Ontario Knife Co. 5-Piece Old Hickory Knife Set 705

I'm a knife geek, who has done extensive studying on the subject, and has fairly extensive experience. I've paid $200 each for several rather fancy knives, including Fallkniven, Bark River, Spyderco and Cold Steel. These "fancy" knives are made of super steels such as VG10 and A2. But my favorite steel is 1095, which the Old Hickories are made of. It's inexpensive, durable, and very hard--keeping a wicked edge for a long time, while resisting chipping. Inexpensive certainly does not equate to inferior. The only drawback is dealing with the rust and corrosion issue, which is natural for high carbon steel. Especially with the wooden handles, I wouldn't put these in a dishwasher. For me, the tradeoff is worth it. Stainless steels are too soft to hold an edge for very long, so dealing with rust is a small price to pay for the benefits of 1095. Even cutting a little fruit discolored one of these blades. But once a patina is established, destructive rust isn't as big an issue--so I like the discoloration, although some would consider it ugly. I bought some leather, and made a sheath for one of the knives that seemed best suited for my wilderness bushcraft needs. Concerned that the knife might fail since it is so lightweight, I ordered another to sacrifice during my tests that would reveal the limits to me so that I would know what to expect. But after some serious abuse, it became clear that the knife is more than capable of serving my needs... and wasn't damaged at all from my tests. I feel that the pattern stamped into the blade adds tremendous strength, so you get an extremely lightweight knife that is strong enough for serious tasks. That's a great combination that I don't think other knives offer. The shorter knives in the set are not full tang, and are a little smaller than I expected. But the larger knives are full tang, which is necessary for bushcraft work. I only wish I found these knives before investing so much in expensive, heavy knives that I hardly use due to their high cost and weight. This is one of the best purchases I've made.

If you are looking for a very nice set of kitchen knives without paying an arm and a leg look no further. These are great knives. 1095 carbon steel, tough steel that sharpens easily and holds and edge. I bought these because my family who grew up on farms and butchered their own livestock used to use these knives extensively. In fact, my Mother still has her Old Hickory butcher knife that has been used (and sharpened) so much over the years that the belly actually now curves inward. Her knives are also have a dark (almost black) patina from years of use.THESE ARE NOT STAINLESS STEEL AND WILL RUST IF NOT PROPERLY CARED FOR. DO NOT PUT THEM IN A DISHWASHER!Not only will they quickly rust in a dishwasher, but the extreme heat will also quickly ruin the wood handles. These need to be maintained. That means cleaned and dried and wiped down with a light coat of oil (yes you can use cooking oil) after each use. Yes they will stain almost immediately when cutting up certain foods (mainly any type of fruit or vegetable with a high acidic level). This is normal and is called a patina. It is not rust, and it will not hurt the blade. Just make sure you wipe then down after each use. My paring knives have already begun to tarnish with a patina from using them to slice up different fruits and vegetables. It goes with the territory.In short, if you are looking for a nice set of kitchen knives at a great price look no further. Just be prepared to maintain them properly and they will last a lifetime. However, if you are looking for a (mostly) maintenance free knife. I would find a decent set of stainless steel knives.

I've observed that there are two groups that purchase these knives. One group purchases the knives based on reviews and the price point. The other group purchases because the blades have a high carbon content and the purchasers recognize the extraordinary bargain that these knives can represent. Inexorably aligned with the latter group, I purchased the five-knife set and added the cook knife as a separate item. The knives arrived in varying states of sharpness and condition, but all were paper-slicing sharp and usable as kitchen knives. The only knife in dire need of attention was the slicer (of course). There were three rough spots on the cutting edge and it took me about an hour to correct the issue. I cut new 30-degree (15+15) bevels on all six blades and then cut 40-degree bevels (20+20) for the cutting edges with my Spyderco Sharpmaker. All blades are now hair-shaving sharp and cut smoothly along the entire length of the blades. Eventually the knives, the slicers anyway, will go on a stone and have a single 30-degree (15+15) bevel. Particularly satisfying is the exceptional first-sharpening edge on the boning knife and the quality of the paring knives. I have no idea how many crap-metal paring knives I have used during my septuagenarian existence, but the number is certainly too many. The quality of the knives and their prospective longevity merits the possibility of fabricating and installing exotic wood or Micarta handles. Price shoppers you need these knives because of the price point. Knife people, you need these knives because they have the potential to be better than all but the most expensive knives available.