Customer Reviews

J.A. Henckels Twin Five Star 8-Inch High Carbon Stainless-Steel Chef's Knife

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I cook a lot, and and very picky about knives. This one's a winner! If I could only have one single knife in my whole kitchen, it would be this one. The big curved handle fits my (average male) hands really well. The blade is the right size and has the right amount of curvature. There is plenty of weight and an almost totally rigid blade (doesn't flex more than you'd want). And most importantly, the thing sharpens up like a sword. After I hand-sharpened it, guests who use this knife tell me they find it almost scary how sharp it is. And it stays sharp with very minimal maintenance. This knife is the best for all-around cooking. (For more delicate, super-precise cooking, try the Wusthof Asian Cook's Knife instead.)

I bought this knife just a few weeks ago so that I may use it at home and at work. I'm a prep chef at an Itallian restraunt, and I work with knives alot. I was constantly frustrated that I could never find a knife at work, and if I did they were usualy dull and hard to work with. When I finaly got my knife and took it to work it quicky became everyones favorite knife. They even gave it a name "Excallaber". Everyone want to borrow it, even if for a shrot while. It simply feels great in your hand and is very, very sharp. I found that out recently, I was cutting up some sage leaves when I cut the tip of my thumb off, nail and all. It's the first time in all my time as being a chef that I actually cut myself. It cut the tip as easily as the small sage leaves, so you'll want to be very careful when you use it. If ya buy this knife I highly suggest you buy some good cutgloves as well!

I recently bought this knife after being frustrated by the over priced and often inferior competitors knives that are available. The construction of this peice is sturdy, evenly weighted (no wrist pain!) and it stays sharp! I have been using it for over a month now and there has been no evidence of dulling what so ever. I am now in the process of changing my entire knife collection over to the Henckles 5 star brand because of my sincere satisfaction on a well made product that is worth the price!

When I split with my ex she took my beloved set of sabatier knives, so it was time to shop for new knives. I decided to give the Henckels 5 star a try, though I was skeptical about the funky handle. Well it took a little (not much) getting used to, but I would now not trade my henckels 5 star for anything.

Some points though...

Personally I am not one to advocate spending insane amounts on every knife in your house. For instance, I do not think $100 is reasonable for the 5-star bread knife, or any serated knife for that matter. Or some of those random knives you may use only a couple times per year. Unless you have money to blow, buy 5-star for your most used tasks, and go a bit cheaper for knives you rarely use.

If you do not hold your chefs knife "properly", as most people I know do not (many simply grip it in a fist), the handles on 5 star you may find especially awkward. I highly suggest anyone considering 5-star to go into a store where you can hold them in your own hands to see if you like or dislike their feel, they are considerably different from traditional knives.

If you've been using dept. store knives like Chicago Cutlery or similar.... going to a Henkels 5-star is like going from a black and white TV to a DVD Home Theatre set-up. Razor-sharp - and I mean razor-sharp... right out of the box, and better yet, they're easy to sharpen, strop, and they really hold an edge. These are truly professional-quality tools - you will love them.

I've also used Wustof's best knives, which are also excellent pro-quality tools but I have to say the 5-star has them beat becuase of a nicer handle and better balance.

I do all the cooking in our house, and we do lots of entertaining. I've tried lots of other brands, and had pretty much "settled" on the Russell/Dexter line for the last few years. Then I made the mistake of using one of these on a visit to our friends' vacation home in Vail. No comparison with anything else I've used. Perfect balance, ergonomic handle, and it stays VERY sharp. I'm hosting my 4th annual Meatfest barbeque this weekend, and the knife's going to get lots of use on a wide variety of tasks. One of those things in life that's probably way overpriced, and worth every penny.

Just to let you guys know, Cutco hires what they call "web solicitors" to hype up their products on sites like this. Also, Cutco is sold by Cutco salespeople only and these salespeople have an interest in bashing other knives on the net. Truth is Cutco can't really compare to Henckels in anything but a guarantee, and how often have you known a Henckels knife to fall apart on you (and besides Henckels carrys a lifetime warranty too). A good article on kitchen knives and reviews can be found here<R>[website][website]

My wife did not want new knives. She get attached to things and misses them when they are replaced. She replaced old knives however with this 5 star set, once she had a chance to try them in the kitchen. Great ballance. Very convinient handle. Extrimally well thought through craftsmanship

This is the best knife I own, really makes a difference when trying to work with the membranes on racks of ribs and on skirt steaks. I guess I expected a little more sharpness to the blade- I'm satisfied but not overwhelmed.

I've owned this knife for about 6 years and it's my favorite. It's well balanced, holds an edge nicely, easy to sharpen, and stays securely in my hand during slippery tasks.

I use this knife 3-4 times a week in my home kitchen and the steel has no stains. The handle has retained the original color and has resisted fading.

I sharpen all my straight edged knives with a Chef's Choice 110 Professional Diamond Hone Sharpener and had great success. After 6 years of sharpening this Henckels Five Star it looks identical to the day I bought it.

On a personal note, in the six years I've owned and used this knife, I've only cut myself once. My knife skills are only so-so, so I give the credit to this well-balanced, quality knife.