ZWILLINGProfessional S 20-Piece Razor-Sharp German Block Knife Set, Made in Company-Owned German Factory with Special Formula Steel perfected for almost 300 Years, Dishwasher Safe

I am not a chef, but have desired a nice high end knife for some time now. I did considerable research and went to some high end stores to compare the feel, weight and balance of various knives (one of the few things you can’t do on Amazon). At the physical stores I specifically compared the Zwilling J.A. Henckels Professional “S”, Four Star II and Wusthof Classic Ikon. Both brands (Wusthof and Henckels) and all three product lines are all wonderful and would make most people very happy. After reading many reviews on many different shopping sites and cooking forums I concluded that most of the differences come down to personal preference. My preference after holding and examining the various knives was to go with the Pro S. I like the handles better than the Four Star II and the overall feel better than Wusthof. I would, however, never criticize someone for preferring the Four Star II or Wusthof Classic Ikon. They are all great knives.I know some of this is already included in the product description, but I found the way they displayed it difficult to read, so here are some specifics about this knife set.This set includes the following:2.75-inch Bird's Beak Peeling Knife2.75-inch Trimming Knife4-inch Paring Knife5-inch Serrated Utility Knife5.5-inch Flexible Boning Knife6-inch Utility Knife7-inch Hollow Edge Santoku Knife8-inch Bread Knife8-inch Chef's Knife9-inch Sharpening SteelEight 4.5-inch Forged Steak Knives (these are actual Pro S forged knives, not the lower end knives)Twin L Kitchen Shears (the only thing that isn’t and doesn’t need to be Pro S)22-slot Hardwood Knife Block (there are three open spaces for additional knives, including one large slot for a cleaver or Chinese Chef’s knife, etc.)The knives are all made in Germany and come with a lifetime warranty. They are forged from a single piece of high-carbon stainless steel. These are full tang and the design of the handle (traditional three rivets) allows you to see the steel from tip to the end of the handle. This is one of the features that I liked better than the Four Star II.The steak knives in this set are actual Pro S forged knives just like the rest of the set. Henckels sells another Pro S set that is $400 less, but the steak knives in that set are a lower quality. It also is an 18 piece whereas this is a 20 piece. These are the real thing. They are not serrated and are so sharp that they don’t need to be serrated.I have only had the set for a few days now, but I absolutely love them. They slice through vegetables and meats with ease. I especially like the 7-inch Santoku, but all of the knives are wonderful.We had steak the night these arrived and everyone was amazed at how the steak knives effortlessly sliced through the meat!If anything changes or if I gain any other insights I will update this post, but for now I am very pleased with this purchase.

Love Zwilling knives! They are so easy to hold and they are sharp!!! They make the task at hand in the kitchen so easy and they look amazing in my kitchen.

I was very tired of purchasing average knife sets that even as new could barely cut through a piece of butter! A dull knife is a dangerous knife. I had heard about J.A. Henckels but didn't think I would ever spend the money for them. I recently decided I could keep spending money looking for that less expensive knife set that would never be sharp enough or I could invest in a great quality knife set that would last me a lifetime. I did some research and decided to purchase the Zwilling J.A. Henckels Professional S Knife Block Set, 20 piece, Black/Stainless Steel. I absolutely love this knife set. Not only are they sharp but they feel good in your hand. I hand wash and towel dry immediately after using them. I will never need to purchase another knife set as long as I live. This is something I will pass down to my children someday.

Really well balanced and beautiful. I bought zwilling before, even though they were the cheaper ones, my wife loved them. So I decided to upgrade. I got her this set for an early Christmas present and she was blown away. Very good buy. I'll buy again in the future. Or maybe not, because they do have a lifetime warranty.

Great edge

All steak knives are not professional S but gourmet... Disappointing. The rest is fine.

I HAVE MANY HIGH END KNIVES. FIGURED WHY NOT TRY THESE. THEY ARE NICE KNIVES AND ARE VERY SHARP BUY THEY DONT HOLD A CANDLE TO WUSTHOF CLASSIC OR IKON'S. I DONT BELIEVE I WOULD BUY AGAIN. I WILL STAY WITH WUSTHOF

Purchased these as I have always wanted a professional knife set. Knife block was damaged upon arrival. Have been trying to get the block replaced under warranty. Customer service was completely unresponsive for the first two months, then via email agreed to ship out a replacement block when some became available in stock, and have now become completely unresponsive again. Calls into their customer service remain on hold for hours. Block has not been replaced. Impossible to recommend these because of Zwilling US Customer Relations lack of customer relations.