The inexplicable appeal of Cutco knives

[Fat Guy]

I've been working in a couple of borrowed kitchens lately, and both have been equipped with Cutco knives. I can't for the life of me figure out why anybody would buy them. They're not inexpensive, and they don't cut particularly well. What's the secret of the enduring popularity of these knives?

[Richard Kilgore]

Friends have them. They get them as gifts or someone they know is an "independent sales representative" and they buy them as a favor.

[weinoo]

...both have been equipped with Cutco knives. What's the secret of the enduring popularity of these knives?

I think it's the name.

[paulraphael]

The 'independent sales represntative' was probably their teenage son, or the next door neighbor.

Besides supporing your local hapless kid, there's no justification for these knives.

Edited April 6, 2010 by paulraphael (log)

[Dakki]

High-pressure sales tactics by the sales reps, who are directed to target friends and family.

Also, most people wouldn't know a good kitchen knife if it fell on their foot and cut off their toes. I'm serious.

Edited April 6, 2010 by Dakki (log)

[tirgoddess]

I really like the scissors and the paring knife with the curved handle, otherwise I thought that they were way overpriced and poor quality.

[therippa]

I was shocked to find out the cutco chef's knife my mom bought from the college kid selling them across the street cost almost as much as my wusthof. She said it's worth it because the knives have a lifetime warranty, if they get dull you send them back to be re-sharpened. If you didn't have a chef's knife with a serrated edge that wouldn't be a problem, you would use a honing steel and every couple years take it to wherever your butcher gets his knives sharpened

[RWells]

Here's the scam. The neighbor's kid is graduating from High School and casting about for funds to attend college. Cutco, through a pretty shady marketing company offers these kids, money for selling these knives and puts them in competition with each other by offering nominal "scholarships" for selling the most knives. The real scam is when the deal is done (either you break down and buy a knife from the cute neighbor kid or not). You are asked for "referrals" of friends who probably also know this kid. Now none of us would fall for this from the telemarketer or the door to door sleezebag but for the cute innocuous neighbor kid it's OK. Cutco's marketing arm has this perfect storm where a high percentage of people buy even crappy knives because they were "referred" by a "friend" to the puppy dog kid next door. Hell the kid is getting scammed as much as you are. This is one side step from the door to door Bible sales kids and the magazine salespeople.

Edited April 6, 2010 by RWells (log)

[Fat Guy]

Sheesh. Why not just sell decent knives? They could do a private-label version of Forschner and sell it for a ridiculous price. At least they'd be providing people with something useful.

[RWells]

It is also important to note, as was mentioned earlier, the american public is completely oblivious to the concept of high quality, sharp knives.

[Dakki]

Sheesh. Why not just sell decent knives? They could do a private-label version of Forschner and sell it for a ridiculous price. At least they'd be providing people with something useful.

Because they own the factory. They also make KA-BAR knives there, which are also junk IMHO but are at least made of carbon steel.

[rooftop1000]

Sunday morning I decided that the quality/sharpness of a knife is not determined by weather you can cut a tomato with it (Ginsu etc)...but how fast you can dice a tomato. I need to have my knives sharpened.

I don't think I have seen or used a Cutco knife....enless that demo at BJ's was

tracey

[JeanneCake]

Yeah, I fell victim to the neighborhood kid selling them to get scholarship money a few years ago. I have a nice collection of various knives so I didn't need anything but ended up buying the steak knives, which have been fine. As far as steak knives go, these are very good. I think I also "qualified" for a cheese planer, or maybe it was a peeler which I cannot tell you where that went to so it must not have been as good as the steak knives.

Kind of like a home party thing but it's just you and the poor hapless child, showing you how their knives can cut a penny .....

[Fat Guy]

The steak knives actually seem fine. I'm not sure what they cost so it's hard to know how they stack up value-wise against, for example, good Laguiole steak knives. But they're nice enough knives. Steak knives aren't really the same as the knives used for kitchen work, however. They just need to cut bites of cooked meat at the table. It's the Cutco kitchen knives I've been using that I think are poor.

[tino27]

I, too, got talked into a set of these knives by my college friend's little brother. And at the time, they were the best things I've ever used. Since then, I've added/replaced knives as needed, but the one Cutco knife I go back to time and again (and actually carry with me in my knife roll) is the bread knife. I have come across its equal, but none superior. When taking bread classes at the local cooking school I was SHOCKED to see that my Cutco was a far superior and more effective knife.

I also like (and still use) the serrated steak knives, too.

I've kept the older knives, if for no other reason than to have a spare in case I have help in the kitchen and don't want people screwing up my Henkels or Shuns.

[Porthos]

I saw a segment on "Made In America" showing how they made Cutco knives and I knew then and there that Cutco and my wallet would never meet. I see their booths at county fairs and have to work at not snickering as I walk past. I don't own expensive knives but I do try to follow what I learned from Chad Ward's "An Edge in the Kitchen."

[Toliver]

My parents always had the set that they bought after they got married in the mid-50's. I supposed one selling point at the time would have been they were sharp dependable knives sold in an era when you really couldn't go out and go knife shopping like you can today.

I didn't even know they were Cutco brand until someone tried to sell my mom a new set. The paring knife had lost its tip years ago. When my mom sent the set to Cutco to be sharpened, they sent back a new paring knife.

She always liked the way the handles felt in her hand. Now that she has arthritis, this feature became more even important to her.

When I visit for the holidays, I bring my Forschners.

[mrsadm]

It's just like Mary Kay or Avon. If your FRIEND is selling it, well, you should buy something. Although I'd rather have some face cream then an expensive low quality knife.

[Doodad]

Wow, I have never seen or heard of these things. No complaints on that either.

[Shamanjoe]

I had a friend selling those and making a good bit of money. She had business cards and everything. Luckily even in high school I knew what a good knife was. She gave me lots of business cards, but I never gave in.

[mr drinkie]

I have a couple Cutco knives, and I don't know exactly where they came from -- maybe they were a wedding gift. I must admit though that I like the little paring knife for hulling strawberries. It fits my hand nicely and has a short stubby blade that works well for the task. Longer blades are a bit awkward for me. I can't say that I would ever buy one, but in this limited task it performs well.