Buy J.A. Henckels Twin Five Star 8-Inch High Carbon Stainless-Steel Chef's Knife

It's not that this Henckels is a bad knife. Cause it's not.

It's that there are dozens of better knives available for the same price or less. This Henckels employs a full length bolster that will only truly serve to hinder sharpening down the road. It is made of soft steel that will not hold as fine an edge and will require far more frequent sharpening than many of its competitors.

The steel in the blade is no better than that in a Forschner. And while it may look a bit less handsome than a Henckels, a Forschner also costs 1/4 as much. And has better geometry (thinner behind the edge) to improve performance. Globals, also costing less than Henckels, use steel and geometry that blow this knife away. They are sharper than Henckels AND their edges last much longer before going dull. Tojiros, even less expensive, are better still. Shuns, costing about the same, likewise have better steel and geometry and also offer free sharpening for life.

These knives (along with wusthofs) have benefited from a trio of false claims about what makes for a good knife. They are:
1. A full length bolster is safer and helps balance a knife.
- Not safer at all. A bolster gets in the way of sharpening and seriously limits the usefulness of a knife down the road. And balancing a knife is not some mystical endeavor like it's made out to be - it's the simplest of physics and the Japanese seem to have it worked out just fine without bolsters.

2. A forged knife is best.
- Was true once. Not anymore. There are laminated knives that far surpass the forged steel of the Henckels. There are stamped knives that are just as strong, just as sharp, and in all other ways the equal of forged steel.

3. A full tang is a MUST in any decent knife.
- A knife should be well attached to it's handle and never come loose or apart during use. That's it. A full tang is only one option of many to this end.

I'm sorry for the rant. This knife is selling for far more than it is worth based on reputation and the misconceptions I mentioned above. A Henckels is a good knife if you want to use the same blade to chop through bones as you use to mince herbs (though if it was properly sharp before chopping through bones, it probably isn't afterward). If you want to bash a knife against hard surfaces and not have it chip, this is your brand. But if you'd rather have a little (or a lot) more performance for your money, you should look elsewhere.Get more detail about J.A. Henckels Twin Five Star 8-Inch High Carbon Stainless-Steel Chef's Knife.