We all seem to have an affinity towards kitchen knives, they cut, slice and chop – we love the way they do it. And now all of a sudden everyone is interested in buying the “HAMMERED” Stainless Steel knives as they are aesthetically good and the pockets make sure the food does not stick to the knives. There are several of these Stainless steel hammered knives out there and the “As Seen On TV” marketers have their own knives – the “Forged in Fire” Knives by A&;E Television Networks LLC and “Trusted Butcher” by Tristar Products INC. In this article we compare these as seen on tv knives with the Cutco Knives to help you make an informed decision.
Forged in Fire Knives Review
These knives are endorsed by the History Channel. As per the claims The Forged in Fire knives feature:
Hammered Design
To create air pockets between the blade surface and the food for easy food release. But reviewers say the knives they actually receive look very different from the ones shown in the infomercial. And the Forged in Fire knives do not look like they are hammered they way shown in the ad.
Hand Ground Blade
The advertisers see this as an advantage but machine grinded knives have better symmetry and are more precise than hand grounded ones. Here is a discussion on Hand Grounded vs Machine Grounded knives that you may want to read. There are also reports that the Forged in Fire knives are not made in the USA, probably CHINA.“Sharp enough to cut anything in your kitchen”
Sure, but that takes a toll on the stainless steel blade and soon it becomes dull. Also you need frequent sharpening. Few complaints mention that they do rust.“Stays Sharp Even After Cutting the Most Stubborn Food”
This claim is not all that true. The Forged in Fire knives loose their sharpness faster if used on stubborn food. The users mention in their review that it does not hold the edge and it is a struggle to cut through a thawed turkey. Users have sharpened these knives and still they remain dull – reviews say.“Forged in Fire”
Claims to be be hammered in the Fire that supposedly gives it the strength that is claims to possess. But our reviewers complain that the name “Forged in Fire” is utterly misleading and should not be allowed to use it. One reviewer even claim that these knives are NOT FORGED but rather just stamped with the label “Forged in Fire”.
Verdict
The Forged in Fire is nothing what the manufacturer claims it to be. Our verdict is stay clear of these knives. Do not get tricked by the low price of these knives.
Trusted Butcher Review
Cheap Copy of Damascus
The Trusted Butcher reviews are not much different from that of the Forged in Fire. First and foremost the Trusted Butcher knives look more like a cheap copy of the Damascus knives.
Poor Stainless Steel Material
The blade of the Trusted Butcher knives are made from the 400 Series Stainless Steel which is at the bottom of the spectrum. The claims made by the Trusted Butcher knife apply to the high quality knives like Shun and Cutco and not to the cheap “as seen on tv” copies, reviewers say. That is the reason why a single Cutco knife is more expensive than the entire Trusted Butcher set, you get what you pay for.
Misleading Advertising
Then there are reviews which mention that Trusted Butcher is exactly the opposite of what is claimed in the TV advertising. The knives are dull, you have to apply a lot of pressure to cut using these knives. An user reported that he could not even cut a potato with the Trusted Butcher steak knife. The knives dent, chip and nick easily when used on veggies like cabbage heads, a reviewer mentions. Like the Forged in Fire knives, the Trusted Butcher too losses its edge pretty fast. And most importantly these knives do rust, they begin to rust immediately after you wash them, one reviewer calls them “RUSTED BUTCHER KNIFE”. Shipping the knives back is going to cost you. Many buyers feel “cheated”. One reviewer go to the extent of claiming that the Trusted Butcher is a “MADE IN CHINA” copy of the Damascus knives.
Some Disadvantages of Trusted Butcher and Forged in Fire
- No Full Tang
- Fake Damascus Process
- Cheap Nickle-Silver alloy rivets to fake a quality chef knife
- Misleading Advertising and False Claims
- Made in CHINA
Compare Blade: Forged in Fire Knives vs Trusted Butcher vs CUTCO
The cutting blade is the most important factor when it comes to choosing the right kitchen knife. Forged in Fire and Trusted Butcher knives feature stainless steel blades. While most Cutco knives use CARBON Steel. The Cutco knives are a winner here as the Carbon Steel has many benefits over the Stainless Steel blades, explained below.
Verdict: The stainless steel material used in the blades of Forged in Fire and Trusted Butcher contains high percentage [up to 10.5%] of CHROMIUM which makes it more resistant to rusting then compared to the CARBON Steel in the Cutco knives. On the other hand the CARBON Steel Cutco Blade knives are much more stronger than the stainless blades of Forged in Fire and Trusted Butcher. Carbon Steel has many benefits over the Stainless Steel blades, like Carbon steel stays sharper for longer time, you don’t need to sharpen them too often, Carbon steel is easy to sharpen. The other benefit of Stainless Steel is that unlike CARBON Steel it does not need maintenance. The Carbon steel blades need to be maintained rigorously.
Advantages of CUTCO Knives over the Forged in Fire and Trusted Butcher Knives
Full Tang – Unlike Forged in Fire and Trusted Butcher, the Cutco knives feature “Full Tang”, i.e. the blade runs all the way from the tip to the end of the handle, all one piece. This makes the knife stable and heavy. The full tang design promotes clean cuts through hard surfaces.
Handle Material –
Nickle Silver Rivets – The triple-rivet construction makes sure the handle does not come loose and can withstand all the treatment. The nickel-silver material of the rivets is more corrosion resistant than brass.
Why are Cutco Knives Costlier than the Forged in Fire and Trusted Butcher Knives?
Very Simple, the QUALITY. Cutco knives are made from high grade CARBON Steel blades. The handle and the rivets too are of superior quality compared to those of Forged in Fire and Trusted Butcher. Companies like the CUTCO spend huge amount of money in research and development of the knives. Good knives like the CUTCO are not only about cutting and slicing, a lot of time and resource is spent in addressing other areas like longevity, comfort, the grip on the handle, maintenance etc. A good knife like the CUTCO out-performs the “as seen on tv knives [Forged in Fire and Trusted Butcher]” in every area.
These lower quality as seen on tv knives [Forged in Fire Knives & Trusted Butcher] will work just fine for the basic kitchen tasks, for a few months [this can range from 6 months to a year or so] and then they will begin to chip or break, the handles will become loose and the knife blade itself becomes dull – you get what you pay for.
Compare Price and What do You Get?
Forged in Fire – The Forged in Fire Knives are available ONLY at the official website BuyForgedInFire.com/. The TV offer includes:
- Forged in Fire 8″ CHEF’S KNIFE
- Forged in Fire Paring Knife
Trusted Butcher
- 1 X Chef Knife
- 4 X Steak Knives
- 1 X Digital Thermometer
- 1 X Copycat Recipes Book
CUTCO Knives
There are several Cutco knives, here are a few of them listed here:- CUTCO French Chef Knife [Model 1725] – $221.99
- CUTCO 7-5/8″ Petite Chef Knife [Model 1728] – $192
- CUTCO Petite Santoku Knife 5.6″ [Model 1766 ] – $169.70
- CUTCO 4″ Gourmet Paring Knife [Model 4720] – $88.98
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