ZWILLING PROFESSIONAL S 8-INCH, CHEF'S KNIFE

Many years ago, I was part owner of a chain of coffee shops. Although the menu was typical coffee shop fare, I had to be in a position to step in if we lost a cook, or if they got backed up in the kitchen and needed help. That was more than forty years ago, but the skills I developed--especially knife skills--have stayed with me, even though I cook only for my family these days. You just can't overstate the pleasure of working with really good tools--a properly shaped 8" saute pan for eggs, a large saute pan, and a really good chef's knife. Even in that mundane coffee shop cook line, the best cooks who worked for me always brought their own knives--and woe betide the person who dared to touch another cook's knives without permission. That extended to me as well, even though I owned the place. I decided recently that it would be nice to replace my venerable, oft-sharpened chef's knife. It was still serviceable, but I thought it might be nice to treat myself to the best knife I could find (within reason). I decided on the Zwilling Pro "S." What a pleasure this knife is to use. It's not just that it's very sharp--any new knife should be sharp. It is the perfect balance of this knife, the way it fits your hand. A chef's knife should be held primarily between thumb and forefinger, just forward of the bolster. The handle nestles in the user's palm for support, but the thumb and forefinger guide the blade precisely. My wife teases me about using such a large knife for slicing and chopping small items like garlic or tomatoes. I respond by showing her how I can slice a cherry tomato into ten paper-thin slices. Then I offer her the knife and suggest that she try the same thing. That gets me an eye roll. Even though the price may seem steep for such a basic component of batterie de cuisine, I consider it a bargain. It will surely outlast me, and I plan to include it in my will along with other prized items. Anyone who is remotely serious about the art of cooking should consider a knife of this quality. You'll never regret it.

This is a great knife! Sharp, well made, just the right weight and good grip.

Very solid basic chef knife, it has good balance and a wicked sharp edge. Steel is high quality and this knife can handle everything it’s built to do. Great knife for the price.

The current price point is fantastic. I have a Cutco (yeah, I know) chef's knife and it's over 25 years old. I keep it sharp and it holds and edge. That said, the Zwillings will now be my daily driver. The steel is better, the edge is sharper, the handle is more comfortable, and while I know this is controversial, I love the bolster. Chopped up a ton of garlic and onions for a loaf of bread with ease. Broke down a chicken, no problem including the spatchcock. At around $75, this is a huge bargain for an amazing knife.

Sharp out of box, easy to use, durable, fits in my cutting block, comfortable in hand

Well the pros of this knife are obvious.... great balance, extremely sharp out of the box and handle has a very nice and hefty feel to it. I maintain the sharpness with a honing steel so its great. However, when i took it out of the box, there was a nick on the side of the blade, so that against the light, the nick stood out against the smooth metallic sheen of the steel. Clearly this nick was made somewhere in the factory (at least i am told this a new knife..?). While it no way compromises the function of the knife and it is great to use, but for a knife I paid $90 for... The only other gripe I have about this knife is that spine of the knife is no designed to held onto. If you were to read any decent cookbook, they will say one of the best ways to hold a knife is not really at the handle, but at the bolster. Holding it like that, it invariably means that fore and middle finger will be in contact with the spine. Now the spine of this knife is really sharp even though the "edge" is at a 90 degrees angle. My roommate using the knife in this fashion cut his forefinger accidently ON THE SPINE. Personally I find that using my fingers against this spine produces fatigue over prolonged periods. My international classic knife that I had didnt have this problem as the spine wasnt that sharp. Still, overall, I am satisfied with the knife.

I purchased the Zwilling Professional S chef's knife to replace an alternative brand that I've used for many years. I was looking for a very sharp, full bolstered somewhat heavier chef's knife and it seemed the Zwilling Professional S would fit the bill and indeed it has. Note that I had also tried the very highly rated MAC Professional 8" chef's knife but I felt that despite it being very sharp it was too light for me and that the handle was a little shorter than what I like. One thing that I should note is that when shopping for a Zwilling Professional series knife one might find different wording next to the "twin" logo stamped on the blade. For example, It might say Zwilling Professional S on the right side of the logo, or, it might say Zwilling J.A. Henckles on the left side of the logo and Professional "S" on the right side of the logo. I wanted to make sure I was purchasing an actual high quality Professional series knife so I called Zwilling for clarification. They explained that they are the same knives but that the knives with only Zwilling Professional S on the right side of the logo comes from older stock made prior to the Zwilling/J.A. Henckles merger. Those with Zwilling/J.A. Henckles on the left side of the logo are newer stock. I had no qualms about buying the exact same but older stock knife at the lower price sold by the vendor.

Sharp, great weight. Love this knife. It Great buy