J.A. Henckels International Classic 8-Inch Stainless-Steel Chef's Knife
- Large-sized 8-inch multipurpose chef's knife for chopping, mincing, slicing and dicing
- Made of stain-resistant carbon steel that's hot drop forged for durability
- Triple riveted handle surrounds a full tang
- Full bolster provides weight and ensures safety
- Handwash with mild cleanser; lifetime warranty
Classic 31161-201 8" Chefs KnifeA good chef's knife becomes your daily kitchen companion. It's used for everything from prepping steaks for the grill to finely mincing onions, and chances are you'll reach for it every time you cook--so it better be good. This lower-priced line from Henckels is a great value: excellent quality knives with their standard lifetime warranty. There's good balance, and the handles are a shade heavier than other lines, which some cooks will prefer. The 8-inch blade le
Rating: 
(out of 24 reviews)
List Price: $ 80.00
Price: $ 37.95
J.A. Henckels International Fine Edge Synergy 17-Piece Knife Block Set
- Includes paring knife, utility knife, boning knife, chef's knife, carving knife, bread knife, hollow edge Santoku, sharpening steel, eight steak knives, storage block
- High quality German stainless steel; one piece, stamped construction for durability
- Blades are hand honed for a long-lasting cutting edge
- Contoured rubberized plastic handles with brushed stainless steel cap; triple rivet full tang construction
- Hand washing recommended; full warranty
The J.A. Henckels International Fine Edge Synergy 17 pc Block Set features all the essential knives you need for a variety of kitchen tasks. The blades are constructed from stamped stainless steel and are hand honed for a long lasting cutting edge. The contoured santoprene handles are brushed with stainless steel for a remarkably comfortable and secure grip. Includes 2 3/4" Paring Knife, 6" Utility, 5 1/2" Boning knife, 8" Chef's, 8" Carver, 8" Bread, 7" Hollow Edge Santoku, 9" Steel, 8 - 4 1
Rating: 
(out of 46 reviews)
List Price: $ 226.00
Price: $ 86.17
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Review by J. F. Rick for J.A. Henckels International Classic 8-Inch Stainless-Steel Chef’s Knife
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It’s important to note that this knife is not made in Germany (the 4 Star, 5 Star, and Pro-S series are).I started my good knife collection with a set of 3 of these International Classic knives. I later decided to get a larger set (9) of the 4 Star series, some of the finest knives in the world. However, I prefer this chef’s knife over the 4 Star one. The grip is heavier and makes the balance a bit nicer.For the paring knife, I much prefer the 4 Star one, so I wouldn’t recommend the set of 3, but this knife is great. I use it all the time. If you are starting out on a knife collection, I recommend these things:
-a 4 Star 3-inch paring knife (or 2 if you are lazy with clean-up)
-this Chef’s knife
-a cheap and large bread knife
-a medium sized 5-6in utility knife (good quality)
-a honing steel (good quality)
-a wood block to put them in (good knives should not be shoved into a drawer with other knives)
-[optional]a carving set of knife and fork, if you need carving utensils (I don’t much)
I’d weigh the cost of these together against getting a more expensive set (if you are on a budget).
Review by for J.A. Henckels International Classic 8-Inch Stainless-Steel Chef’s Knife
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I don’t know why anyone would spend more on a knife, unless they were looking for a status symbol rather than a useful tool. This is by far the best knife I’ve ever handled or owned. If you haven’t updated your chef’s knife for ten or twenty years (I used to have a ’70s Sabatier), check out the new ones.
The high-carbon stainless steel used here sharpens and cuts as well as old knives without staining. It has scratched slightly during washing, but still shines spotlessly. The knife is stiff and thick — the blade is about a quarter-inch across at its base. The handle is longer than I’d like (since I grip the base of the blade, like many chefs and wannabes), but it serves to balance the knife very well. The balance is actually a bit handle-heavy, so if the knife falls, it falls handle first.
A great cutter, but a bit heavy for everyday slicing — I’m getting the 6″ version too.
(Update: Henckels’s warranty service also deserves praise. Eight years of continuous but gentle use after getting this knife, the handle began to separate from the steel tang. I dropped Henckels an email, they requested that I mail the knife in, and two weeks later a brand-new replacement was at my door.)
Review by Debbie Lee Wesselmann for J.A. Henckels International Classic 8-Inch Stainless-Steel Chef’s Knife
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This mid-priced line of Henckel knives, called “Classic” by the company, is a full-tang, single-piece, three-rivet line with sturdy black plastic handles. The handles are notched at the end to prevent the hand from sliding off during use. Although they are not razor sharp right from the package, their edges are sharp enough for the average cook. According to Henckel, all knives in this line are dishwasher safe, but you should expect more rapid dulling under the harsh conditions.
The chef’s knife is perfectly weighted toward the blade for efficient chopping, especially if you use the chef’s technique of lifting the base of the blade but not the tip. The arc of the curve falls more toward the middle of the blade than it does on my other brands of chef knives, creating more of a rocking motion than a straight up-and-down. The handle is ample for even the largest of hands, but not so large to be inconvenient for those with smaller hands like me.
Review by T. Maxfield for J.A. Henckels International Classic 8-Inch Stainless-Steel Chef’s Knife
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The bottome line: The edges are almost if not just as good as the more expensive knives but the finish is lacking (although only somewhat). Relatively great value.
For the chefs knives, these are wonderful tools that I believe come very close in quality and effectiveness to knives costing more than twice as much. They can be made very sharp and will keep an edge a long time. Moreover, given comparable sharpness they are just as effective and pleasureable to use as my more expensive Wusthof.
Parer: I personally prefer the wusthof, but my wife prefers this one. It is certainly effective and fun to use. Just dont expect thinness or flexibility.
Utility: This may be a nice knive, but I don’t use it enough to justify owning it or to be able to adequately review it. That may say something right there.
I have owned an overgrown set of these knives for about 4 years now and waited until I had significant use and comparison to write this review. I also own these knives in Wusthof Classic and will compare directly. This review has been copied from other Henckels International Classic Reviews I wrote and has been modified slightly for the particular item being reviewed although I left comments about the other knives in.
Disclaimer: I enjoy sharpening knives so edge retention is rarely an issue for me as I probably sharpen even my best knives too much. I did not feel like these knives were very sharp out of the box but they take a scary edge quite easily and keep it for quite a while (although probably not as long as my wusthofs). Besides stone sharpening every 6 months or so, I also steel my knives just about every time I use them.
8 Inch Chef: This is a very nice knife if you can get over the fact that the finish is not as nice as the higher end stuff. It takes and holds an edge well. I also own a Wusthof 8 inch chefs knife and feel like this one takes just as sharp of an edge although it may not hold it for as long as the Wusthof. As much as I thought I would be enamored with the wusthof, I really don’t believe that the additional cost is worth the small amount of performance gain you might get by buying the Wusthof. In truth, I still enjoy using the Henckels International Chef’s knife as much as the Wusthof. The heft is wonderful and the curvature of the blade is ideal for chopping. I really like how the point is taperd to a very thin blade. This is right up there with the best of them and allows the user to slice with the point quite effectively.
6 Inch Chef: My wife swears by this knife and it is consistantly one of the sharpest we own. For some reason (perhaps the thinner blade), it holds its edge like the sharp little devil it is. This knife is a true pleasure to own and use. I am becoming a knife snob, but I see no reason to buy any other 6 inch chef’s knife, as all you would be getting is a fancier name. We reach for this one multiple times each day and it retains its edge better than expected for the price.
4 inch parer: I don’t like this one as much as my Wusthof parers but my wife likes it much better. It is always the one she reaches for (many times per day). I personaly prefer the thinness and flexibility of the wusthof parer blades. This one is quite rigid and although it is very sharp, it does not seem to be as sharp as the thinner wusthof parers, nor does it hold its edge as long. On the other hand, its size is perfect for a parer, coming in at the sweet spot between the 3.5 inch wusthof and 4.5 inch wusthof parers I compare it to. I would love to own a 4 inch wusthof parer. Aditionally, the diminished depth of the blade is probably preferable to the deeper wusthof parer blades for tasks such as peeling toward you.
6 inch utility: I do not use this knife much. It seems to be quite redundant with my 4.5 inch Wusthof parer (which also does not see much use) or my favorite boning knife (a beat up and resurected chicago cutlery 5 inch utility that is scary sharp and a joy to use). In truth, almost every task in my kitchen is done quite well with either a parer or a chef’s knife. I really don’t see much use for a 6 inch utility. That said, this knife is sharp and pleasureable to use. Still, on this one, I would prefer an even thinner and perhaps more flexible blade. It is quite rigid and perhaps that makes me not want to use it as much. For sandwiches, cheese, tomatoes, etc. it is quite appropriate, but I would still probably prefer my 6 inch or even 8 inch chefs knives for such tasks as they are thinner at the edge and therefore seem much sharper.
Review by VPW- Grandma for J.A. Henckels International Classic 8-Inch Stainless-Steel Chef’s Knife
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An update 12/27/09….The week before Christmas I received a replacement knife. After Henkle examining the knife, it was determined to be a manufacturing issue. Excess pressure on rivet caused a fisure crack allowing moisture to slowly migrate into handle ultimatly causing failure. I am glad to have the knife, however it did cost me $40 bucks to buy a replacement to use while I waited for the determination.
Original post…….I purchased this knife in March of 2005. I have taken exceptional care of this knife. It’s always been hand washed, professionally shapened and cared for. It’s a $50 knife afterall…not cheap.
The handle literally fell off of each side of the knife while slicing vegetables. I wasn’t injured but could have been. The interior steel had rusted and corroded screws that held the handle together. I thought it was riveted. It wasn’t properly done..
I contacted J.A. Henckels, via email, sending a copy of Amazon’s invoice, detailed photos and copy of product description. First I got an Out-of-Office response directing me to email a different address. Both times, I requested a replacement, or a pre paid label so that I might return the knife.
They responded with a computer generated pre-formed email: “Thank you for your recent e-mail inquiry concerning Zwilling J.A. Henckels products. You will be pleased to know that all of our products are fully guaranteed against manufacturer’s defects in materials and / or craftsmanship. The warranty does not cover wear from normal use, bends, nicks, dents, chips, or any damage resulting from use other than the intended purpose of the item. Wood products, including wood handled knives, are not covered by the Zwilling JA Henckels warranty, as wood is a natural element and thus cannot be guaranteed. We will evaluate your product and should it be under warranty, we will gladly replace the product at no charge. We cannot guarantee that the same line or size will be available therefore it will be replaced under our discretion, with a comparable item or an upgrade.” ….verbatum of the warranty statement on their website.
It would be nice to actually work with a real person about this issue instead of a computer generated response. I don’t think I was asking too much for contact from a person and a pre-paid label sent to me, as I have to package, go to post office and wait in line, mail, and then wait another 4-6 weeks for them to decide my fate with this knife.
If you want this knife, buy local so that you can work with an actual person to resolve your problems otherwise, be prepared to wait should it have a manufacturer defect.
Review by Laila Zai for J.A. Henckels International Fine Edge Synergy 17-Piece Knife Block Set
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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.
Review by D. Cook for J.A. Henckels International Fine Edge Synergy 17-Piece Knife Block Set
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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.
Review by B. Ludy for J.A. Henckels International Fine Edge Synergy 17-Piece Knife Block Set
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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.
Review by Michael Rojek for J.A. Henckels International Fine Edge Synergy 17-Piece Knife Block Set
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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.
Review by Mathew Duff for J.A. Henckels International Fine Edge Synergy 17-Piece Knife Block Set
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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.