Customer Reviews

Zwilling J.A. Henckels Twin Signature 7-Piece Knife Set with Block

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Having used some of Henckel's higher-priced professional lines, when the time came to buy a new set of starter knives I figured I'd stay with the brand. I ended up choosing the Twin Signature line 7-piece block set because it was a good compromise between quality and price.

Because the knives are stamped, not forged, you won't get the precise lines you get on the $80-a-knife lines, but the edges are well-finished and stay fairly sharp if you hand-wash them. I've been generally pleased with how they cut, and the chef's knife in particular has an excellent heft and balance for my somewhat larger hands.

The paring knife and the serrated utility knife are also gems. They're extremely well-sized, and have just enough flex to get the job done without feeling flimsy.

The scissors are sharp and extremely sturdy; I'm hard on this particular piece of kitchenware so I'm very pleased by that. Finally, the block is well-made and thought out. It has room for several more knifes as you expand your set.

The tips on the larger knifes aren't as well-finished as I would like, but that's about my only complaint. Just don't expect the sort of sturdiness you'd find on professional knives; these won't last quite as long without sharpening and you can't bang them about quite as much. For a serious home cook on a budget, though, they'll do just fine.

My plan is to use these for starters, and over time pick up two more Twin Signature paring knives, and one more 8-inch chef's knife from the Five-Star series for serious work.

I have a set of mid-range Henckels that I bought some years ago, and they are -much- better than this. I bought this set for my daughter because they were a good compromise between quality and price, and she won't ruin then in the dishwasher. I would have thought that Henckels wouldn't make any actual crap, but this set comes awfully close. The good thing is, boy are they sharp. But there's bad things too. Only the 8" chef's knife and the shears have any feel of quality at all, the rest are -very- thin and flimsy. 'Laser-cut' edges are overrated - make them another millimeter thick please, so they can make a precise cut without the blade bending and taking off in an unintended direction. A good knife is an extension of the cook's intention - it does what you want, and does NOT require thought and pre-conception and compensation in every cut. (...)is waaay too much for one adequate chef's knife and some toys. Very disappointed in Henckels, and in Amazon too, I don't feel I got what I ordered.

Henckels Twin Signature 7-Piece Block Set is exactly what I'd hoped that it would be: a quality set of knives that is ideal for the home.

The set of Henckels that I've owned since the mid-80s finally gave in to a lot of use, sharpenings and dishwashings (dishwashing a good knife is a nice way to shorten the handle's life expectancy!). But 20 years of great service from my previous set of Henckels certainly warranted a loyal update/upgrade to another Henckels set.

And I am not disappointed. The new set is quite sturdy. Home users will be impressed with their strength; pros might be used to a higher standard, but I used to work in a professional kitchen and I can't see how these would not be as effective as anything a pro has.

These knives come out of the box SHARP too...a lot sharper than the sharpest that I've ever had my previous set sharpened to.

There were two descriptions from Amazon that tell you what you get; one of Amazon's descriptions included a carving knife (product description) and the other a peeling knife (what's in the box). Amazon seems to have corrected the error as of this updated 2-13-2006 writing. To be sure, here's what you actually get:

- 2 1/2" peeling knife
- 4" paring knife
- 5" serrated knife
- 8" chef's knife...this baby cuts through a roast like a hot knife through butter even though it's designed for chopping and dicing. In my opinion, it's better than a carving knife.
- a sharpening steel
- kitchen shears
- and a storage block with 11 slots which is great because some of the knives, especially the serrated knives, from my old set are still in mint shape (like the 8" bread knife), so there's plenty of room in the block for knives in your current collection looking for a new place to sleep.

No 8" carving knife. But like I said above, the 8" chef's knife works better than any carving knife that I've used.

The only things missing from this set for the average home is a nice large bread knife (as I said this was not a problem for me) and steak knives (also not a problem as most households already have these). Plain and simple, this is a great set of food preparation knives that--if my previous set is any indication--will last for decades.

Bon Appetite.

A very solid knife set, especially with the extra slots for those who have a few "favorite" knifes left in the drawer. MAKE SURE when you buy Henckels to get the "twin" set instead of the single little henckel-man, that's a big upgrade in quality. Oh, and for goodness sake people, quit putting your knife set through the dishwasher and just clean them as you go.

Please note that one of the product images does not correspond with what is listed under product features. You get exactly what is listed under the product features--not what you see in the image. You do not get the 8-inch carving knife. You can get this for another $32 on amazon. I read the product description when I ordered this item, and compared it to the image, and must have assumed that the mistake was in the product description and not the product image---I was wrong. I think that this is rather misleading on the part of Amazon. The product image needs to be updated.

I have been using amazon for years know and I can say I am a very happy customer, actually a fan. This Knives are quite nice, and is not the first time I bought knives from amazon, however I am really disappointed as I didn't get the 8-inch chef's; 8-inch carving; 5-inch utility; 4-inch paring offered, instead I got only the 8-inch chef's and a bunch of tiny knives (5-inch utility; 4-inch paring; 2-inch pealing) like Tommy "airman" below, to make things worst, this was a gift for my parents!!

I WOULD NOT RECCOMEND TO BUY THIS ITEM, instead get the Henckels International Fine Edge Pro Stainless-Steel 7-Piece Knife Set with Block, which I personally own, they beautiful, very sharp and very complete set

I bought the knives for my brother who is somewhat of an amateur chef. I am so happy to say that he was very pleased with the purchase! I heard complaints of them being flimsy but that is not true at all. He has also had no problems with rusting and said they work great. You can tell by the weight of the knives and the handle that they are made very well. I would recommend this purchase to someone who cooks quite frequently and just wants good knives that get the job done!

As other reviewers have mentioned, these knives aren't forged. If you don't know what the difference is, then it probably won't matter to you so save money by buying this set.

If you're used to more professional, weighted knives then you may have an issue with these. But they're truly not bad. All of them are sturdy and quite sharp.

In particular, the Chef's Knife is very good at slicing, cutting and chopping (all your basic knife needs...). I use it at least once a day for vegetables from potatoes to broccoli to parsley and find it perfectly adequate. It needs to be sharpened every few days, however, or chopping herbs becomes slightly difficult.

A few recommendations if you buy these - always wash them by hand and also purchase a knife sharpener as you will get a better edge than with the Sharpening Tool included in the set. A salesperson at Sur la Table suggested Wusthof's Knife and Scissor Sharpener (less than $20 on Amazon) and it is fabulous!

If you take the Henckels Twin Signature 7-Piece set for what it is - a decent starter set with a block that has extra spaces for future knives - then this truly is an intelligent purchase. Three and a half stars.

My mom & aunt bought these Henckels Twin Signature 7-Piece Block Sets and they absolutely love them.
I bought a Pro S set at Macys last year but didn't get a good discount like Amazon does... The knives are 1 of the best investments in my kitchen.

I bought this set based on the reviews, please shop cautiously for this brand of knife to make sure you "know" what you're getting. These knives are sharper than any knife I have owned or seen. Comes with a great sharpener that will put a real edge on your other knife collections too. I have The Henckels steak knife set too and I quite satisfied with this purchase am sure anyone will, very reasonable price.