Can anyone recommend a good Chef Knife that isn't terribly expensive?

[caseydog]

I missed this thread the first time around. It cracks me up how so many people recommended the Victorinox and you ended up with the Henckels.

@pepperhead212, I wonder if the knife you got for your mother was a "single-man" option made with lesser-quality materials and workmanship. It's an easy mistake to make.

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I vaguely recall Henkels selling knives under the Henkel's International brand, which were knives made in Spain instead of Germany. They were considerably cheaper.

CD

 

[pepperhead212]

That wouldn't surprise me, after my experience with Henkels, though that one I got later on, that didn't hold an edge had the same, 4 star label my good one has, and was (supposedly) still made in Germany. And those cheaper Victorinox, while not as good as some of the more expensive brands, are still holding an edge well, for the friends I gave them to, and they are almost 30 years old now! And just because a knife is expensive, definitely doesn't guarantee that it will perform better for you.

 

[Andy M.]

Henckels has always had several lines of knives. When I bought my knives about 25 years ago, the Pro S line was one of the the best. Now they sell knives using the Henckels brand and the Zwilling label as well. You used to be able to tell the better knives from the cheaper ones by the logo on the blade. If the logo showed the twin stick figures it was a better line of knives. The less expensive knives' logo showed a single stick figure. I have no complaints. I sharpen them periodically and if something goes wrong, it's either repaired or replaced for free.