Customer Reviews

Farberware Pro Forged 8-Piece Knife Block Set, Pine

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I purchased two of these sets; one as a gift, one for myself. These knives are an excellent value at 28.99 shipped. They are designed well and constructed of good materials; however, they lack the finish and refinement you would expect from a top manufacturer.

PROS:
-Very good price
-Forged, high carbon stainless steel blades. Seem relatively hard, yet easy to sharpen. Time will tell how they retain sharpness
-Nice looking block, worth about 20$ alone
-Sturdy, medium weight forged knives
-Better than average design- good balance and comfortable feel

CONS:
-Small, cosmetic imperfections present in many blades and handles
-Needed minor sharpening right out of the box
-Blade sharpening tool is fairly cheap, but functional. Will probably not last as long as the knives
-Chinese steel...The verdict is still out on the quality of the blade alloy

Overall, if you are used to grocery store or walmart knives, these are a significant upgrade for an incredible price. However, if you think these forged blades may be able to compete with the better American and German names, you will probably be disappointed (not considering that this set costs 1/5 as much as the cheapest comparable of the above). 4-1/4 STARS.

If you get a set with significant inperfections, It may be worth returning for an exchange; as one of my sets seems to be closer to perfect than the other.

I bought this set after reading a number of positive reviews and the Best Buy recommendation from Consumer Reports. Overall the knives feel good to hold and cut with - I like the 8 inch chefs knife and the shears, but was somewhat disappointed with the 3.25 inch and 5 inch ones. The sharpening tool that comes with the set is quite useful (a couple of the knives needed sharpening right out of the box).

I would recommend this set to someone who wants a basic set as a next step to stamped knives, but nothing more advanced.

Quick update to my earlier review : We accidentally left a couple of unwashed knives in the sink overnight and they immediately developed rust spots. Fortunately, they have gone away after a few washes.

I've been pining for "really good knives", but simply didn't want to shell out $200 for the set I've been eyeing....based upon the ratings/recommendations from Consumer Reports, coupled with the unbelievably low price for this set, I took the leap (albeit it a skeptical leap as in how could a knife set be so inexpensive, yet supposedly so good?) and ordered it...after 6 months of use, I have absolutely no regrets. Although I'm more of a baker than a cook, I find foods respond quite well to these knives - from chopping walnut meats to trimming pie crusts to slicing large/thick roasts. The shears are a must - simply a great tool to use to cut through a chicken bone or open a sealed bag of whatever. I've even tossed these knives in the dishwasher (generally a "no no") without problem. The grip/handle size did take some getting used to - but that's been the case with just about every gadget I've purchased. All in all, simply a steal of a deal for a very good quality set of knives.

I got this set to check out the quality as I have been looking out to buy a good quality knife set. I was leanign towards the Henckels sets that are priced at $99.00. But reading more reviews I understood that these are stamped and that if you want to buy wustoff or henckels it is better to just go in for the higher end stuff in their brands as you are spendign a lot of money so it would be good to buy lifetime quality.
This set is very reasonably priced and is really good quality. The steel is quite heavy.. I am short and find the heft suits me very well. It looks really good and the block is very good quality. Unless you are very very picky, you really cant find the irregularities on the handle mentioned by another reviewer. My set, which I bought as a gift convinced me to drop the henckels and go in for this set. I can use it without worryin abt babying it. I dont plan to put it in a dishwasher but with wustoff I have to be veyr watchful no one else handles it. With this, I can let others handle it and be worry free too.. as I havent spent a whole lot on it.


In short, I am very happy with this purchase!

I purchased the 15 piece set several months ago for use at a shore house. I have been very pleased with them. This set is not at "the lowest price of the season." I saw them for t-w-e-n-t-y USA d-o-l-l-&-r-s several weeks ago. This does not affect the quality of the knives, but it is a deceptive claim. (Perhaps amazon.com has another interpretation of the meaning of the word "season.") Another reviewer states he purchased them for even less. The knives are sharp and perform well. Quality is not as good as that on Wusthof and Henckels premium knives forged in Germany. The blades are thicker and the edges are not as evenly sharpened when compared to the best knives. Of course they cost only a fraction of the price of the premium knives. I found my set to have slightly better edges than the knives from a higher priced set from Calphalon. Overall these knives deserve Consumer Reports Best-Buy Rating.

I bought these for my sister-in-law to hold her over until she saved up for a Wusthof set. Rating of a famous consumer review organization a couple of years ago convinced me to try these, and since the price was about $20, I considered it an experiment.

The knives rusted the first time she washed them and left them out to air dry. How can stainless steel rust?

Every knife in the set arrived completely dull.

What a joke. These can't be the same knives that were rated so highly a couple of years ago. Anyway, buyer beware. Seems like these work for some people, and for others they rust.

I gave 2 stars because the block is actually pretty nice.

I recently bought a set of these knives....you know what they say, "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is".

The knives are heavy, with very sharp edges.

Unfortunately, the first time I used them they developed rust spots, so now I never leave a drop of water on them, ever.

Also, the wood storage block is already cracking and warping.

All of this, and I haven't even had them for two weeks.

In a word, "DISAPPOINTING"!

I bought this a few weeks back and I must say I am pretty happy.
The balance is good, the knives seem solid, and the kitchen shears are great.

Its clear that these are not the absolute top of the line kitchen tools that you would get with a Henkel knife, but at 30 dollars, they are more than acceptable for the occasional chef.

Of course Farberware doesn't have the reputation for cutlery of Wusthof or Henckels, but I just got this set for my daughter who is heading off for college. It's really quite nice as a good priced starter set. The pine block has a nice clean look and the knives arrived sharp and looking good. This might not be the set of a lifetime, but it's a fine bargain.

These are very good quality knives, highly rated and at under $30, a deal. As to the reviewer whose knives rust and his block is warping, I haven't had that experience, probably because after I wash the knives, I let them dry in my dish rack before I put them back in the block. This review is not about the similar set with steak knives.