Knives- advice please!

JenMon514 · February 2010

Hi! I am looking to register for a good set of knives. I love to cook and cook almost every meal at home, but really don't know much about knives. I've only owned random hand me downs since graduating college a few years ago. I'd appreciate any advice you can offer! TIA!

LisaTyler1984 · February 2010

My fiance insists on Henkels. Apparently, Japanese knives are supposed to be the best. My fiance insists on having "good knives" on the registry. I had to talk him down from putting $600 knives to putting $200 knives otherwise I would have had six people all going in for just a gift of knives! lol. Wustof also seems like a good brand, but not Japanese clearly.

AmoroAgain · February 2010

I would definitely go to a store and see if you can actually handle the knives, and figure out which feel the best to you. We had it narrowed down to two- Henckles Pro and Wusthoff. We went with the Henckles because it just felt more comfortable in my hands. The other brand was Shun, but they were just too expensive for us to be able to justify.

One thing to be careful of, is with Henckles, they used to be strictly high-end, but they've now branched out into Chinese made, cheaper stuff, being able to trade in on their "name" to get people to buy lower cost items. So, make sure that you see that the Henckles you want to buy are made in Germany.

Sure, they're expensive, but I'll tell you what, with the proper care, they will last your whole life. Definitely go for it!

AmoroAgain · February 2010

Lisa, again, just make sure that the $200 set you've registered for meets the parameters I talked about above.

LisaTyler1984 · February 2010

Oops Henckels are German... my fiance was totally wrong! He is never wrong, so excuse me while I tease him... and I am going to check those knives right now

kristinanddan · February 2010

We got the Henckels Twin Signature 12 piece block and it is fabulous. We bought a bread knife to add to it as well since it didn't come with it in the block.

atlcatlover · February 2010

I have Wusthof and love them!!

CCBelle · February 2010

I don't remember what we got, but they were from Williams & Sonoma. We tested them out when we registered, and I got a 6" knife just for me :-) It felt more comfortable... which means I'll use it more.

jeanna85 · February 2010

henckels! but our set was about $500. For the most part, they're $200 and under sets are pretty crappy. Not as sharp, some are all serrated which is odd and annoying bc theyre harder to sharpen. Yeah, so definitely read the reviews on each particular set.

Jennifer2008 · February 2010

We love our Wusthof classic

brimcleod · February 2010

We're registered for Cutco. They're top of the line. Top selling knives. Similar to Henkles, but you get a forever guarantee with it. Where Henkles only gives a guarantee/warranty on defects from the factory, Cutco covers defects, anything you do to damage it in the kitchen, and ANY misuse or abuse (if you use it in a way not intended, you pay half the value of the knife and they send you a brand new one). It literally covers everything FOREVER. So, it's the last set of knives you'd ever need, and you could pass it down to your kids and their kids, and their kids, and so on. Still covered in the guarantee. Even when people buy it for you.

Best idea everr.

AllyM10 · February 2010

I have Wustof (I'm 31 and decided not to wait until I was married for the "good" stuff.) The only comment I would make is figure out what sort of knives you actually use and don't waste money on things you don't want.

I have a slight phobia about knives, so I tend to stick to paring knives and other small ones -- I just feel more control. So a 12" huge carving knife is just not going to get a lot of play. But I bought one because I thought I "had" to.

I do love the santoku knives -- I have two. A 6" and a 10" (when I bought the 10", they didn't have the 6"). Whether you like these or not depends a lot on what you eat and how you use knives. These are awesome for chopping veggies (like zucchini, etc) but I wouldn't try to debone a chicken with them.

Like the other posters said, go try them out. I have little hands and some of the other knives I tried had handles that were just too large for me to get a good grip on. Williams Sonoma people tend to be knowledgeable, if there's one in your area.

And, just to reiterate, it's worth the price now. Good knives last a lifetime. Bad ones fall apart and are dangerous.

Clare13 · February 2010

I also have to throw a plug in for Shun knives. I purchased Shun Ken Onion knives about a year ago. They are expensive. But with that said, go and try one out. I know they are carried at Williams-Sonoma. They fit my hand perfectly. After I used it, nothing else compared. This is the feeling you want from your knives no matter what brand they are. If you are spending this much for them, get the ones that are perfect. Williams-Sonoma is a great store to try out the different brands of knives because they will actually let you cut food with them. It makes a big difference. Good luck on your knives hunt.

SweetAdeline · February 2010

We registered for Wusthof Classic knives and my dad bought us the 8 piece set (around $500) as an engagement gift - he loves knives. They are incredible - durable, sharp and really nice looking. The bread knife slices a loaf of crusty french bread like it's butter. And from what I hear if you care for them well they will last forever. Love them.

krissydawn16 · February 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_registering-gifts_knives-advice-please?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:34Discussion:2c15ac08-bb87-43a1-bb92-edf96f2caab3Post:715d16bd-de29-437a-a7c8-e1eaf57b28fa">Re: Knives- advice please!</a>:
[QUOTE]We're registered for Cutco. They're top of the line. Top selling knives. Similar to Henkles, but you get a forever guarantee with it. Where Henkles only gives a guarantee/warranty on defects from the factory, Cutco covers defects, anything you do to damage it in the kitchen, and ANY misuse or abuse (if you use it in a way not intended, you pay half the value of the knife and they send you a brand new one). It literally covers everything FOREVER. So, it's the last set of knives you'd ever need, and you could pass it down to your kids and their kids, and their kids, and so on. Still covered in the guarantee. Even when people buy it for you. :) Best idea everr.
Posted by brimcleod[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>Cutco!!!! Sold it, use it, love it. Have all the pieces from selling so no need to register :-) If you want something sold in stores, get Henkles but MAKE SURE IT'S THERE TOP LINE and not their cheap line.

</div>

banana468 · February 2010

The best knives are generally forged and not stamped. Wusthof, Henckles and Shun are some great brands.

But the best ones for you and your FI are the ones that feel great in your hand. DH has a Henckles chef's knife that is great but I don't love the weight distribution for my hand - it's great for him.

On the other hand, the Wusthof Santoku that we have is fantastic for a ton of applications.

Also, register by the knife and not the block. You'll be able to customize your collection this way with the variety of blades and brands that suit the two of you.

Knives- advice please!

Re: Knives- advice please!

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