We've had this knife set for five years and it works great. We use the Henckels 8" chef and 6" utility knives to cut meat and vegetables on a daily basis. The knives cut easily through everything from meat to melons to tomatoes (just keep them sharp). One of the great things about these knives is that you can sharpen them time and time again. Another great thing is that they are well balanced and the handles never come loose. We would buy this set again in a heartbeat. Every few years we add another Henckels 4 star open stock knife to our set because they work so well.

I bought this set, and then returned it because of the handles. The plastic handles, while I suppose are very durable, did not feel well balanced in my hands. The 4-stars are not the full tangs that I expected (while they are full "rat tail" tangs, you cannot see the tang because its embedded in the plastic handle and "rat tail" I guess refers to the shape and amount of blade material that is embedded in the handle), which really diminished the weight/feeling in my hand. I returned them and got the full tang riveted version (Pro S series) for only $20.00 more.

I much prefer the look and feel of the Pro S - - my personal preference is that the full tang riveted handle makes the knife set appear to be of higher quality (non-plastic handle).

I really suggest that you actually hold & compare the two different handle styles before you buy. It made a surprizing amount of difference to me! If you like the plastic and lighter feel, then the 4-star is for you -- the blades are all superb of course. I did like getting the Santoku with this set (which now I will have to buy separate since the Pro-S doesn't come with one!)

I had these knives for a year or so and really enjoyed them. Then I was given the 5-star knives for Chistmas and fell in love. The handles are better on the 5-star and they're a little heavier than these knives giving you the feeling that your really holding something sturdy. My advice is to go with the 5-star line instead of these. Sure they're more expensive, but you'll thank yourself in the long run.

First, I can't attest that these knives are better than similar knives by other makers, such as Wusthof or Global. I did my share of research based on online reviews but I haven't had the privilege of working with knives by other high end manufacturers. My wife and I mostly limit ourselves to preparing relatively simple foods.

This being said, the experience I can relate with absolute authority is the sheer joy I've felt using the Henckels 4-Star knives over the past several months after previously being stuck with no-name, bargain basement serrated knives.

Our old knives were given to us as a wedding gift. Over two years, what had been a 15 knife set was whittled (pun intended...) down to 7 knives, four of which now have loose handles. Two of the knives in this set had blades which broke, and the others had the blade break loose from the handle since they were not full tang. Of course quality, or lack thereof, was just one major deficiency of this set. No, the primary problem was their awful performance. The handles were poorly contoured. The blades were light and thin, wandering aimlessly through the food. Densely serrated edges would shred our food. Ingredients clung to the blades, which were so flimsy we were continually worried that they'd break in midstroke. They also became stained over time, and showed signs of spot rusting

Why am I detailing our lackluster, dollar store quality knives in such detail? Because I think it's crucial to illustrate why it's absolutely NECESSARY, if you do any amount of cooking at all, to buy good quality knives as soon as you possibly can!

In contrast with the old knives, the Henckels cut through our ingredients with authority and precision. Food slides off of them easily. Handles are solid and fit the hand perfectly, allowing for optimal control. They are weighty in comparison to cheaper knives, but superbly balanced. These handling characteristics mean that we slice through food so effortlessly, we really don't feel the extra heft. Also, because they are so efficient, we find that we fly through cutting chores that would take twice as long with the lesser quality knives. In the end, I now get tasks done much faster, yet more deftly. I cut thinner, smaller, more accurately. It's a WORLD of difference!

Anyone who says that you can get by with cheapo knives and don't need 'them fancy 'spensive knives...' is leading you astray. They can't possibly have EVER used good knives. They are advising based on ignorance. Even the simplest task is made better with our Henckels set. Truly, knives like these are NOT just for chefs and serious amateurs. They are for anyone who cooks on even a semiregular basis. They are invaluable if you like cooking fresh food at home yet don't have a lot of time. Do yourself a favor, pass by whatever is being hawked by the hucksters on HSN and the late night infomercials and aim for quality.

These might cost four times as much as lesser brands, but they will last far longer, and make your time in the kitchen immeasurably less stressful. In fact, they restore the pleasure to cooking.

The Henckels 4 star knives are wonderful. I am able to get such a good grip on these. Very happy with the set. The only difference between this 4 star set and the 5 star set is the handles. I personally liked how my hand contoured to these handles. Previously owned the famous and expensive cutco knives. These are just as well balanced. Highly recommend.