# Anyone own Cutco knives?



## wheaties (Aug 3, 2007)

Have dodged the bullet so far, but the son of friends of ours has been selling Cutco knives for a couple of years and has actually been very successful at it.  He finally pinned us down and we have a demonstration scheduled for next week.  Anyone own Cutco?  I hear they are extremely expensive, but are very good knives.  We could actually use some new knives after 33 years of marriage -- just needed some opinions!  TIA!


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## MULTIZ321 (Aug 3, 2007)

Wheaties,

About a year ago my wife did exactly what you are about to do - she listened to a Cutco presentation from a friend of her niece who was putting himself through college.  She bought one of the Cutco knives - yes, it was expensive (but she figured she was helping a good cause). 

The knife works great and both of us like it.


Richard


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## gjhardt (Aug 3, 2007)

Me too,

I actually was in the market for knives, I bought the whole set.  I have been very pleased but I am sure we could have gotten a good set for less.

gloria


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## swasuth (Aug 3, 2007)

When we were newlyweds we had a neighbor friend give us a demo, as a friendly gesture.  We could not really afford to buy, but did purchase one knife & it still looks & performs beautifully. Oh yeah, that was 50 YEARS AGO.


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## somerville (Aug 3, 2007)

My wife bought some before we were married, and we celebrate our 31st anniversary on Tuesday.  We still use them regularly.  They have held up well.  I sent them back a few years ago for resharpening, as they had serrated edges.  They charge was $1 - 2 per knife.  They are expensive, and whether they are worth it versus something else is another question.  They are made in the USA.


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## grest (Aug 3, 2007)

I have some cutco steak knives that were given to me 35 years ago...I guess they work just fine  Would I actually buy them on my own?  Probably not steak knives, but I might buy a really good paring knife.
Connie


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## Blondie (Aug 3, 2007)

I love mine and have had them for about 25 years. The best part is the handles are plastic or composite-not wood- and they are just go into the dishwasher. I own a few slicing knives, a paring knife, boning knife and a cleaver...maybe a few others. They are awesome.


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## johnmfaeth (Aug 3, 2007)

I'm usually a "buy american" type but the best knives available are the Heankel knives IMHO. That's why most professional chefs use them. I love mine.


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## Passepartout (Aug 3, 2007)

*Home sales*

While I have no personal experience with Cutco knives, I don't recall seeing them in the hands of any professional chefs. My opinion is that buying anything from a 'home sales presentation' is the culinary equivalent of buying a timeshare from the developer. If you want to attend the presentation to learn about the product, fine. Just don't buy. 

Get some nice, forged 'home professional' knives like, Henkels, Wustof, Lamson Sharp and learn to sharpen them and they will last your, and your kids lifetimes. Or go to your local restaurant supplier and get the real McCoy knives that chefs use. Perhaps from Wenger, the Swiss Army Knife folks. They are very reasonable.

If you then feel obligated to financially help out the presenter, just give him the difference. It'll be substantial.

Everyone needs one serrated knife. On the breadboard.

Just my $.02

Jim Ricks


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 3, 2007)

Henckel is what I have.  I use ONE of the knives in my Henckel set and none of the others.  The only one sharp enough to use for cutting vegetables and fruits, which is mostly what I need, is the small 4" blade knife.  The rest of the knives have thick blades, which keeps them from being sharp. Mine are newer, too, so it isn't about needing sharpening.  

I have seen Cutco knives on eBay and have considered buying them that way.


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## Rose Pink (Aug 3, 2007)

I love my Cutco (son bought them for me) and would not go back to anything else.  Owned Henkel--worthless compared to my Cutco.  Couldn't keep the Henkels sharp and had to keep taking them to the professional sharpener.  Costly and a pain.  The Cutco knives have stayed sharp.  I have a basic set that consists of 4 various knives and a spatula-type knife and I also have a scissors.  I use them all and think they cover any job.  I don't need all the other types of knives they carry.


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## Conan (Aug 3, 2007)

The professional chef knives - - Henckel, Wusthof and the high-end Japanese brands, are better instruments (balance, heft, steel) but unless you're proficient with a whetstone you'll need to have them professionally sharpened at least every few months.

Cutco's serrated edge stays (very!) sharp for much longer.  Be careful, by the way.  I know two people who were careless and suffered serious cuts.  One was using it to pare an avocado, cut clear through the stone and deep into her hand.


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## ricoba (Aug 3, 2007)

We bought some Cutco serving utensils (sloted spoon, large serving spoon, spatula and egg beater) from our niece almost 20 years ago.  They get used regularly and are put in the dishwasher all the time.  Even after all this time they still look new and are in great condition. 

Having said that, we bought the serving set, because it was the cheapest package to buy and we wanted to help our niece out.


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Aug 3, 2007)

My son sold them after high school and we bought the set including the serving pieces and the  block holder. They were expensive, but have held up fantastically and we use them all the time. I thought they weren't supposed to go in the dishwasher. Wow, if I can do that, that would be great!
Liz


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## ricoba (Aug 3, 2007)

Liz Wolf-Spada said:


> I thought they weren't supposed to go in the dishwasher. Wow, if I can do that, that would be great!
> Liz



Liz, ours are not knives, so I don't know about that.  But the handles and the stainless steel, still shines and looks new even after lots and lots of times in the dishwasher, both top and bottom rack.


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## riverdees05 (Aug 3, 2007)

We love their steak knives and their other knives.    My wife purchased a small set from a friend's son when he was in college.  Since then we have added sever purchased direct from Cutco when they have their sales and have recently purchased some from ebay sellers.


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## Tia (Aug 3, 2007)

My mother has always had Cutco knives, and I bought my set 26 years ago knowing she liked them. I love mine and never been sorry. I was thinking the handles were made from the similar material to bowling balls.


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## Victoria (Aug 3, 2007)

What a coincidence!  Just this morning, a young university student came over to sharpen our 17 year old set.  He found that the handles were pealing, so he packaged them up to be returned for a new set.  Of course, he wanted to sell us more, but I said that we had enough!  I was going to look at getting new craft scissors, but he said they had been discontinued!  They are excellent knives, and the life time guarantee seems to be for real!


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## bruwery (Aug 3, 2007)

I actually sold Cutco knives for one summer in college.   This was 1987, and I still make daily use of the knives that I purchased for my presentations.  After 20 years, they could use a sharpening (I can't seem to remember to send them in), but they have been excellent knives.

Some of my presentations were actually to people who had owned Cutco knives for 15-20 years when I visited them.  It was interesting for me to see how well they had held up, and gave me a lot of confidence in selling the product. (I even had the clients write letters explaining how much they liked their knives, which I put in my prospectus.)

The knives do hold up well in the dishwasher.  The rivets are (or at least were - I assume they haven't changed) made of a nickel silver alloy, as opposed to brass.  The alloy won't expand/contract at dishwasher temperatures like brass will, therefore, the handles won't loosen after a few cycles.

I would recommend doing some price shopping before the salesperson comes to your house.  As I recall, Cutco was expensive, but very competitive with the other high-reputation brands.  I don't know whether or not that's still the case, though I can't imagine much has changed.

A tip:  Your salesperson probably won't have much, if any, wiggle room on pricing, but back when I was doing this, we did have some ability to increase (within reason) the amount of freebies we threw into the deal.

I don't really care for the paring knife (it feels unbalanced), but the rest of them are outstanding.  In addition to various kitchen knives, I also own the hunting knife and the filet knife, and am extremely pleased with those, as well.

I've actually been waiting for someone I know to sell Cutco so I can purchase some more and have a complete set...

A word to the wise - believe people when they tell you that these knives are sharp.  Dangerously so.  Never touch the blade with your finger, never toss one into a sink full of dishwater and inadvertently grasp the blade fishing it back out, and be very careful washing/drying them...


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## pwrshift (Aug 3, 2007)

I got suckered into buying from a friend's daughter several years ago.  The demo was sawing a rope in half ... first you try it with your own knives and then with the Cutco.  Impressive at the time.  I was told you never need to sharpen them and we didn't.  Progressively they got worse and worse and we never use them now.  But somehow, after reading this thread, I got them out and they still cut rope, but not much else.  

Brian


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## PigsDad (Aug 3, 2007)

Liz Wolf-Spada said:


> My son sold them after high school and we bought the set including the serving pieces and the  block holder. They were expensive, but have held up fantastically and we use them all the time. I thought they weren't supposed to go in the dishwasher. Wow, if I can do that, that would be great!
> Liz



We have had a set of knives with the black pearl handles for 10+ years, and have always put them in the dishwasher.  We have never had a problem, and they stay sharp.

Also, we purchased directly from Cutco via their catalog.  They run a sale twice a year that is quite good (40% off?? -- not sure).  We just built up our set over the course of a couple years, buying one or two pieces each time they went on sale.

Kurt


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## Fletcher921 (Aug 3, 2007)

We bought our Cutco set about 20 years ago and don't cut with ANYTHING else.  We now have them at our cabin and in our travel trailor.  The serving utensils are great as well.

I have found extra pieces on ebay.  If they aren't in PERFECT condition when they come to you you can send back to Cutco and they fix.  They come back so sharp that we almost hate sending them in.  The kids who come to try to sell you more will sharpen the ones you already own and will assist you in sending them back as well for 'refurbishing' if needed.

They are GREAT.


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## somerville (Aug 3, 2007)

pwrshift said:


> I got suckered into buying from a friend's daughter several years ago.  The demo was sawing a rope in half ... first you try it with your own knives and then with the Cutco.  Impressive at the time.  I was told you never need to sharpen them and we didn't.  Progressively they got worse and worse and we never use them now.  But somehow, after reading this thread, I got them out and they still cut rope, but not much else.
> Brian


Brian, send them into the company and they will sharpen them for a very small handling fee.


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## Linda74 (Aug 3, 2007)

I have both Cutco and Henckel.  The Cutco knives are about 11 years old.  The Henckel are less than a year old.  I love both.  My Cutco knives have certainly lasted well and are as sharp as the day we purchased them....the Henckel are the set Costco sells for $169....several knives, and very sharp, now, but don't know how they will be years from now....


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## Proudpapa (Aug 3, 2007)

*Cutco knives rock*

Our youngest daughter sold Cutco knives for a while when she was going to college.  Being the exceptionally nice parents that we are,  we bought a whole set from her (yes, expensive).  That was ten years ago.  We_ do not_ regret buying them.  We thought we already had a decent set of knives, but after using them for just a short while, we realized that we had never owned good knives before!  Our only complaint is that our steak knives keep disappearing (we think our other children are secretly spiriting them out of the house because they don't have them).  Ten years of constant use, washing them in the dishwasher, etc., and they look and cut like new.  If you are in doubt, buy one; then, after you use it for a while, you'll undoubtedly go back and buy the whole set!  The vegetable knife and the trimmer are my favorites.  Hope this helps.


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## marion10 (Aug 3, 2007)

I bought one two years ago from a college student as well. I don't remember what it is called- it's a medium sized knife. I've had it two years and wash it in the dishwasher and I use it every day. It really works for me and I've never regretted buying it.


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## chas943 (Aug 3, 2007)

*Cutco*

Free sharpening and replace for life. Great knives. 

Had 19 years still work well and have had a number replaced over the years for the kids horsing around with them. Burnt on the stove, broken tips, etc. replaced no questions asked.

good luck.


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## Emily (Aug 4, 2007)

My mom bought the cutlery set and the steak knife set when I was about 7.
It was the only knves she used until she passed.  I took the steak knives and my sister the cutlery set.  My family has used the steak knives since.  These are 40+ years old and have never been sharpened.  They have a wood composite handle and are not suppose to be put in the dishwasher.

I can't tell you how many sets of knives that I have bought and disgarded since I 've married.  I'm glad this post came up.  Maybe I'll get my older knives sharpened and buy more.


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## roadsister (Aug 5, 2007)

pwrshift said:


> I got suckered into buying from a friend's daughter several years ago.  The demo was sawing a rope in half ... first you try it with your own knives and then with the Cutco.  Impressive at the time.  I was told you never need to sharpen them and we didn't.  Progressively they got worse and worse and we never use them now.  But somehow, after reading this thread, I got them out and they still cut rope, but not much else.
> 
> Brian



My brother just sent his back last month - he had them for about 10 years....they sharpened them all, replaced one they said had a crack in the handle...all for FREE.


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## philemer (Aug 5, 2007)

I've discovered that this strategy works great for me--buy brand new knives at Wal*Mart for about $5-$8 apiece and then throw them away in six to nine months, when they become dull, and buy new ones. 

Phil


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## flowergurl (Aug 5, 2007)

*I love mine!*

I bought a small paring knife and a fork and knife set for carving roasts about 15 years ago.  They are all still very sharp and look like new.  I have never regretted buying them.  The carving set is just wonderful.  I bought the smaller sized carving set and it is just perfect for carving roasts, turkeys, etc. at the table.  Always thin, great looking slices of meat, etc. 

You will love them.  Yes, they are expensive, but they will last you forever!


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## philemer (Aug 6, 2007)

So, how much are we talking about for these Cutco knives? $100 each? $50? $25?

Phil


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## Ken555 (Aug 6, 2007)

When I was in college, I got convinced by friends to attend a meeting "about a great job opportunity". I went, and got convinced that the product really works. I bought the set they made all "sales" staff buy, presented to two people (sold 1 knife), then quit. (Life lesson learned - I'm not good at that type of sales!). In any case, I've still got that set and it works unbelievably well. And that was awhile ago...

I'm not sure I'd need the in-house presentation, though. Especially now that Cutco sells online (www.cutco.com)


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## wheaties (Aug 6, 2007)

Thanks, everyone, for your input!  The presentation is Thursday night and I'll keep you posted, prices and all -- might have to put my tin cup on the TUG site for donations if I really like them  !


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## EAM (Aug 6, 2007)

We bought some Cutco knives a few years ago.  They have not needed sharpening and I love being able to wash them in the dishwasher (which I could not do with my previous favorite, carbon steel knives with wooden handles by Old Hickory  - they were not expensive and were easy to sharpen).

The ones I use the most are the French chef's knife, the paring knife, and the steak knives.  If your bread is home-made or otherwise not pre-sliced, the bread knife is great to have.


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## nicklinneh (Aug 6, 2007)

Don't buy sets; buy what you will use! If you never chop vegetables, you won't need a chef's knife. If you never buy whole meat or chicken, you won't need a boning knife. And unless you buy tough steaks, you probably don't need steak knives. Everyone can use a parer and a utility knife, get the best of those but they won't be too expensive (small). I like to cook BBQ, so a cleaver is convenient for me, but not for everyone. And watch what good brands are on sale at stores like Tues. Morn. and TJ Max. By the way if you're looking for Haenkel look for 2 twins on the blade, they're generally Solingen steel. The others are made in Brazil or whereever. --------ken


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## pcgirl54 (Aug 7, 2007)

We have owned Henckel knives for years and although they are good they do get dull. Need to be professionally sharpened or buy good sharpening stone. 

We found Global knives much better though costly. Love the 7inch Santuko knife and the 3 inch tomato knife for chopping veggies.These are used by professional chefs like Anthony Bourdain and sold in William Sonoma,Amazon and ebay.

My son's college friend sold Cutco about 7 years ago. The scissors that came with the set were incredible. He lent his demo set to my son who let me use them for a few days but no one asked me to buy any.

Mostly we use 2-3 types of knives: paring/tomato, a chef knife and steak knives. Sometimes we use a cleaver or a bread knife. I use the chef knife for almost everything including fileting fish and boning chicken.


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## KarenLK (Aug 7, 2007)

I looked at the website and prices are not listed. I looked on eBay for steak knives and they are not cheap. I guess the best bet would be to find them at an estate sale. 
Maybe I'll take a drive down to the factory to find out if they sell "seconds."


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## teachingmyown (Aug 7, 2007)

In considering the cost vs value remember you aren't simply equipping your kitchen with a great quality knife backed by a great warranty...you are also helping and encouraging a young entrepreneur working to earn his/her way.  There is value there too, just not as tangible.  Maybe not every young person is deserving of a monetary investment, but many are.  Remember that your money is going toward more than just Cutco's bottom line.

I've known people who would "give" money to any needy person asking for a hand-out but when it came to someone making an honest effort to "earn" money through sales they wouldn't give a penny.  In one instance an otherwise very generous man spent HOURS haggling over $25 in the purchase of a new car.  Long after the dealership had closed he, the salesman and the manager were still debating that $25.  Finally in desperation the young salesman pleaded, "can we just split it?"   I hate to think of the hours he spent to take home $12.50 to his family.  

Sales people get saddled with a bad rep that many don't deserve.  If you know this young man and want to encourage him, then consider that aspect when you make your purchase decisions.


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## Rose Pink (Aug 7, 2007)

teachingmyown said:


> In considering the cost vs value remember you aren't simply equipping your kitchen with a great quality knife backed by a great warranty...you are also helping and encouraging a young entrepreneur working to earn his/her way. There is value there too, just not as tangible. Maybe not every young person is deserving of a monetary investment, but many are. Remember that your money is going toward more than just Cutco's bottom line.


 
Wise words.  Thanks for the reminder.


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## bruwery (Aug 7, 2007)

teachingmyown said:


> In considering the cost vs value remember you aren't simply equipping your kitchen with a great quality knife backed by a great warranty...you are also helping and encouraging a young entrepreneur working to earn his/her way.  There is value there too, just not as tangible.  Maybe not every young person is deserving of a monetary investment, but many are.  Remember that your money is going toward more than just Cutco's bottom line.



That is very true.



teachingmyown said:


> I've known people who would "give" money to any needy person asking for a hand-out but when it came to someone making an honest effort to "earn" money through sales they wouldn't give a penny.  In one instance an otherwise very generous man spent HOURS haggling over $25 in the purchase of a new car.  Long after the dealership had closed he, the salesman and the manager were still debating that $25.  Finally in desperation the young salesman pleaded, "can we just split it?"   I hate to think of the hours he spent to take home $12.50 to his family.
> 
> Sales people get saddled with a bad rep that many don't deserve.  If you know this young man and want to encourage him, then consider that aspect when you make your purchase decisions.



Car dealers deserve their lousy reputation.  I too have been known to haggle with these filthy snakes over seemingly trivial sums, because I know they're full of crap.  While it's noble to be concerned about the $12.50 to his family; I'm more concerned about keeping the $12.50 for MY family.


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## JEFF H (Aug 7, 2007)

My daughter almost was sucked into this MLM scheme.
Cutco Is nothing but a MLM scheme that first takes advantage of young college students who must spend many hours of their own time unpaid to listen to company propaganda and sales training. then they must purchase a expensive set of knifes to demo befor they can sell. They are told to target Family and friends as they tend to be sympatheic and want to help the struggling students and will end up buying way over priced knifes.
very few people actually do well selling these knifes but many are taken adavantage of. The knifes are pretty good but I would not fall for the lie and feed this MLM marketing machine beliving im helping out a student.


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## KarenLK (Aug 14, 2007)

I just called their customer service center in Olean, NY and they do have a store there. Without coming out and saying it, it would seem that they do sell "seconds."


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