Cutco Knife Review
About Cutco
Cutco helps you express your love for cooking with its collection of exquisite American-made knives and accessories. Stamped from high-quality stainless steel with the brand’s trademarked contoured handle, its knives are easy to maneuver and clean, and a pleasure to use.
Cutco has been around a long time and because of that, it has been in the news a ton. More recently, we’ve found mentions of the brand in publications like Yahoo, NextAdvisor, Ladders, Business Insider, and others. Its Instagram page has a decent following of 26k too, proving that the business has stayed up to date with the times.
Is your knife collection due for an overhaul? This Cutco knife review will introduce you to the brand, its bestsellers, customer reviews, FAQs, and more, to help you decide if its American-made products are worth the investment.
Overview of Cutco
In 1949, Cutco began its production of knives in Olean, New York. Backed by Alcoa and Case Cutlery, the brand knew the benefits of an all-American-made company and what that was worth to the Americans its team walked door-to-door selling to.
When it began, as is still the case today, Cutco was a way for encouraging salesmen to make a career. The more they sold, the more they earned. And though the company has evolved with the times and is now available through an online platform, the spirit of salesmanship has not faltered.
The brand puts heavy emphasis on its solid sales and support team and is dedicated to making Americans (and now Canadians, too) happy with the purchase of its lifetime-warranty-backed knives and cooking utensils. Still based in Olean, Cutco is now owned by Vector Marketing.
Before we dig into the brand’s selection of sharp products, this Cutco knife review will run you through its pros and cons.
Pros
- Array of knives, kitchen tools, and outdoor gear
- Knives are stamped, so they are lightweight and flexible
- In business over 70 years
- Customers say the curved handle is perfect for grip and that the knives have stayed sharp for decades
- Forever Guarantee and free lifetime sharpening and repairs
- Ships to Canada
- Free Standard Shipping and other discounts available
Cons
- Some customers have said its tools are rust easily, arrive dull, and don’t feel good in their hands
- Pricier than other options
- Knives are stamped, not forged, so they may not be as durable as others
Though best known for its knives, the brand specializes in an array of kitchen gear. After all, its name does stand for the ‘Cooking Utensil Company.’ Among the prep knives, you’ll also find Cutco steak knives, cutting boards, and gadgets.
In the next section of this Cutco knife review, we’ll be focusing on the brand’s selection of sets, hunting knives, scissors, and its signature sharpener. Your new kitchen essentials might be waiting in this lineup.
Cutco Knives Set Review
One knife is a great starting place, but if you’re an avid cook, sometimes an entire set is the right choice—especially if you’re underwhelmed with your current dull choppers. Below, this Cutco knives review will feature the brand’s best-selling knife sets that were designed to take your cooking to the next level.
Cutco Homemaker + 8 Set with Block w/ Petite Chef Review
Big family dinners and celebrations call for a feast—one you’ll whip up with ease, thanks to your Homemaker + 8 Set with Block w/ Petite Chef Knife. This set is as beautiful as it is useful. It contains all of the sharp tools any home chef would need, and customers can choose from black, red, and white handles.
Along with an oak Homemaker + 8 Set Block (choose from a cherry or honey finish) to house your new set of pristine blades, your set includes:
- Trimmer
- Spatula Spreader
- 7 ⅝” Petite Chef Knife
- 6 ¾” Petit Carver
- 9” Carver
- 9 ¾” Slicer
- Cutco Butcher Knife
- Tuning Fork
- 8 Table Knives
- Knife Sharpener
- Medium Cutting Board
This Cutco knife review will note that you can swap out your Petit Chef Knife for a 9 ¼” French Knife instead.
From a bountiful Thanksgiving dinner to a New Year’s appetizer feast and a Valentine’s Day romantic candlelit dinner, this set will take you through all of the little moments in between. Get this Cutco knives set for $1,600.
Cutco Galley + 6 Set with Block Review
Consider dinner complete with the Cutco Galley + 6 Set with Block. This 13-piece knife set comes with all the slicing and dicing tools you’ll need to prepare a 5-star feast, to cut crudités, or dice up a quick salad.
The oak storage block creates an attractive display on your countertop. The set also includes:
- Trimmer
- Spatula Spreader
- 7 ⅝” Petite Chef Knife
- 6 ¾” Petit Carver
- 9 ¾” Slicer
- Tuning Fork
- 6 Table Knives
Prepare your kitchen for a lifetime of meals, snacks, and easy food prep with the Galley + 6 Set with Block for $1,179. Add some Cutco cutlery to make it complete.
Cutco All Knife Set with Tray Review
This expansive set completely elevates your prep and cook game. Breeze through cooking for friends or an elegant meal for a solo indulgence. In this Cutco All Knife Set with Tray you’ll get five kitchen essentials:
- Trimmer
- Spatula Spreader
- 7 ⅝” Petite Chef Knife
- 2 ¾” Paring Knife
- 9” Carver
You’ll also get a 5 pc. Knife & Fork Tray to store them all in, a Small Cutting Board, and the Knife Sharpener to keep your tools in tip-top shape. Choose from pearl, black, or red handles.
Get this option from the Cutco knife sets for $629.
Cutco Hunting Knife Review
Navigating the great unknown can be daunting, but the right tools help you get where you’re going faster, and with more ease. This Cutco knife review will feature the brand’s best hunting knives below to help you tackle land and sea.
Cutco KA-BAR® Explorer Review
Made from 440A high-carbon stainless steel, the KA-BAR Explorer looks like it means business. Combining a Double-D edge (sort of like serrated, but not) with a straight edge, this multifaceted blade can handle slicing, sawing, and chopping—even in wet conditions, thanks to the textured handle.
The blade itself has an epoxy powder coating to help it stand up to the elements, and at its base is a guard and pommel to stop your hand from slipping. Accompanied by a plastic sheet, the KA-BAR Explorer is $260.
Cutco Fisherman’s Solution Review
Filleting a fish takes skill, but the proper cut has more to do with the knife you use than anything else. The Fisherman’s Solution features a high-carbon stainless steel blade that effortlessly slices through fish, making the process last a matter of seconds. You can even adjust this blade from 6” to 9” to fillet a range of fish.
What’s more, is that this Cutco fillet knife can handle more than filleting fish. It’s an all-around great tool to have on hand when you head out on the lake or ocean. The built-in line cutter gets you out of tricky situations in a pinch, while the gripper assists in unhooking your catch.
Use the sharpening stone to bring life back into any dull hooks you have lying around. This Swiss Army knife of fishing is $129.
Cutco Scissors Review
Scissors are easy to handle and make quick work of the material at hand. This Cutco knife review will now feature the brand’s best-selling pair of scissors that easily tackle food prep and cleanup.
Cutco Super Shears Review
These are the shears that everyone is talking about. What makes them so special, you ask? Aside from essentially being made from 4117 high-carbon stainless steel, the Super Shears come apart for cleaning. Plus they feature a universal handle to keep your fingers comfortable while cutting tough material.
Use them strictly for food prep, on things like chicken or steak, or as a handy kitchen tool to cut up boxes and newspapers. Available in black, red, or pearl, these scissors are a great-looking accessory to hang with your other kitchen gadgets.
Make your life easier with the Cutco scissors for $146.
Cutco Knife Sharpener Review
Though the company’s knives have been said to stay sharp for a long time, throughout your ownership, you may find that it’s time you sharpen your blade. This Cutco knife review will feature the brand’s best-selling knife sharpener to help you get the job done quickly and efficiently.
Cutco Knife Sharpener
You can always send your knife back to the brand for free sharpening, but you can also do it easily from home with the Cutco Knife Sharpener. Measuring 6-7/8″, it easily fits in your utensil drawer or can sit proudly on the counter. It has a thermoplastic outer covering and a grooved handle so that you can get a grip while sharpening.
Check out the easy-to-follow Cutco demo on how to properly sharpen your knife. Get it for $65.
Are Cutco knives high quality?
Cutco knives are generally considered to be high-quality, but because they are stamped and not forged, their durability may be less than those who are made with fire and a hammer.
Stamping refers to the process in which knives are cut out from a single sheet of steel. If stamping sounds foreign to you, be aware that stamped knives come with their own set of advantages, like being lighter and more flexible.
Can anyone sharpen Cutco knives?
Any adult can sharpen one of the brand’s knives at home using the brand’s Knife Sharpener we featured earlier in this Cutco knife review. If you find your knife is too far gone or you aren’t making any headway with your home sharpener, you can take it to a professional sharpening service or send it back to the company for free sharpening.
Cutco Reviews: What Do Customers Think?
So far, we love the look of the brand’s knife selection. But, if you’re like us, you may be wondering how these knives perform at home. If so, you’re in luck, because this is the part of the Cutco knife review where we show you real customer testimonials found from a thorough web search.
Turning to the brand’s website first, we were impressed to find that its best-sellers received incredible ratings. We’ll show you what we found below.
- Trimmer: an average of 4.9/5 stars from 1.5k reviews
- Paring Knife: an average of 4.9/5 stars from 512 reviews
- Traditional Cutco Cheese Knife: an average of 4.9/5 stars from 549 reviews
- Super Shears: an average of 4.9/5 stars from 1.5k reviews
- Cutco Hunting Knife: an average of 4.8/5 stars from 147 reviews
We decided to take a deeper look into the Trimmer because it’s one of the brand’s most popular products. This item has an incredible rating breakdown that shows 1.5k perfect reviews and just 9 1-star scores.
The Trimmer also scored 5/5 Reliability and 5/5 Sharpness. But we’ll now get into the actual customer comments.
Buyers rave about the cutting ability of this product. One customer reports that it has lasted more than two decades: “bought this knife about 25 years ago and I absolutely LOVE it!! It is my go to knife for everything and it is still sharp and has no nicks or anything!!”
We love reading about products that last a long time. And, considering the price, we think that makes this product worth it.
So, what could possibly be wrong with this knife? Let’s find out. Among the 9 1-star reviews, customers complain of dull edges, or that the knife cuts on an angle. Some also speak of the awkward handle.
One Cutco knife review reads, “The Trimmer feels flimsy and just doesn’t feel solid in my hand. I’ve tried cutting different vegetables and it feels like the blade isn’t cutting straight through.” From what we’ve read, this certainly doesn’t sound typical of the brand.
It’s always a good idea to venture off of the company’s website to find reviews with a little more depth than single comments. So, we turned to The Spruce Eats for a detailed review of the Petit Chef Knife, which the site rated 4.6/5 stars.
We chose this review because it goes into depth with information on the handle’s fit. The handle is, perhaps, the most controversial feature of the brand’s knives, so we were happy to find some more information on it.
The Cutco knife review said that “when we started to use the knife, it fit like a glove, almost like magic…our fingers gripped it properly because of where they fit in the valleys, which resulted in a relaxed and comfortable grasp.” This was very helpful to read because some don’t appreciate this feature.
Though the review loved many things about the Petite Chef Knife, it did list some downsides as well. The three cons it pointed out were the knife’s cost, that it needs to be hand-washed, and that it is “slightly shorter than typical chef knives.” All three of these things aren’t deal-breakers to the reviewer, and they certainly aren’t to us either.
Let’s take a left turn here to check out a Cutco product that isn’t a knife, the Super Shears. They have a 4.8/5 star rating on Amazon, awarded to them by 437 customers.
So what did customers have to say about them? Well, one happy 20-year Super Shears user wrote, “These are the best and I hope to use them for the next 20 or 30 years. They stay sharp, clean easily; useful for cutting up veggies or chicken; cut flowers, cut up boxes or paper.” It’s good to read that they have many uses and can handle different textures.
A fairly common complaint was that the Super Shears rusted easily. Take this example: “Promoted to me as dishwasher safe! It’s not in the least bit dishwasher safe. Rusts. So when I call the company they tell me that you have to catch it before it goes into the dry cycle.” This is fairly frustrating as it’s not fair to market them as dishwasher safe if there’s a catch.
So, are Cutco knives good? Across review sites, we were really impressed by the performance and quality of the brand’s products. Many long-time customers trust the brand and have enjoyed using its knives and kitchen accessories. Though there are slight issues here and there, we didn’t find any red flags.
Is Cutco Worth It?
Cutco products are on the higher end of the cost spectrum, but that doesn’t matter if they’re quality pieces that will last a lifetime. And these will—because the brand makes that promise with its Forever Guarantee.
If at any time your knife breaks, becomes dull, or needs repairs, you can send it back to get fixed up. Even if you’re doing something you’re not supposed to with them, like cutting rocks, you can send it in and get a new one for half price.
We love companies like this that bend over backward for customers, which is probably why Cutco has been in business for over 70 years. Though its knives are pricey, they last forever, and many customers report that they stay sharp for 10+ years as well.
With all of that in mind, we stand behind our belief that Cutco is worth the buy.
Cutco Promotions & Discounts
We reviewed the brand’s website to find out if they had any deals going on. Here’s what we found:
- Summer Savings Sale: 20% off select sets
- Enter your email for a chance to win a $100 gift card
- Exclusive Owner Specials: unlock rewards
- Free Sharpening
Where to Buy Cutco
You can buy the brand’s products directly through Cutco.com or one of its individual salespeople.
If you’re more of an in-person shopper, you can also find them at the Cutco Knives Costco section at the American or Canadian superstore.
FAQ
How much is Cutco shipping?
Cutco Standard Shipping is free. Express shipping costs are outlined below.
- $0-$250: $25
- $250-$500: $40
- $501-$1000: $60
- $1001-$2000: $75
- $2001-$5000 $100
- $5001+ Call for Rates
How long does Cutco take to ship?
Standard Cutco orders take 2-4 weeks to arrive. If you choose Express shipping, you’ll get it in 2-4 business days. If your order is engraved or monogrammed, add an extra 1-2 days. The brand does not ship internationally.
What is Cutco’s Return Policy?
If you try out your Cutco product and find it’s not right for you, you can return it within 15 days of purchase. To request a return or exchange, follow these steps:
- Head to the Returns Portal on the company’s website
- Enter the required information
- Download your return shipping label
- Follow the instructions on how to package your knives properly
- Drop off at a local post office
If you live in Canada, simply send your returns or exchanges to: Cutco Customer Service, Returns/Exchanges, 7-2351 Huron Street, London, ON, N5V 0A8.
How to Contact Cutco
If you need any other information that wasn’t included in this Cutco knife review, you can get in contact with the brand by any of the methods below:
- Phone: 1-800-361-8800
- Contact Form: Available on its website
Cutco’s customer service hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 12:00 am, or Saturday 9:00 am to 3:00 pm ET.
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