Cutco Knives

[-DEADLY SUSHI-]

Take your marketing / sales retribution someplace else buddy. I aint buying it. If you care to CONTRIBUTE to the forum in a normal fashion FINE. But to make you account and spew this stuff "for our benefit" is pure BS. You are either out to make a buck or out to slander the company. And this is NOT a forum for it. Take it up with the BBB and not with us. Our own forum members will tell us about products. :x

[Knife_Reviewer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deadly Sushi Take your marketing / sales retribution someplace else buddy. I aint buying it. If you care to CONTRIBUTE to the forum in a normal fashion FINE. But to make you account and spew this stuff "for our benefit" is pure BS. You are either out to make a buck or out to slander the company. And this is NOT a forum for it. Take it up with the BBB and not with us. Our own forum members will tell us about products. :x

I'm trying to figure out exacty what your problem is. Is it that this was my only post under this account or is it that this post was also posted on several other forums? Or is it that you think I have some other motivation for posting this? Either way, it doesn't make the post any less true or informative. I could be a hypocritical, pedophile, nazi of the worst kind and this would still be a very good post. So why don't you actually try to respond to the facts in my review rather than resort to bickering and character assasination? This is the only way anybody in this forum will benefit.

[bones72384]

My family has had Cutco knives for over ten years now. We wash it in the dishwasher. No stains or corroding like the author says the blade might. The blade has yet needed to be sharpened and it cuts everything from raw meat to cooked perfectly, it is perfect for all vegetables as well; the handle is designed to fit all hands large and small, unlike the regular flat handles that actually hurt your hands because of the way you hold it. Cutco's handle is designed to have no stress on your hands and it does that perfectly. We have bought wedding presents for my relatives from Cutco online so you don't have to buy from a sales Rep. They also love the products and it lasts them a lifetime unlike other wedding presents that might get warn out or broken in a few years. The DD edge never gets dull because it has three razors in between each point instead of just points like other serrated knives and also the Wustaf and Henckles. I am only 19 and I know that when I own a house and get married, I will buy one set of Cutco whether its the bigger sets or one of the smaller sets and I will be set for the rest of my life. You don't need to resharpen the blades but if you do you only pay one way shipping, Cutco pays for the return shipping. Cutco has the best guarantee out there, and if anyone has heard of L.L. Bean it is just like there's except Cutco has the 15-day trial period. I have a feeling this guy has never tried out a Cutco knife for a very long time because if he did then he would find out how they make cooking fun and easy. Cutco is the only reason I help out cooking dinner and cutting food. If you want more info on Cutco just ask me.

[ilikeknives]

In the interest of full-disclosure, I am a CUTCO sales rep (and quite a good one in my opinion). :)

I have some things to say about the orignal post - and don't worry, I won't just feed you the lines that anyone who's gone through the CUTCO program has learned.
The information I'm about to present is based on the following background:
a. I'm a knife salesman, and have looked into many of the competitive, professional quality knives on the market (including personally visiting Solingen, Germany during my 10 months studying engineering in Germany).
b. I have come in contact with round-about 100 CUTCO owners and shared stories with many others.

1) The "inferior tempering" is a common complaint about CUTCO knives. Forged is generally accepted as a better quality. Personally, I think it's more of a buzzword quality than actually providing significant improvements in quality.
The most significant difference is the weight. Some people do prefer a heavier knife, but it's a personal preference - I've run into many people who appreciate a lighter knife.

2) Steel. I don't believe CUTCO actually claims they use the highest quality steel money can buy. Regardless, 440A is great steel. High carbon stainless steel is what you want to look for in good quality knife. According to the post, 440C is better - I don't have any arguments against that. The whole 440 family is good.
There actually are surgical and dental tools that use specifically 440A.

3) Lack of bolster. This is really a part of argument 1 - any knife that's not forged isn't going to have a bolster. The inferior balance is way too broad of an explanation. Not all bolster knives are balanced - not all non-bolster knives are imbalanced. The safety issue can be argued - but that's not the purpose of a bolster.

4) Double-D edge. CUTCO knives are extremely sharp - period. The rope and leather make for an impressive deomonstration, but you'll get similar results with anything - for instance the meat, bread, and tomatoes mentioned.
It's not a serrated edge - it just looks like one. Serrated knives cut with the points ^^^^ - the Double-D edge uses the recessed edges as described in the link provided earlier ( http://www.cutco.com/jsp/catalog/features.jsp ). The points will naturally dull, coming in contact with surfaces, bones, etc. But since they aren't essential to the cutting process (in CUTCO's case) performance is not hindered.
A properly used Double-D edge will make a clean cut through just about anything (within reason, of course).
All knives dull, and will need to be sharpened. CUTCO doesn't only sell Double-D edges, some have a standard straight-edge and most sets come with an easy to use sharpener for those. The Double-D edges do need to be sharpened by a professional though. As mentioned, for $5 or $8 you can send in your entire knife set and get a brand-new edge put on. I think that's a great deal, and so do most people I talk to. It is, of course, a bit of an inconvenience to be without your knives for a couple weeks. Some representatives are trained in sharpening the Double-D edges - call someone at your local office, and I'm sure they'd be more than happy to come out and service you (expect a sales pitch too).

5) Handles. Comfort and looks are completely subjective, so I won't talk about that aspect. There are many different types of "thermoresin." The type used in CUTCO handles is similar to that used in dishwasher spray nozzels, food mixer blades, automobile gears, pump housing and blades, and ski bindings. They can withstand temperature extremes from 300-350 degrees F.

6) Corrision can happen to any knife. Good thing CUTCO has a forever guarantee.

7) I think there are certain advantages and disadvantages to the direct sales method. Some disadvantages include not being able to compare high quality products side-by-side and that occaisionally a misinformed or disingenuous representative will say things that just aren't true. On the other hand, most of CUTCO's sale's reps know a lot more about their product than people you'll find in department stores or even specialty cutlery outlets.

8) Price. If, after seeing a full demonstration and using the knives yourself, you don't think they're worth it - then don't buy them. It's that simple. But don't make your decision based on the price tag and a few comments here and there.

In all my visits, I have met only one CUTCO owner who wasn't extremely satisfied with their knives. I love visiting CUTCO owners, because they almost always buy more. I think that really says something about the product.

Finally, I'd like to say that in my completely honest opinion, that CUTCO is not a knife that most professional chefs would use. But they're not really marketed for professionals, they're intended for home-use. And again, I've never had anyone complain about the quality.

Thanks for your time, sorry for the long response.
Feel free to ask me any questions, I'll do my best to answer.
This seems to be a nice forum, I think I'll be coming back often.

Thanks again
~Isaac

[Lifter]

Well, we all have our favourites, don't we...?

Like another respondent, I bought several of my Heinkels 20 odd years ago at about $35 per each, and like their weight, tang, bolster etc, but find it difficult to keep the edge up (and I know its because I'm an amateur, and have a real job to go to five if not six days a week-which includes sales)

I bought a full set for my godson a few years back, at roughly half list price, in February, when the price reductions seemed to be "on", eaning the price of quality is indeed negotiable...

I bought a chef's knife (a miniature one at that...all of 9") at the A+P last year and it cost about $120 Cdn, which seems high compared with my original purchases...

Have been "shopping" my 20+ year old paring knife, with its broken tip and bent blade, and seems fairly unsharpenable amongst the several knife stores, and in spite of its being a genuine Heinkel am getting little action in a freebie exchange, and so so much for the big warranty exchange thing...

At Christmas, my unknowing children bought me a full knife block of Henckels knives from that all-knowing source called Wal-Mart, with the Jinsue edges...and the light gauge steel...

And tonight watched "Chef at Large" where Michael did the Japanese knives (sharpened on one side only) slice most nicely with high carbon steel, but need to get wiped off or get stained from each use, and, according to Michael Smith the Chef at Large are the sharpest instruments you'll ever use in this life, as with others you "saw" through the matreial but with the genuine Japanese the heft carries the blade through the work on its own...its up to you to guide it...so again different from other "brands"...

Is it smart to buy a big buck knife and try to keep it up indeinitely? Hard to say...some guys can do that, most of the ladies will find the routine with a sharpening steel and or whetstone beyond them, whatever the "quality" of the blade, in which case the cheaper Wal-Mart materials may satisfy most, who don't desire the "professional" grade, or, cooking "fried pork chops" even approach the need for same...

Lifter

I sharpen mine on the Arkansas whetstones, and it seems to work for some (still whetting away with my Normark filletting knife after 30 some years, but agree it doesn't work as well with the "Buck" skinning/hunting knives)

The serrated edges of the Wal-Mart knives still work reliably in cutting whatever as well as my several self inflicted wounds, but at the end of the day, you cannot resharpen them, and they are pretty thin...

[Gobi]

Okay, I am a sales rep for Cutco - just to get that in the open. I don't expect to make a sale here, but I couldn't believe all the garbage that started this channel.

The person above did a pretty good job with most of the stuff

First I would like to say that the service call is nice, yeah there is going to be a pitch of course we are sales reps, but there is always the magic word "no".

The guarantees between the companies you named are not even close check out the sites people.

15 days is more than enough time to check out kitchen ware - I cook 3 -4 times a day I don't know about other people but 15 days of something I use several times is enough for me, especially when I generaly decide on something in the first day.

The steels you talk about, learn about things before you talk about them. 440C is a good grade steel, it has more carban than 440A and 440B, just to let people know 440's are good steel for knives and such because they can be tempered into the hardest rockwells. the difference is 440C has more carbon in it so it can be pushed to the 60's for some knives. You say Henk's is like that when no they are about the same as Cutco's. Cutco's rockwell is 55-57 where I want to say Henk's is 56-58. The good thing about 440A is that it is more resistant to corrosion than 440B or 440C - and I have seen 50 year old cutco and you can tell that it was used a lot, but it looked great. All metals of advantages and disadvantages, but if you combine the fact the the cutting edge doesn't come into contact with the hard surfaces you cut on, why do you want 3-5 more degrees of rockwell hardness? We look at it being better for people that it is more resistant to rust and such.

Someone sent me an email of this post a little more drawn out etc. But one thing it said was there was not a "nickel-silver" well if you type it in to google you will see that there is. It is also called german silver. It is an alloy of nickel, copper, and zinc. I also talked to a machine shop owner and he knew what I was talking about and also said the nickel silver was "damn hard". So it is an expense that is worth it to me.

Bolsters, generally to help with balance you say safety which is pretty much a straight up lie. The bolster actually hampers a knife more, it does help with balance but when you sharpen your knife notice you don't sharpent the bolster - so what happens years down the road when the blade has been sharpened and there is and indent where the bolster sticks out; you can't make a good cut with it and you have to buy a new knife or get a saw and cut part of the bolster off. Sounds like fun to me.

I tried to make the reply informational, it just bugs me to see things like this that are half-truths and mostly decietful or straight up lies. Look into things more carefully than on a biased article.

[wiseguy21690]

I am a cutco owner and also own a wide array os Wusthof, Shun, Gehring, Global, and Mundial knives. I must say that the bolster is nice to have and makes the knife easier to handle. If you've noticed the bolster design on the new Wusthof "Le Cordon Bleu" collection, it is only part of the handle and is not a problem when sharpening.

[chiffonade]

I have a Cutco Parer that is razor sharp. I like the feel of the handle in my hand (it's riveted but molded for the hand).

That's the only Cutco I have because we already have so many knives - Globals, Messermeisters, Wusthof, Henkles, Connoisseur and Chicago Cutlery. My CC knives were made years ago, when they were still made in Chicago and not imported. I used my CC knives all through school. 10" Chef and parer - they still feel great.

I recently bought a Blue Ginger Veggie Cleaver by Ming Tsai that has become the most recent extension of my right hand. The thing is magic. Thirty bucks @ Super Target.

I have three Dionne Lucas knives I keep in my trunk wrapped in a kitchen towel with a hair tie. They are not even full-tang but they are good traveling knives. They're a zillion years old. Dionne Lucas was the first woman to have a cooking show on TV but she was so ugly and nasty, she got cancelled. That's why everyone remembers Julia Child - because of her wonderful personality and ability to teach those incredible techniques to a TV audience.

I have two "no name" knives from a set my mom bought me years ago. (They might be Ecko.) Full tang and riveted, they feel great and favor the French blade type (pointed, no belly like German knives). Cooked zillions of meals and threw huge parties with those knives.

I definitely prefer wood to composite handles.

The point is - don't be a knife snob. Don't buy a knife unless you can hold it in your hand and feel its balance and grip. If it feels good, is sharp, made of good stuff and will do the jobs you need done, plunk down your credit card and call it yours.

[Pazzo]

Go buy a Shun. Expensive, but the sharpest edge I have ever seen.

[Psiguyy]

I didn't read the whole review. There was just too much. Most of which I already know.

I do take exception to one thing.

Stamped knives. There are a lot of excellent knives made out of stamped steel instead of forged. My Gerber hunting knives are made from stamped steel and I have no complaints about it. My Forschner knives are from stamped steel and I have no complaints. My old Dexter Russel knives are stamped too and again. No complaints. My old set of MAC knives are all stamped steel (except for the "cleaver") and I have no complaints about them either. My Chinese cleavers are all stamped steel.

I also have a bunch of forged damascus blade Japanese knives and they are excellent. However, if I were to replace them, I'd probably have to pay a couple grand each.

The point I'm making is just because a knife is made out of stamped steel, it does not mean that knife is not a quality knife. Too much, in my opinion, is made about the importance of forged knives.