I love the pieces I have. If you want to help her out I wouldn't feel bad about buying more. I would love to have the kitchen shears.
I bought several pieces years ago at a yard sale for a quarter not knowing what they were. Now, even old beat up utensils go for quite a bit on ebay.
I would really like to have the spreader too someday.
So go for it!

I love my Cutco knives. Had them for years and years.

There is a set in the church....and while they look good and are pretty well always put back into the block, but after 3 years they are very very dull. Yes, there is a cutco sharpener, but because of the hardness of the steel of the knives they really don't sharpen well.
But that said, I also know someone else who has a couple of cutco knives that are just tossed in a drawer with other junk, they are about 15 years old or older and are not sharp by any standards, they are the sharpest knives in the drawer(!! :-Q ) and not knicked or bent.

Linda C

My young neighbor was selling Cutco knives before she went off to college, so I let her practice on me. I thought the knives were well made and very sharp, but cost way too much for my budget and quite possibly are over priced. I let her know ahead that I had all the knives I needed (Henckel and Wusthoff) from my years in my gourmet store job.

Thanks for the feedback. I was really tempted by the shears too, but at $100 that would buy a LOT of Fiskars.

Linda - one of the benefits she mentioned was that they offer free sharpening for ever. I think you ac eitehr have one of the reps come to the church to sharpen them or you can send them back to the company to sharpen them. If they can't be sharpened they will replace them - or at least that is how I understood the guarantee.

Here is the link to the site.

http://www.cutco.com/customer/guarantee.jsp

FOREVER SHARPNESS GUARANTEE

CUTCO knives with the Double-D® edge will remain sharp for many years, but after extended use they may need sharpening.
For sharpening of Double-D® or straight-edged knives, send them along with a return shipping and handling fee of $6.00 (1-3 items) or $9.00 (4 or more items) to the CUTCO address below.

They will most definately sharpen or replace them forever.

My son took the training to sell Cutco knives but after the training was finished he was dismayed by their selling strategies and left. They have the kids contact their relatives and relatives friends for appointments. And they teach them to really push the 900.00 sets and then payment options if 900.00 is too big a hit.

Frankly he just isn't a salesman at heart. And he realized that we have no relatives close enough to sell to and my friends are not foodies who fuss over tools. I'd be it! I could use a few more good knives but not at 900.00.

Over the years I have purchased two favorite knives. One is the flat spreader knife with a serrated edge. It's perfect for scooping out a half of an avocado or spreading something because it's got a wide blade. The other knife that used to be my favorite and still sees some use is a serrated "tomato" or small slicing knife. I don't recall the exact name, but I like it. The rest are expensive, but they hold up and you can send them back for repair or sharpening. Especially with the serrated ones which you can't really sharpen on your own.
The rest of my knives are more professional, Messermeister and a couple of Japanese knives that DH bought.

I agree...the sales part is annoying (I bought mine because I was invited to lunch and didn't know somebody's niece was going to be there selling them).
BUT - I love the three things I bought (the shears, the little tomato knife, and the spreader with the serrated edge). I would be less inclined to buy the straight knives for the reasons mentioned in the other posts.
I've had them for ten years, and they are as good as new. The tomato knife whips through thin-skinned fruits and vegs, and is also great for slicing baguettes. The spreader will do all the work of sandwich making.
I particularly like the shears, which are comfortable on my arthritic hands, strong enough for flower stems and small chicken bones, but delicate enough to snip herbs into things, and they are a breeze to keep clean because they come apart and go in the dishwasher. I also really like the little sticky-backed slot that comes with them...I stuck it onto the back side of my forward-slanted knife block, which makes them very convenient to use and put away.

I bought my set from my niece. She did all the training etc., and I was the ONLY person who bought from her and I think I spent around $400 on them. I got one of the sets, included the chefs knife, utility knife, spreader, paring knife and 4 steak knives. As I said, I've had them for years and years and have never had them sharpened. Yes, lifetime free sharpening but I just can't part with them long enough to send them out! I need to do that. I'll bet their getting dull but they're still the sharpest knives I own.

I love mine!
My (now) son-in-law also sold them the summer between high school and college. I bought the 10" Chef's and the 4" paring knives from him (all I could afford!!).

Just recently, someone advertised on craigslist and 11 pc. set for $100!! I snatched that up quick!

So, I'm set. Love the knives, they fit my hand well.
And, I suppose, if I HAD to, I could send one Chef's knife off for sharpening at a time. I have their sharpener and find it works just fine for me. And I don't have to give up my knives!!

Deanna (who would grab another set at $100 in a heartbeat! Could always be a gift or something)!

I've had the demonstration--and bought a cheese cutting knife.
It's okay. It cuts cheese, but so do other knives. This knife (with shipping) was $52, which to me is very expensive for a small knife with a plastic handle. I definitely did not like the hard sell.

We have exceptional knives. (DH is a knife aficionado.) A young man who is the son of a friend came to our house for practice with his "selling techniques" and DH quickly demonstrated the superiority of the knives we already had. There's far better out there.

However, we've purchased a couple of the spreaders and a pair of the shears (not for $100!) and are very happy with those.

No hard sell - neither with our young visitor Chris nor with the salesperson who happened to be at the home remodeling show. Maybe that varies from district to district.

Carol

Mine were a mercy buy from the daughter of DH's colleague. I was sure I'd still use my other knives. To my surprise Cutco are my first choice. I especially like the shears and cheese knife (were a gift). The shears best feature is they disassemble. They get DW clean and work easily, unlike the other shears I've had that are progressively harder to operate. The cheese knife slices better than anything I've ever used. I'd give up every other knife before the cheese knife.

I love mine, I especially like the way the handles fit my hand. Yes I have a couple Henckel and Wusthoff but the Cutcos fit my hand better and are less tiring to use. Also the transplant trowel is the first I've owned that you can actually stick into the ground without the handle bending.

(kframe....where are you....)

I bought the 8 steak knife set and utensils almost 40 years ago when I was a very young teenager putting a hope chest together. They are wonderful and will cut through a brick!

However, recently my director (of all people!) asked her son to speak to me about Cutco. Thought I was going to give my opiniion about the older set; not so! He sold me the cheese knife (it's OK) and the pruner for the garden (awful, awful, awful!)

My opinion is that it's hit-or-miss.

I bought a small set 20+ years ago as a mercy buy from my then boyfriend's roommate. Are they Mesermeister or top of the line Wustholf? No way. Are they better than the carp you can buy at Wally World? Absolutely. Are they overpriced? Of course they are.

I gave about half my set to my sister whose best knife up until then wouldn't cut air. The rest i kept because I actually use those pieces often. The paring knife handle fits my hand perfectly. The bread knife is extra long and I've found that useful. My favorite piece is the serrated spreader mentioned so often by other posters. My second favorite piece is the turning fork. I've never EVER had something fall off that fork -- handy if you're trying to turn a roast or something.

I wouldn't go out of my way to buy more of it. But if I felt like doing another "mercy buy" from a friend's kid or some such, I could probably let myself be talked into another serrated spatula or the slotted turner.

Cutco is my first choice in knives.

I was introduced to them at a Pillsbury Bake-Off--they give each contestant a 3-piece set of them. Was so impressed, I ordered a larger set. I buy mine through their website, usually, so I don't have to sit through those presentations, but recently, did pick up another knife when a friend of my dd's was 'practicing' her pitch (Vector really has that down to a science, don't they?) Still, they have an excellant product. My original knives are about 12 years old, and though well and frequently used, only one needs sharpening. I really have to get around to taking care of that one of these days.

Personally? I think they're worth every penny. Are they expensive--absolutely. Are there other knives out there that are great? Sure. But I love my cutco's--they fit your hand well, are full-tang, look just as new today, after 12 years of going through the dishwasher as they did when they arrived at my house. They just work well for me. But the thing is--everyone's different, everyone's hand/budget/cooking needs are different--so it's a good thing there are many choices out there

Thanks everyone!

Great opinions - I am looking forward to the arrival of the ones I bought and am seriously considering adding the spreader to my collection.

Alexa

I'm sorry, I never saw this thread.

Is Cutco the best out there?

No. Probably not.

Is it good?

Yes.

I love mine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was one of the best swaps I got!!
I use it more than any other knife.

Linda

Well, here it is September and I am just reading the threads that I missed this summer. And...Cutco. I am 73 years old. Bought my Cutco in 1953 or 1954 and it is still going strong. Yes, some are dull, but I keep sharpening them because I can't bear to part with them for the time it would take to send them back. One..that tomato slicer (not serrated, but it is 50+ years old) did break recently. I also purchased the utensels and in 50+ years I have not had to purchase any of those (well the teflon thingys excepted, and one wonderful pancake turner that is an antique). Have they paid for themselves? Golly, I think so. But I do have some pieces that need refurbishing. Now ask me about good pots and pans. Same story...they are still going strong, still making jam every year, and maybe my kids will want them someday. Nanny

BTW...I purchased those when I was working at my first job out of High School and paid a months' salary for them. I made $110 a month and I think that is what I paid for each of the sets.

I'm 62 and I bought my Cutco knives and utensil set when I was 18 and working my first job in Lincoln, NE! Salesmen came to our door regularly -- we called them "Hope Chest Salesmen" because they sold things we single girls put back in our "hope chests" for when we got married and set up our own households. (Does anyone have a hope chest anymore? LOL). I didn't buy pots and pans or sets of good china but some of my friends did.

I've enjoyed my knives and they have taken a lot of abuse over the years of raising and feeding two families. One of the spoons in my utensil set broke a long time ago and I didn't realize Cutco was still in business at the time. When I found out later, I asked about the lifetime guarantee and they told me I must have the certificate I was given with my Cutco set before they could replace the spoon. Well, who has THAT? I moved so many times between then and now, and truth be told, it probably got left in Nebraska. So just bear that in mind, that pieces do break, and you must have that lifetime guarantee certificate.

I have bought a few pieces of Cutco at estate sales. They usually don't know how expensive they normally are and will have them in a pile with other knives, all priced too high for the other knives, but cheap for the Cutco.

My aunt gave me the veggie peeler a couple of years ago for Christmas. I told her she could give me another anytime she wanted to! I have never had another peeler stay sharp enough to peel anything after more that a couple of uses and this is still as sharp as it was the day she gave it to me. It's the only Cutco piece I own.

tami

For a brief time in '92 I think, I had a short-lived, less than successful job selling Cutco. I kept my demo set which had the French chef, turning fork, spatula spreader, trimmer, petite carver, the shears and one steak knife. My absolute favorite is the steak/table knife. I have actually worn the edge off of that poor knife (only took about 15 years of being used several times a week). I need to send it in. I can do that now. I got more, finally, this year. I bought some young salesman's kit through Craigslist. I'm keeping the table knife, and sharing the rest with my stepdaughter. Then a couple weeks after that, I found a set of 4 table knives on CL and snatched those up.
I never had the peeler or paring knife, but for those, I have Rada cutlery. Pretty cheap prices (I think several years ago they were like $6 a knife), great peelers and parers. I do recommend the sharpener for the paring knives though.
Other than the table knives, I use my Cutco shears, French Chef and petite carver the most. I've never used the spatula spreader as much as I thought I would. Then again, I don't put mayo or mustard on sandwiches... maybe if I did that would be different...

Hi Alexa - what did you order? Did you get them yet?

I have tons of cutco as I live near where they are made. (If you know an employee, you can beg them to use their discount...) Most people I know have it.

I really love it. I have this set

And Scott got this nice carving set from his company one year for a years of service award.

Plus I have the veggie peeler, the scissors, pizza cutter, cheese knife, ice cream scoop, (Scott likes to get me cutco for Christmas) and one of my favorites - the ratchet pruners - those things will cut through anything!!!

Oh and I have a santoku knife to match Lyndaluu's - LOL.. (you know the old "one for you, one for me" - swap shopping!)

I'm with greenbean, I don't use the spreader too much.

And the peeler is another favorite.

I take them in every once in awhile to have them sharpened, and they usually end up replacing a piece here and there after identifying some flaw that I hadn't even noticed...The service is great.

I've had my basic set since I got married in 1990 - a shower gift from my mom.

Sorry I didn't see this sooner - but if you have any more questions on recommendations of which pieces to get, I'll be happy to offer my opinion...

Stacy