Customer Reviews

Chicago Cutlery Insignia Matte 12-Piece Knife Block Set

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For the $100, you could buy a single Wusthof grand prix chefs knife. Ask yourself, how many hours a day will you be using your knives? These knives are well made, sharp, and hold their edge well. They look very similar to those expensive knives that so few of us can afford. The balance is not as good as the pricey competition, but at one third to one half the price this set does admirably. They are a bit heavy, as are most knives in this price range, but they feel solid in the hand. Steak knives are wonderful and go well with my stainless flatwear. I am a casual cook and sometimes gourmet who admits these knives are a lot of bang for the buck.

I've used this set for several years now and have been very pleased with the overall cutting ability of these knives. Even though I also own Global and Shun kitchen knives, I find myself being drawn to the Insignia knives when I am in a hurry or in the middle of a large project. Although both the Global and the Shun have sharper edges, their price difference doesn't equate directly to the increased level of sharpness that you get. That is to say, yes Global and Shun knives are sharper, but they are not three to four hundred percent sharper all though their price difference certainly would suggest that.

Using my Insignia knives, I am able to quickly dice, cut, and slice through onions, carrots, chicken, roasts, etc. That said, there are several cavets that need to be stated. First, don't wash these knives in a dishwasher. It has nothing to do with the quality of the steel. I wouldn't wash my Ken Onion Shun Chef's knife in the dishwasher and that one knife costs as much as two whole sets of the Insignia. Second, these knives need to be honed regularly. A few strokes after every use makes a real difference. Third, after owning the knives for almost two years, I sharpened each of the knives on oil stones. These knives, like all knives will need to be resharpened from time to time. The good news is that they resharpened quite nicely, a tribute to their quality. Since resharpening, they have continued to hold their edges.

Last, the balance of these knives is more than adequate. I also own the matching sanduko and have found it to be the best of the series. All though I am a bit of a knife snob, and although I would love to purchase a block set of either the Shun or the Globals, I can't justify it given that the Insignia's cut so well. My wife would really give me no end of grief if I threw out a perfectly good set of knives. And a good set of knives these are.

I bought this set to replace a really cheap set we had. This one is perfect for what we needed them for. We needed something that was sharp & sturdy. Our other set would bend when trying to slice things and it would crush soft items like bread before you even got through cutting it. I also like the weight of these knives and the feel of them. They also go really well with my stainless steel cutlery.

If you are looking for an upgrade to a cheap set of knives then this is the set to purchase. I highly recommend them. Just remember...as with anything else...you have to get used to how these feel compared to what you are used to using. There is always a breaking in period but once you get through that you'll love these.

These knives are quite sharp--certainly sharper than the set we replaced--and work well for everyday use. I didn't love the wood block (which is ligher than our previous set) and I missed the bread knife (which, as any discerning reader can tell, is NOT included here), so we simply used our old knife block, and old bread knife, too. (How sharp does a bread knife need to be?) These are highly-functional, save us lots of prep time, and are worth more than the super-discount price paid (low thirties). Enough for me to forgive the silver styling and ligher balance of the knives, when compared to more expensive brands. Still very glad we bought these!

I needed a new set of knives that didn't have the ragged edges so saw this one for a fair price.

They're a little more maintenance than my other knives as they need to be washed by hand and dried immediately so they won't rust. Can't throw them in the dishwasher either (that rust thing again).

Also, the handles on the image looks like it's the same finish as the blade but in fact, has a painted gray looking finish. They're sharp and needs little maintenance in that department.

Overall, if you want to upgrade your knives but don't want to spend a bundle, then this set is for you. I highly recomend it for that purpose.

Just got hist set of knives and am pleased so far. From order to receiving took just 5 days--good service and free.
Handles seem a bit cheap and look plastic, but the knives are sharp and the block they come in is very nice. Disappointed about not receiving a bread knife as advertized, but the set overall is a bargain. Priced in Philadelphia area at about the price you can buy them in stores-minus the sales tax.
Arrived sharp, with a pair of shears and a knife sharpner. Sharpner worked well on an old Chicago knife I was ready to toss.
Seems like a reasonable bargain. Will know better after more use.

This is a nice set. They are not the sharpest knives I've ever used, but if you work on them with a good sharpener for a bit, they're fine. I'm not so sure how much they hold an edge for, but they look like they're good quality. They're cetainly very beautiful.

Amazon's product description for this item is incorrect in several places, and they've ignored my requests to fix it! So to lead off, note that this set does NOT include an 8" bread knife, it contains an 8" slicer. I think this is a big negative, as many people do not roast meats in their own home, and would have much less use for a slicer than a bread knife. (Most people I know have an electric knife for slicing purposes anyway.)

I was very unhappy when I received the package, but the quality of the knives and block overcame my disappointment about the bread knife. The block is handsome and not crooked or obviously glued-together, which are complains I've seen about other knife block sets sold on Amazon. The color of the wood compliments that of the knives. The matte texture of the knife handles felt weird at first, but I quickly got over that. They are extraordinarily sharp and remain easy to grip even as the handle gets dirty/wet during meal preparation. My set came with a pair of shears and a ceramic knife sharpener (in addition to the sharpening steel that fits in the block), neither of which I was anticipating. Overall, I think these knives are a steal at $40 and I highly recommend them.

Great set.. a little prone to rust but they came sharp and hold their edge.. very pleased.. much better than the pressed steel knives I had previously bought from Chicago Cutlery. You can't go wrong.

Everything I read online about this set said that it was kind of heavy. I purchased this set to replace the cheap $40 set I bought 10 years ago from Target and this set it lighter. The handles are hollow. This is a great set. I have recommended it to all of my friends.