Chicago Cutlery Walnut Tradition 10-Piece Knife Set with Block
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List Price: Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Chicago Cutlery Walnut Tradition 10-Piece Knife Set with Block
Customer Review: Very Good Knives. Very good price.
Summary: 5 Stars
I completely agree with the reviewer who said that those who rated these knives low are ignorant. The one review about wood expanding and contracting and brass rivets expanding and contracting is crap. That review looks like a "plant" trying to steer you towards something else. I recently bought this set of knives to replace the exact same set which I had owned for 16 years! Was that set worn out? No. It was stolen in a burglary along with other stuff. I had to replace the knives, and headed straight for the same set. I also prefer the wood handles to plastic. The natural wood has a good textured feel, and doesn't get slippery when wet or as slippery when greasy.
The set I owned for 16 years easily kept a razor sharp edge, the handles were nowhere close to cracking, and the rivets were all just as tight as when new. I had even gotten lazy with that set and had been running them through the dishwasher for 10 years. The only effect was that the wood color finish fades and the surface of the wood gets a little dry. I just oiled the handles every now and then with mineral oil and that worked for the wood surface dryness. I imagine if I wanted to, I could have gone to Home Depot, purchased the original color wood stain, re-stained the handles, oiled them up with mineral oil, and those knives would have been as good as new. I will take better care of the newly purchased set, but I also know I don't HAVE to baby them. They will hold together well even under dishwasher "abuse". As far as sharpness, they are very sharp right out of the box.
I do seem to remember that the original set of Chicago Cutlery knives I purchased in 1994 were made in the good old U.S.A. These were made in China. The quality is definitely still there, but I would like to see the products/jobs stay "in house". Happy cooking.
Customer Review: Wouldn't use anything else!
Summary: 5 Stars
Almost 30 years ago my Consumer Reports magazine rated Chicago Cutlery wood-handle knives as the best they tested, and a "Best Buy". So I bought a set.
Boy were they right!! All I have left is a single steak knife; my ex-wives have the rest of them. So now I have to buy a new set. I'm buying the same thing that I had before. I wouldn't buy anything else.
The one knife I still have is as good as the day I bought it. It has an incredible edge; a couple of swipes with the steel and you can shave with it. It rarely has been in the dishwasher; I clean it with a sponge and a bit of diswashing liquid. The wood handle looks a bit "used", but is as tight as ever on the 3-rivet tang.
I expect my new set to outlive me (I'm not in the market for any more wives).
"Contrary to popular belief", a "sharpening" steel doesn't actually sharpen the blade, it simply straightens out the microscopic cutting edges. When the knife gets dull (mine never has!) have it professionally sharpened -- NEVER use any knife "sharpener" that you can buy in a store!! It will more likely than not ruin the blade.
By the way, I also have read in Consumer Reports that lab tests came to the remarkable conclusion that wood surfaces harbor almost NO bacteria. Thyey're not sure why; there must be something in wood itself that is hostile to bacteria. Plastic surfaces, such as cutting boards, get microscopic cuts in them that become germ heaven!
Customer Review: Still in our kitchen, after 25 years....
Summary: 5 Stars
We've experimented with the five star German Wusthofs and Henckels but they never really won us over. Their steel is so hard they almost require professional sharpening, and who wants to add that to your schedule every few months.
By contrast, these old Chicago Cutlery blades are still in our kitchen after 25 years. The carbon steel in these is just right -- hard enough to hold an edge, but soft enough to respond to a sharpening steel. And when it's time for a new edge, an expensive ceramic stick or hand sharpener will carve one for you quickly.
The 8" chef's knife is a very sweet little size if the standard 10" seems a little unwieldy to you. The 5 inch flexible boning/sandwich knife is outstanding -- a fantastic poultry knife. The 7 1/2 inch fillet is thin, flexible but durable -- just as good as you could buy for 5-10 times the price. The only one of these I would throw away is the that clumsy paring knife -- I like something a little more nimble. The old Walnut set used to come with a thin-bladed parer.
My kitchen would have this set supplemented with two Dexter-Russel Sani-Safe commercial knives -- a parer and a 10" chef's knife. The Sani-Safes are high quality (but inexpensive) carbon steel blades that are quick to sharpen and can go in the dishwasher.
Customer Review: Great knives that won't break the bank
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had Chicago Cutlery walnut tradition knives for 10 years. They are not what you would call "status knives"...but then, I am not out to impress anyone with my kitchen utensils. These are very functional, very sharp, and take an edge well. I use the steel frequently, and occasionally a sharpening stone, and this works very well for me. As a test, I usually go by Julia Child's advice that the weight of the knife itself (with no pressure) should cut through the skin of a tomato when drawn over it. These knives always pass the test (after using the steel, that is).
I have considered purchasing more expensive knives for comparison, or just for the heck of it, but I just can't bring myself to do it...these work so well. I cook a lot, and they have been used extensively. Yes, they have been put in the dishwasher (horrors!) but it hasn't killed them (just lightened the wood). I do oil the handles occasionally when I think about it, though.
All in all, a good value, a knife you can sharpen easily that works great...what more do you need?
Customer Review: Chicago Cutlery !
Summary: 5 Stars
I put a lot of thought into buying a new knife set. I read reviews on this website and several others, and finally settled on Chicago Cutlery because of the following reasons, first, my past experience with all the cheap knives I already have used over the years compared to a 17 year old Chicago Cutlery Chefs knife I got as a present when I got married; the various reviews on German made knives and their prohibitive price tags compared to the reviews on this particular set and it's price tag. I have not been dissapointed since they arrived, I have used several of them each and every day and they are great. They all arrived razor sharp. It is not that big a problem to wash them by hand, as long as I remember they are in the bottom of the sink and don't cut my finger picking them up! (three bandaids on my right hand at this moment). The only thing I wish the set had was a Santuko knife, but I am watching for a great deal. I would reccomend them to anyone who wants a knife set that WORKS at a decent price.