s’ with a lot in-between, but only two types of blade construction are found within this line! Basically, when you buy a knife, you’re either buying ‘forged’ steel–a blade produced all from one piece of metal in a multi-step process that requires much skilled labor for every blade–or ‘stamped’ steel, a mass-production method where the blade is cut from a sheet of cold-rolled steel. Needless to say, forged is better. And anything from China is almost certainly going to be a ‘stamped’ blade. But Henckels is spreading two types of blade construction across five or six different brands, each more expensive than the last. They differentiate their knives by more ergonomic handles. Seriously. That’s the difference. This $170 kit contains all but two of the most fundamental cooking knives (what’s missing is a slicer/carver, steak knives, and a bread knife). These can easily be added to the kit and still yield a much lower price than the ‘full’ kits of more expensive lines. It is the absolute cheapest set of FORGED Henckels blades, anywhere. The exact same blade can be purchased with a slightly different handle in the Five Star, Pro-S, and even Four Star II sets (that’s right–Henckels made a new line that is much more expensive to replace these and doubled the price. The difference is a metal cap on the handle). The ‘Gourmet’ and ‘Signature’ lines are, frankly, a waste of your time. They are stamped blades. Henckels’ forging method is spectacular and they are a company worthy of your business. But you are a customer who deserves to get the right value. This is the right value. And it’s probably discontinued by Henckels now in lieu of the much more expensive Four Star II line, intended to replace these and give them a much better margin on their sales. 18 of 20 people found the following review helpful. As I told my son the musician — a good knife is like a musical instrument, you have to keep it “in tune” (sharpened) for it to work at its best. A good, sharpened knife can be poetry in motion, for those who like to cook. But it has to be sharpened to stay like that — otherwise, the “never need sharpening” knives would be a better choice. I run my knives through a two-wheel manual sharpener about every 2 or 3 times I use them. I use an electrical knife sharpener about once or twice a year. The handles on the 4-star can discolor (whiten) if regularly washing in a dishwasher with powdered detergent. I usually wash mine manually, but I will put them in a top rack occasionally, and I use a gel detergent. This is a great set of knives for those who don’t mind sharpening frequently. I hang mine on a magnetic knife holder, I don’t care for a block on the countertop. I am a bit envious — there is a Santoku knife in this set that I don’t have. Because I have small hands, I use the 6″ chef knife instead of the 8″. I have the 3″ paring knife; the 4″ would be a good addition to my set. 9 of 10 people found the following review helpful. I purchased a set of J.A. Henckels Four Star knives in 1987, and I am still using them today — a quarter-century later. They have survived two divorces (not my ex’s fault; the knives were far sharper than I was), a dozen moves back and forth cross-country, and most important: daily use, week in & week out, in professional kitchens and at home. When it comes to chef’s knives, as with so many other things, you DO get what you pay for, so my advice is simple: Buy the best knives your budget allows for, take the time to learn how to use them* and care for them**, and they will last a lifetime. *Proper use includes how to hold your knives, the correct strokes for cutting, paring, etc., and the proper cutting surfaces. J. A. Henckels’ knives are an investment well worth the money; they will make cooking far less stressful and a lot more fun for many years to come. |
See through the advertising BS. This is the best value on Henckels knives
Good knives, if you care for them
