I have CC knives and I like them. However, most were purchased when CC knives were made in this country. More recent, "off-shore", CC's do not seem to me to have the same over-all quality that the older, domestic, CC knives did. Since the person in question is looking seriously at a block of Chicago Cutlery knives, it seems to me that a set of "high-end" knives like Wusthof's may not be in the picture. Might I recommend, then, that Old Hickory's knives be considered"? OH's fit and finish is now at least as good as CC's, their walnut handles are at least as pretty ( if not always quite as "ergonmic") as CC's, and their 1095 carbon steel blades take and hold an edge a lot better than CC's "mystery stainless" blades. (I find it interesting that, a few years back, CC came out with a line of knives that featured 440A as a "premium steel"! Kind of makes one wonder about their "regular steel"!) OH knives are good quality American-made knives that are offered at a low price that almost conceals how good these knives really are. A few precautions against rust and, occasionally, a good sharpening right out of the box gives the OH user an inexpensive knife that will often outperform much more expensive knives.
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