J.A. Henckels International Fine Edge Synergy 17Piece Knife

Michael Lemonier on Tue, 5th Jan 2010 12:00 am 



all is good EXCEPT
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This was a gift and was very well recieved.The assortment of knives gave exactly what was needed. BUT The large carving knife (8″#15550-200) began to show pitting and rust within one week. cutting edge is in tack, but it leads to concern about the life of the set.

K. Borowski on Thu, 7th Jan 2010 12:00 am 



Awful!
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Bought this set about 9 months ago and couldn’t be more disappointed. The quality is poor, the knives are light and flimsy, and they began rusting almost immediately. Even with minimal use, the knives have dulled to the point that we don’t even use them anymore. Not sure how they got the J.A. Henckels name on them, but they are crap and a complete waste of money.

Dennis Szumski on Sat, 9th Jan 2010 12:00 am 



Quality Henckels
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Since I am not a professional chef, I was not looking for a top of the line Henckels set. I wanted a set that was functional,good looking and reasonably priced. This 17 piece set fit the bill nicely. I have read some of the other reviews which mention rusting and dullness. I have not encountered any of these problems. It is true that any quality steel will rust if water is left on it,but with care the knives will not rust. They remain sharp as the day I got them and I use them frequently. One note though, they really are not diswasher safe but just as I would not put my Lenox china in the diswasher, I would not subject any quality cutlery to the brutality of the diswasher. If you are a “Family Chef” like me, buy this set.

Gilbert Cook on Sun, 10th Jan 2010 12:00 am 



excellent value!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Great set- came exaclty as described. This is a very good set for someone who does a good amount of cooking and likes a good set of knives. For the price, I think this is the best overall value, comes with the steak knives and all other necessary knives for pretty much any type of cooking. They are very sharp and have a good edge, balance and overall quality. The only thing that I think could improve this set is if it came with kitchen shears. I highly reccomend this set to everyone.

Steven Huizenga on Sun, 10th Jan 2010 12:00 am 



Waste of Money
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I thought getting a set of Henckel knives meant i was getting quality. Nothing could be further from the truth, with this set at least. Two key problems: One, the knives have begun to rust in spite of the facts that they are hand washed and dried each time they are used and they are only about 3 months used. Two, they have gone completely dull. Not a quality product, and I will not buy Henckels ever again.

Karen Indenbom on Mon, 11th Jan 2010 12:00 am 



Amazing Knives!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I received these knives as a gift for Christmas and I love them!! Note that this is a starter set though and there aren’t as many knives as there are holes. I don’t mind though because I can purchase some other JA knives to put in them – or maybe a pair of kitchen scissors.

David R. Hurst on Tue, 12th Jan 2010 12:00 am 



A good present
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My daughter requested Henckels knives for Christmas and suggested I check at Bed, Bath and Beyond. They had a 13-piece set for $130. I found the 17-piece Henckels set on Amazon (same type and quality but four more pieces) for $80. My daughter was very pleased — and pleasantly surprised with the larger set. Delivery was free and very efficient. All in all, a near-perfect shopping experience.

Chris Grinham on Wed, 13th Jan 2010 12:00 am 



Good Knives for a Good Value
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
If you are looking for a set knives that are well made and affordable these are for you. They are a little on the light side but once sharpened (some of ours arrived dull) they cut very well and are nicely balanced, a nice first replacement for our hodgepodge knife drawer.

That being said you may want to invest in a replacement wooden Block. The block that comes with this set is metal, nit wood, and the insides of the sheaths are jagged and burred. For this reason we give this product one less star.

Lovin' It!! on Wed, 13th Jan 2010 12:00 am 



Great set of knives!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
After doing a lot of research I decided to go with the JA Henckels International Fine Edge Synergy 17pc set with block……what a great decision. I’ve been using them for over 2 weeks now and they are awesome. The blades are so sharp, I couldn’t believe how easy they cut carrots and potatoes. The block also has room for a few more knives so I will definitely be adding to the set. This is a great product and I would highly recommend it!

Trajan on Fri, 15th Jan 2010 12:00 am 



Had RUST almost immediately
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I bought these knives to replace a cheap set that I had bought at Wal-Mart. I was sooo disappointed. The knives were rusty almost immediately. In fact, some were already rusty when I first took them out of the box. Don’t waste your money, buy something else. I ended up using my old Wal-Mart knives. Definitely not worth the price, not even if you get them for $5 (unless you plan to use them only for display).

Melanie B. Sillifant on Fri, 15th Jan 2010 12:00 am 



it does the job
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
The knives work well, however, they are already getting rust spots and I’ve only had them a couple of months.

ShoeRebel on Sun, 17th Jan 2010 12:00 am 



Very pleased with our knives!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
My boyfriend and I are setting up our first post-college kitchen and picked these knives as a nice mid-range option. We’ve been very happy with them, especially the hollow-edged santoku. Unlike some of the other reviewers we haven’t had any problems with rust; when the knives are washed and dried promptly, it’s really not an issue. The only caveats we have are that the handles are a little light (but you get used to that, and the quality of the blade is what matters) and that the steak knives are not that useful, partly because they’re not serrated, mostly because we don’t eat steak. I could also wish for another paring knife, but that’s a very minor complaint. 4-5 stars – I’d've done 4 1/2 if I could.

amazon shopper on Sun, 17th Jan 2010 12:00 am 



avoid this set
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
We’ve bought this set for our new house. After couple of washes in dishwasher blades developed rusted spots and tips broke off. Very bad quality. Our IKEA set was much more durable (over 5 years of use)

Thomas Zoumaras on Tue, 19th Jan 2010 12:00 am 



As advertised
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The J.A. Henckels International Fine Edge Synergy 17-Piece Block Set provides good quality cutlery for a phenomenally good price. Henckels has better, and far more expensive knives, but the value with this set is hard to beat. The collection is more than enough for most cooks, the craftsmanship is excellent, and the blades cut, slice, and dice nicely.

C. Lindquester on Tue, 19th Jan 2010 12:00 am 



Nice knives to have in your kitchen too!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
These knives are great knives they are sharp and look sharp to! I would recommend them to anyone who needs some good, durable, and great looking knives.

J. Johnson on Wed, 20th Jan 2010 12:00 am 



4 years & Sttill happy
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I have had this set for about 4 years now and they have served me well. Although I did buy a set of JAH shears to finish the set. My only gripe about these, are that they are top heavy which makes most of the knives roll over blade up.

Michael E. Brooks on Thu, 21st Jan 2010 12:00 am 



Henckel Knife set
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
This product was what I expected. The only exception was when I purchased the kitchen shears they didn’t fit into the block very well.

Nestor D. Soto on Fri, 22nd Jan 2010 12:00 am 



great knives
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
these things are sharp makes my old knives look like crap great kitchen knives and price for this set good enough for me

Mike Lee on Sat, 23rd Jan 2010 12:00 am 



Good knives for the money
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I got this set as an xmas gift for a family member. They seem to love it because they have a bunch of mismatched knives. Very sharp and stays pretty as long as you hand wash.

TB on Sun, 24th Jan 2010 12:00 am 



Great Knives!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
These knives are great. Sharp, hold an edge well, and comfortable handle. Very pleased.

Bjr on Mon, 25th Jan 2010 12:00 am 



Knife set
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Purchased as a Christmas present for a couple who are very satisified with the knives.

Rob Edwards on Tue, 26th Jan 2010 12:00 am 



Nice Knife set
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is overall a nice set of knives, good weight and they don’t bend too much. The price is the selling point here, Henckels International means “made in China or Taiwan” not Germany but overall it is a nice set. If you are the person who wants the German name this is not for you but if you want a knife that is sharp and ready to use every day, give them a try.

Sean on Wed, 27th Jan 2010 12:00 am 



Cheap knives
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
These knives are exactly what I’d call “made in china” for quality. My last knife set was from job lot for $20 and they were of far superior quality. These knives are flimsy and poorly crafted. NEVER BUY THEM!

Amazoon on Wed, 27th Jan 2010 12:00 am 



Not The Best, but Certainly Not The Worst
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
While I’m not an expert on knives or cooking, this set seems to do the job nicely. Sharp-looking angled kitchen block with soft rubber grip handles is a plus. It appears that there’s one extra slot even after I filled the block, but no items were missing. Other than this, I think it’s a good buy overall. As a packaging designer, I’ve seen all sorts of knives (many of which are of poor quality). These knives are, dare I say, a cut above the rest.

J. Brand on Fri, 29th Jan 2010 12:00 am 



Great value…disregard negative reviews
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have owned these for over a month, with very heavy use. No signs of rust,and blades are razor sharp. While no they aren’t “REAL” Henckels (they are from there more economical line with only one little man, not two), they also aren’t $2500. People who have stated that they rust must be morons, because it says right on the box that they while they are “dishwasher safe” its not recommended. Use the knife, wash it and put it away. Is that hard to do? Its not like you use 17 knifes every day and have the wash them every day. So if you treat these like a fine piece of cutlery they will hold up like so. Any who blows away any knife set I’ve seen in the price range…

D. Cook on Sun, 31st Jan 2010 12:00 am 



Good buy for the money
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve had these knives for several weeks now and have to say I’m impressed. I did quite alot of searching before settling on these-and I’m glad I did. The quality is excellent,they are sharp and easy to use, and the set-though there are a few empty slots to add to it later-came with every type of knife I need. I pride myself in my cooking-I make everything possible from scratch and cook several meals a day, and I can’t imagine a scenario where I’d say “if I only had another knife”.

I see myself getting many years of use out of these. They come with a rod sharpener so that I never have to see them dull, or send them in anywhere to be sharpened. The block is sturdy and looks good with my kitchen decor.

I was leaning toward cutco brand before I decided on these, but I just couldn’t justify the price of cutco. I’m not disappointed, I think I got more than my money’s worth out of these.

One thing I have to add about other reviews I read before I bought these….I almost didn’t get these because so many people complained until I saw that most negative comments were about the rust factor. ANY chef’s quality knife is going to rust if you don’t take care of it, it’s actually a sign of the type of metal that good knives are made of.

If you are looking for a set of knives that you can throw haphazardly into the dishwasher, or leave lying around in the sink-these are not for you!!!

These must be hand washed after use and dried completely by hand with a cloth-that’s why you see professional cooks constantly wiping their knives on an apron or towel as they work.

For best results, you’re going to have to sharpen these about every half dozen uses, especially if you are cutting something like tomatoes-world’s worst wear on any knife-of if you’re cutting board is made of anything besides wood. It doesn’t hurt them to sharpen them as needed, and better safe than sorry-a dull knife is a dangerous knife.

Mathew Duff on Sun, 31st Jan 2010 12:00 am 



essential design flaw
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
things that i wish i had known about this knife set:

1) the steak knives ARE NOT SERRATED. I cant recall ever using non-serrated steak knives, and what’s more this set does not come with a serrated knife besides the bread knife, which is not proper for cutting, for instance, tomatoes.

2) the 8-inch utility knife, paring knife, and 8 steak knives all have a lip on the handle that sticks out forwards further than the blade.

3) the knife block is not the one shown in this product picture. it is black, rather than wood. it has extra slots when filled, and looks kinda cheap.

4) a chefs knife is typically a little wider (from the blade, to the back) than this one but that’s mostly a subtle preference.

however…

5) the santoku knife is excellent. I learned to cook using them, and I’m glad to see that they are being put into typical knife sets these days.

Michael Rojek on Mon, 1st Feb 2010 12:00 am 



Rusted Almost Immediately
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I bought this set to replace a set of bargain knives i had that were rusting. I never put this set in the washing machine, hand washed only. Didn’t matter. Started with small rust spots on even unused knives within a few weeks. Now i have to scrub knives to remove the large rust spots, small ones don’t come off.

Aside from the aesthetic looks, this is just as bad as the $30 or cheaper sets. I live in Hawaii, so perhaps humidity had something to do with this. But i see no difference from this set and the bargain ones.

Mark Mesesan on Tue, 2nd Feb 2010 12:00 am 



henckels synergy knives
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Nice and sharp, and attractive on the counter. check with me in five years, and I’ll tell you how they held up.

Dennis Krizan on Tue, 2nd Feb 2010 12:00 am 



Henckels is top notch
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This company is the “cadillac” of cutlery….they are great…..not like cheapie knives that go dull after a few times.

majax79 on Wed, 3rd Feb 2010 12:00 am 



Great knives for me (college student)
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I can’t give a pro’s take on the knives but I can def give a college student’s view.

The knives are lightweight and they’ve cut everything I’ve needed to cut so far. I haven’t sharpened them since I’ve had them and they still cut my veggies and other random foods. If you’re a professional chef then you’re probably not looking at these knives anyways.

If you’re a college student with a budget then these are the best looking knives for sure. I have a condo that’s decked out in modern motif and they fit right in. I love finding products that are sleek yet functional. There’s no shame in wanting functionality AND style.

I hand wash them and that’s just my preference so I couldn’t say if they’re dishwasher safe or not. I’ve had no rust or water spots on them.

The blades are sharp enough to cut your household groceries.

The only thing that bugs me is that there are 4 open holes in the block. I haven’t the slighest idea what knives are missing. The middle block is square so I’m thinking that’s for a pair of scissors. I emailed Henckels and asked so if I get a response I’ll let people know what knives will fit what slots.

That’s another problem I had. I couldn’t figure out which knife went to which slot. The slots aren’t contoured so some of the knifes are loose in their slot.

Again, this isn’t a pro’s view…it’s just an average consumers.

Marie Eagle on Thu, 4th Feb 2010 12:00 am 



Very nice
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am very pleased with these knives. I love to cook at home but found using inferior knives to be a huge problem. These are lightweight, but still sturdy. I did have to be more careful since the knives are so sharp. They also come with instructions on how to properly sharpen your knives, which I found very helpful. I plan on keeping these for a long time.

Janel Crosier on Sat, 6th Feb 2010 12:00 am 



Missing knife sharpner
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I got this as a gift for my mom and the knife sharpener was missing, which was very disappointing. Nice knives, but we were never able to get the missing piece.

M. Brick on Sun, 7th Feb 2010 12:00 am 



A good purchase
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
A love this product. They are well balanced and vry sharp. Be mindful to wash and dry quickly it may rust.

Liz on Mon, 8th Feb 2010 12:00 am 



Great Quality
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased the J.A. Henckels International Fine Edge Synergy 8 -Piece Steak Knife Set at Marshalls a few years ago. I was a little skeptical because of the weight but years later they still look, feel, and cut like they’re brand new.

Damon Sununtnasuk on Tue, 9th Feb 2010 12:00 am 



Good Price, Low Quality
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
This is certainly a “beginner” set. The set is rather light weight and the blades are thin and flexible. The rubberized feel of the handle combined with the brushed aluminum makes it look modern, but takes away from the classic feel Henckels has built its name on. I would encourage you to spend a little more and get a heavier weight and quality set.

Annette on Tue, 9th Feb 2010 12:00 am 



Hopefully lightening strikes twice…
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Bought this product for my future Mom and Dad-in-Law who were looking to replace their old dull wooden- pretty shabby looking knives as a christmas present. The first time my mom-in-law used them I swear my husband and I heard her in absolute glee! To me the knives are a little light, but for her size and age, they’re perfect!! Slice right through anything she brought to it and the santouku is her absolute favorite knife now. Dad-in-law loves how the smooth and easy the steak knives cut. For the money my fiancee and I paid for them, we think they’re such a great value, we bought another set as a wedding present for a friend of ours!!!

Allison Mikaelian on Tue, 9th Feb 2010 12:00 am 



J.A. Henckels International Fine Edge Synergy 17-Piece Block Set
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My husband absolutely loved this knife set for Christmas. First word out of his mouth was WOW when he cut up some steaks. Handles well and cuts smooth.

Laila Zai on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 12:00 am 



great purchase for the price
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
i just got this set for my new apartment, and overall, i’m really happy with it. the knives are very sharp, ergonomically well designed, and look pretty on the counter. that being said, you should know that this set is not one of the higher quality henckels sets – a fact betrayed by the price. they are very light and somewhat delicate, so a bit difficult to weild with control, and poorly suited to cutting through tougher material such as bones. of course, some may find light knives convenient, but i would have preferred heavier blades and handles, especially on the bigger knives. the santoku knife was the most disappointing because it was thin and very light. the rest are fine as they are, and cut with great precision, especially given the price. there are a few of extra slots in the block, which, while strange, came in handy for my old homeless knives. also, the set pretty muuch covers the range of needs and preferences for cutting absolutely anything (except bone-in chicken/fish, since the knives are a bit delicate). if you’re not looking for a lifetime keeper set, then this is a great set for you. i really love mine, and plan on keeping it until i can splurge on a $$$$ set.

B. Ludy on Thu, 11th Feb 2010 12:00 am 



An experiment gone right…
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
About six months ago, I was walking through the discount knife section of a local department store when I saw this line’s santoku and vegetable petty knife on sale for $20. In the world of cutlery, $20 is nothing, so I bought them just to see what it was like. It quickly became one of my favorite knives in my kitchen. The factory cutting edge is a little lame and overall the line feels too light to do much heavy cutting work (i.e. frozen meats, chicken bones, or thick vegetables). On a positive note, with some time and love, the edge can be ground down to be extremely sharp (enough so that I use it to cut tuna for sushi in my restaurant). Like any knife that I like, I take it to my restaurants kitchen and try it out to see how many days it can go before I need to regrind the edge. Surprisingly, it held up for an entire week without needing to be resharpened. In short, for the money, you would be hard-pressed to find a better knife.

J. Hartley on Sat, 13th Feb 2010 12:00 am 



nice but…..
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Love the knives, but be careful. I thought that the block had a knife for each of it’s slots. Not so. I did receive all of the knives it claimed to include but there are still some empty slots that need to be filled. SO! That means I have to go and buy a few more in order to complete the set. Bummer. Oh well. no big deal, I guess.

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