ZWILLINGProfessional S 7-Piece Razor-Sharp German Block Knife Set, Made in Company-Owned German Factory with Special Formula Steel perfected for almost 300 Years, Dishwasher Safe

This knife set is fabulous. It was quite pricey but worth every penny. Our last set was a good brand but in less than 2 years most knives were terrible. We splurged for this one and it is beautiful and VERY sharp. My first try was with a pineapple and I was amazed how easy it was to cut through. I expect this set to be the last we will need and will pass through generations. With that, the price is perfect! So glad we paid a little more - very worth it!

The J.A. Henckels line of knives is one of the ‘all time’ most confusing products to purchase - too many options. Hopefully what I’ve learned will help others.There are two main product lines. The high end products names all begin with the word ‘ZWILLING’, and may or may-not contain ‘J.A. HENCKELS’. All ZWILLING knives will also have the iconic ‘Twin’ logo, showing TWO stick figures, on each knife and the block. Zwilling actually means ‘Twin(s)’ in German. If you don’t see the Twins logo, it is not one of their top knife products. The high end knives are often referred to as Twin(s). The knives in this review are often called ‘Pro Twin S’. The ‘Zwilling’ knives are all made in Germany, and are sold in high end stores like Williams Sonoma.The economy knives, made in many countries including Spain, are labeled J.A. Henckels (without Zwilling) AND the logo has only one stick figure. These are often found in box stores like Costco. These knives are also used a lot in very large sets.FORGED vs STAMPEDOf course it’s not this simple - you should also consider Forged vs Stamped manufacturing.FORGED knives are pounded and produce a harder steel and hold their edge longer. A harder steel is more difficult to sharpen, but it will hold the sharp edge longer (requires sharpening less frequently).STAMPED knives are simply cut out from a piece of metal. The best knives all seem to be forged. You can usually tell a forged knife by the ‘bolster’ or the large, thick piece of steel between the handle and the knife blade.Be aware the two product lines meet or overlap slightly. The economy line has a forged knife (J.A. Henckels International forged knife), and the high end has a stamped knife (Zwilling Signature). One last KEY PIECE of ADVICE, don’t assume the costlier knife is of higher quality. There are promos on different product lines all the time. For additional information, I recommend going to the manufactures web site at: Zwillingonline.com, see ‘Shop by Brand’ under the ’Cutlery Tab’.I love the Pro Twin S set I purchased, but I wish I had this info when I purchased my first set years ago. Proper care is key to maintaining quality knives. A quality dull knife cuts no better than a dull cheap one.

I love these knives. I have used Henkels knives for years and always thought they were sharp. Not compared to these! My wife and I have grown to love the fine edge prep knife. It makes slicing easy and precise. I think they are worth the relatively high price tag.

This is a good set. Includes the basic set of knives to cover almost all needs in the kitchen. The knife block makes the knives convenient and available and provides safe storage. There are additional spaces in the knife block to add other knives.

NO steak knife slots, really crappy "block" - NOTHING like the picture. The actual block is like cheap plastic panels . . unbelievable. The knives ARE "S-series", but the over all look is pathetically cheap. These were supposed to be a wedding gift - I am embarrassed and sending them back.Nov 6, 2013 update. updated review as Amazon did replace the package quickly. Before sending back, I heavily taped a sheet of paper on it saying to not resell this package as the bock included was not as pictured and the box had obviously been opened before I opened it. They sent the proper replacement and the happy couple was thrilled with the knives. I wish they included the 7" Sudoku instead of the 5-inch, but the knives are lovely to use and they can add a couple more in this block later on as they need.

The assortment of knives in the package doesn't match the description and returning them is no simple trip to Whole Foods. Require reboxing and a trip to UPS.

Nice heft and very sharp but the tang sticks out as a ridge in the handles. We'll see if it bothers our hands as we use.Bamboo holder very attractive.

Effectively 4 knives in this set, plus some nondescript scissors, the base, and a pretty flimsy steel. The knives themselves are good, especially the chef's knife - got used to the shape.