Henckles knives - help please

I

IronForge

Joined
Jan 6, 2002
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I am going to be purchasing a cutlery set soon.. and was interested in some information..

What are the differences between the Pro 'S' line and the Four star line.. I think I have it narrowed down to those.. perhaps in a 9pc set..

Are they basically the same knife.. just different handle?

The Pro 'S' are full tang and I don't know about the four star.. will this make much difference? Will be for home cooking only and even then only moderate use.. (of course plan to use them for many years)

The price difference is about $30 more for the Pro 'S'
(Also how are these comparable to the Five Star line)
 
The S-line, and 4 star line are the same basic knives, but the 4 star line has a thicker handle, and less exposed metal surfaces for health reasons(not that big a big dealIMHO:)). I have a few knives from both, I like the S-line simply from a looks stand point. The 5 star line are of the same quality, but the handles are shaped differently. You might want to see if their comfortable for you, I believe their also a narrower tanged design.

Have you checked out Trident knives, they're a bit nicerIMHO:). They hold an edge better, I believe this is due to a higher RC hardness.

HTH:D!!!
 
There seems to be some question about Henckles steel. I have read that most of the Henckles cutlery you see is actually made in somewhere in asia, not Germany, and is no longer forged.

I have a set of Wusthof Trident grand prix (injection molded handles) knives that are 15 years old and still look almost like new. They sharpen easily and hold a good edge. The handle shapes are extremely well designed for hard but comfortable use.

My wife knows nothing about knives, but she is always impressed by her own set of kitchen knives when called on to use Other folks kitchen knives. At New Years she was loudly complaining that the knife given to her to cut up some veggies at a friends house was not sharp and was next to useless. Our host agreed. Seems they have never tried to sharpen their 15 year old set of wood handles Henckles knives. They seemed to think a sharp knife was always a new knife, and that porcelin plates make good cutting boards. ;)

I would strongly recommend Wusthof over Henckles any day. They are knives that will truly last a lifetime. You might pay a little more now, but you will not regret it. Ever.

Para
 
Paracelcus -- I hadn't heard that about the Henckels knives being made anywhere other that Solingen. I know they have the "International" line that is made in Spain rather than Germany. Perhaps that's what you're thinking of.

Iron Forge -- I have a full set of Four Stars and a couple of the Wusthof-Tridents that I picked up at a Wusthof-sponsored kitchen knife skills class (think tupperwear party with knives -- kind of cool actually).

The W-T knives are slightly harder. They have the full exposed tang of the Henckels Pro-S line rather than the enclosed tang of the Four Stars. Other than that I can't tell any difference. Oh, the balance is a little different. The Henckels tend to be a tad blade heavy. I like it that way, but that's just me.

I've had my Henckels for several years now and put them through pretty hard use in the kitchen. Haven't had a single complaint. They're easy to keep sharp, hold an edge well with regular steeling, and the Four Star handles fit my hands extremely well.

That -- in my opinion -- is the most important consideration. Try them each out and see which style fits your hands better. Both the W-T and Henckels are great knife sets. You could also check out the high carbon Sabatiers or, if you're feeling really expansive, George Tichbourne's custom kitchen knives.

As to Four Star vs Pro-S, I'm fairly certain that the only difference is in the handle construction. The Pro-S series has a full tang with riveted handles. The Four Stars have the solid handle with enclosed tang. The tang on the Four Stars may be a rattail style, which would account for their being slightly blade heavy.

Don't obsess - you really can't go wrong here. Good luck.

Chad
 
Interesting read about the production process..

I am looking to spend around $300 for a set.. I know some of the Henckles knives (International) are made outside of germany.. but I thought their better lines (Pro S, Four Star, etc..) would be made in solingen..

I have never had a decent knife set before.. best I have used is maybe a set by chicago cutlery.. and probably one of their lower end models at that..

This will be my first ever purchase of a knife set so I want to do it right the first time.. I have handled a four star henckles in the store and I do like the grip and the feel of the knife.. of course i didn't get to cut with it.. only handle it.. I think I prefer the handles of the four star to the handles of the Pro S..

If a 9pc henckles four star set for $300 is not a wise choice.. can you reccomend a comparable wustof set? (with link/price preferably)
 
The new henckles are crap! The tangs on the S line are welded on and do not make for a stronger knife. The best bet for you is first it should be a fully forged blade, there are a few companies still doing this, Whustof Trident, Lampson which is the only company in the USA still making fully forged kitchen knives and sumac which are made in portugal and are similar in design to sabatier. You should find a knife that feels comfortable in your hand, like an extension of it, otherwise the knife will not feel comfortable. Second DO NOT put your knives in the dishwasher!!! Wash them by hand and never throw them into a drawer, keep them in a block or on a magnet strip. You only get what you pay for!
 
My wife LOVES her set of Henckle 4 star knives...I personally think that they do not hold an edge long enough for me.
FWIW, I bought my daughter a carving set of fork and knife made by Forschner. The set is hand forged and came with a very inpressive sharp blade. I have sold a couple of sets of Forschner knives to butchers in my area and they sware by them. The edges all came razor sharp and it was easy to keep the edge by just a quick swipe on a steel. Just about all of the butchers in my area seem to use the Forschner brand so I guess that it says something for them.
Also, the Forschners are very affordable and you can choose from just about any shape and size you want for your set.
 
Bought a set of Henckles a few years ago.Love them.Easy sharp- and easy clean.I got the 5 star.
 
Muzzle up: I was driving around Bremerton on Christmas day.I think it was closed.:(
 
Now why are the "new" henckles crap?

I am not neccesarily disputing the fact.. I just would like to know for what reasons they are crap. Please be as detailed and thurough as possible because I am not a knife expert. :)
 
nifrand;

The town of Bremerton is not much anymore. It used to be a kind of nice little town but ever since the "progressive OLD BOYS CLUB" took over then what you saw is what we have :barf: :mad: :(
 
Henckels are considered "Crap" because they are not forged out of a single piece of steel, but three sections welded together (the bolster, tang, & blade). For the cost their are better alternatives such as Trident or Messermeister which are both fully forged. If you are not famillar with these brands Tridents are very similar to Henckels. Messermeister knives are "Bolsterless", have a wider blade for better rocking action and have what is called the Elite edge a very sharp hand polished edge. Messermesiter knives are all so very balanced and cradle in the hand

If your considering getting a "Full Set" let me suggest you first list your daily culinary tasks, from this list you will have a better understanding of which knives would be best for your tasks. Most sets contain knives you may never use.

The most commonly used knives are the Chef 8-10", paring 3.5", Bread 8", Slicer 10-12" & boning 5". You may also like a 6" chef as a general utility knife.

Good luck
 
Yes I have thought of that.. but typically knive sets are cheaper to buy then open stock(per knife).. so i'd rather get a set and maybe get an extra knife or two that i don't use everyday than pay open stock prices and get less knives.. I will only have one knife set and it will have to do everything in the kitchen..

Are Henckles blades still forged? Just forged seperatly????
Also.. the Wustof-Trident grand prix line (10pc set) is about $160 more than the four star set.. that is probably a little high for me..

Henckles also has lifetime warranty.. so if a knife breaks you get a replacement right?

Does the henckles knife being 3 seperate parts.. just not last as long... or will it effect cutting performance?
 
and also
by "crap"

do you mean a knife that is not worth the money..
a knife that is inferior to many others (even less expensive ones)
a knife that is not durable or will not keep it's edge long

or do you mean
it is a good knife.. but there are better..
 
1. Yes? Henckel blades are still forged. This will not affect cutting preformace per say. However, in terms of quality & durability a knife that is welded will have a break point that is concentrated. What you what is a knife that has its break point distributed throughout the blade. This reduces the risk of a knife breaking.

2. All brand name forded knives should have a lifetime warraty or ""limited lifetime"" (the process that Henckel uses enables them to produce a knife at a relativly inexpensive price so if a knife breaks their liability is minimal). Ask your place of purchase if they have any returns and if so ask if you may see them. If so I would bet the majority of them are broken in the same spot.

3. For the quality and price their are better choices. It is an expensive knife of what you get.

4. In my optnion Henckel knives are inferior to many others.

Ask 10 people and you will get 10 different answers. Knives are a very individual preference. I would suggest you balance: Cost & comfort. Go with a knife that feels best in your hand wheather its forged or stamped. "A knife should feel like an extension of your hand".

Stamped knives are an excelent value and can serve you for years at a very affordable cost, look at Forschner brand knives.

To determine a good value subtract 20% off the retail price. Use this number as a base line. This will vary, but its a good standard.
 
I prefer Wusthof over Henckels, I think the steel is a little better and I don't like the 3-piece construction of Henckels. Other brands that would do very well for you would be Messermeister, F. Dick, Lamson, Sabatier, or Global. I can think of a few places for you to look for good prices, besides the ones that have already been mentioned. I got a great deal on a set of Wusthof for my daughter's wedding at cutleryandmore.com. Also, check out Professional Cutlery Direct (cutlery.com). If you are really set on getting Henckels, give Knives Plus a call at 800-687-6202. After all is said and done, most people won't be able to notice a lot of difference in performance between any of the brands I have mentioned above, the real differences lie in the feel (handle shape, etc.) and balance. So get the ones that appeal to you the most.
 
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