Ray wrote:
>
> Anybody know anything about them? My wife has a friend who is having a
> demonstration. If they are any good, I would consider buying something.

Their marketing plan is MLM, so some people will object to the product
based on that. Not exactly a valid objection when it comes to the
product. But if you obect to MLM marketing, you can consider declining
Cutco products based on that independent of the quality of the product.

Their straight edge knives are made from very hard stainless steel.
This means they hold a mediocre edge for astonishingly long but they
are incapable of a truely sharp edge. If you are skilled with a hone
and you regularly keep your blades so you can shave with them you
will think these blades suck. If you think you ought to buy a
honing steel some day but you're not sure why, getting a blade that
holds a mediocre edge for years could be a great idea. Not the
approach of the typical foodie on RFC, but it would be a good
strategy for someone who uses Consumer Reports to judge the quality
of their kitchen stuff.

Their "Double-D" edge blades are a different story. Every kitchen
needs one or two good serrated blades for various uses. No matter
that Cutco insists that their "Double-D" edge blades aren't serrated,
they compete with the entire serrated market. Most serrated blades
are made of cheap steel and they don't last. Cutco serrated blades
are in a class of their own compared to the competition. Cutco
serrated blades are far and away the best serrated ones on the
market. When it's time to get your kitchen a couple of serrated
blades, go with Cutco and that part of your equipment will be
handled for life. Where most companies that make serrated blades
consider them to be a throw-away product, Cutco views them as their
core market.

On to the other random stuff in their line.

They make a hunting knife that's fabulous. Some people like a
straight bladed hunting knife but that means they need to carry a
honing steel or sharpening stone with it. No need for that with
a Cutco serrated hunting knife. It's not like someone out hunting
needs to slice roast beef thinly without marks so serrated is fine
in most uses while out hunting. And it's under half the weight of
a mean-looking K-Bar for a blade than can gut and dress a deer in
a snap.

I love their steak knife set. Steak knives are another of those
places where you don't need the finest carbon steel in a finely
honed blade that costs hundreds of dollars. The special handle
shape makes the knives very comfortable for most people (and very
uncomfortable for a few in exchange) and the hand feel of a steak
knife is one of the most important features of it once you have a
blade that can reduce a steak to bite-size pieces easily.