The Cutco Cook's Combo in Gift Box is a two-piece knife set that is the perfect starter set for a new cook or embellishment to any established collection.

This set comes with Cutco's Santoku knife and serrated trimmer. The Asian-inspired Santoku has a 7-inch blade and is a combination Chef's knife and cleaver with a specially designed edge that is perfectly suited for the rocking motion of chopping and dicing vegetables and meats. The trimmer has a 4.75-inch serrated edge that can be used to slice fruits and vegetables, trim meats, and perform intricate cutting such as removing rinds, coring apples and carving pumpkins.

When combined in one set, the Cooks Combo knives handle almost any chore you can dish out. Available with classic brown or pearl handles, both stamped knives feature all the benefits Cutco is famous for, including quality high-carbon, stain-resistant steel, which has been prepared with the three-step process of heating, deep freezing and then oven tempering to produce a blade that is not only sharp but also flexible and able to hold its edge longer.

Cutco knives have full tang construction, which means that the metal of the blade extends all the way through the handle for added strength and balance. The handles are ergonomically designed and contoured to fit perfectly in your hand and distribute the workload so your hand and arm won't get overtired during extended chopping tasks. The handles are made from a thermo-resin material that will not crack, chip, fade or absorb moisture. (We're guessing they might even be bulletproof but had no way to test our theory!) There's something about the smooth texture that begs to be held.

Three nickel-silver rivets affix the blade to the handle for a permanent bond. Many -- but not all -- Cutco knives have a special Double-D edge, which consists of a series of three aggressive cutting edges that are recessed to protect their sharp edges from touching the surfaces of a cutting board, for instance. Unlike traditional serrated edges, the Double-D edge cuts cleanly through foods, even delicate items such as tomatoes.

We found these knives to be extremely beautiful and functional. The company, established in 1949, set out to manufacture the "world's finest cutlery." All of their products have a complete satisfaction "forever" guarantee. Cutco also provides a Forever Sharpness guarantee and offers to re-sharpen any of its knives at no cost to the customer except for shipping fees.


Pros: Quality high-carbon stain-resistant steel, full-tang construction, Double-D edges retain their sharpness, free resharpening
Cons: Individual knives are expensive, best when purchased in sets