Customer Reviews

Sabatier Profile Stainless Steel 14-Piece Knife Block Set

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I purchased these as a cheap (Amazon[.com]'s price on this set seems to be a moving target so your milage may vary) alternative to all of the "hand-me-down" dull knives in our guest apartment. I'm sure they will work out fine in that capacity.

However, if you think these are "great" knives, then I suggest you first purchase a knife such as the Wusthof-Trident Santoku so you have a basis for comparison (i.e., perfect balance and heft, brilliant metal finish, and a razor sharp edge). Also note that the "Sabatier" name has been used by more than one company, and that the knives associated with high quality have traditionally been produced in Thiers, FRANCE not China. For example the Fuso, Au Carbon and Grand Chef Sabatier line are made in France.

I gave this set 3 stars based on the price I paid -- where else could I get a useable 14-piece knife set for roughly the cost of three music CD's? A plus is that they are drop-forged instead of stamped. Major points off for the lower quality of the metal finish (dull with factory grinding marks), unknown quality of the metal itself (how easy will it be to resharpen and how long will they stay sharp?), and the lack of a really sharp factory edge.

Given the price, I had rather low expectations for this set. But since my significant other -- with whom I spend the weekends -- was trying to muddle along with bargain-basement set from now-defunct Ames, almost anything would have been an improvement.

Imagine my surprise when this set arrived! Everything was beautifully packaged and, as I unwrapped each piece, I was delighted by the appearance and weight. My dear one was equally impressed.

We've been using the set for a couple of months now and are very pleased with its performance. True, the factory edges weren't razor sharp -- but even so, they do their assigned tasks pretty well. I particularly like the handle design -- easy to grip and hold. Still remains to be seen how well they'll take new edges, but I have a Chef's Choice sharpener and am not that worried.

I've had some exposure to Wusthoff and Henckle knives -- they are, of course, in a somewhat different league to these knives. But unless you're a restaurant chef or super food tools snob, I'm sure you'll find these knives a welcome addition to your kitchen.

A great set of knives to purchase as a starter. They fit nicely in my hand and the weight is perfect. The steak knives are a bonus, and they look good. My only gripe is that there in an additional slot in the block and it looks like a knife is missing (when it is actually not). Other than that, I'd consider it a good purchase.

Sharp but rust set in within 2 weeks

I am beyond thrilled with the set! I ended up sharpening 4 of the "utility" knives just after opening the box, because they weren't as sharp as I'd like, but it took only a few minutes, and they are razor sharp now. The grip feels almost ergonomic - well balanced, and sits comfortably in the hand. Very easy to use the weight and balance to your advantage with chopping vegetables or slicing meats.

As far as the rust complaints, I think anybody who really cares about their knives should always hand wash them and immediately towel dry them. This goes for ANY set, not just this one.

For anybody who is buying their first "good" knife set (like me!), this is a tremendous deal! I would pay $29.95 for just the big chef's knife alone from Target! They have definitely exceeded my expectations. I even bought this same set for a friend who previously stole her steak knives from Outback Steakhouse after she loved mine so much!

... for keeping knives sharp in the bolock, insert them upside down. The blade won't rest on the block.

This entire set cost less than even one of the good sized Henckles I bought last year, but this set has superior knives. Such a deal!

I read the reviews and it seemed like this knives were worth the $59.99 I paid in August 2002. (Notice the price now!!) Now I regret having bought this set. The block and the knifes look very pretty and even work ok at first. But then even w/o washing them in the dishwasher not even 4 months later I'm noticing rust spots on them. Also they are becoming increasingly dull and the sharpener that comes w/ the set is good for nothing.

My Sabatier knives showed up yesterday. Let me preface this review with the fact that I'm not a food person, I've been known to use the bread knife to cut a fresh bottom on a Christmas tree or two, and like all guys I like shiny things.

I took them out of the box and was immediatly impressed with the weight and ballance. I had a set of Farber knives before, and these have much more substance to them. I really liked the way they looked, and I was able to sharpen them beyond their factory edge with the included knife sharpener. Which is fun. The paring knife worked great on an apple i tried out, and I was able to cut a penny in half with the scissors and then cut paper. I saw a Cutco demo of this so I knew that penny cutting is a "must have" for knife purchases. I searched through the box twice looking for the "missing knife" only to figure out that it wasn't missing, there's just an extra slot in the knife block. The block orrients the knives vertically, and if it had horizontal slots instead, they blades would stay sharp longer, but for [the price] I really can't complain. I would recommend these knives to anyone that won't mind buying another set in 5 years or so. Personally, I love to have new stuff, and the prospect of carting around the same set of anything for more than that time isn't really appealing.

This is the worst set of knives I've ever owned. They're quite stylish but that's the only positive thing about them. Dull, dull, dull...right out of the box! A complete waste of money. My Farberware knives from Walmart are way better than these.