Zwilling Vs. Henckels Compared

Zwilling Vs. Henckels Compared

Table of Contents

If you need a new kitchen knife, you ought to ask yourself the following questions:

What is a good brand for kitchen knives? What properties should you search for in a kitchen knife?

If you have been keeping tabs with the knife market, you must have come across the Zwilling vs. Henckels kitchen knives.

Unfortunately, understanding the difference between the two is confusing at times since they share a parent company.

This article entails a comparison of Zwilling vs. Henckels kitchen knives to clear up any confusion you may have.

Learn about the similarities and differences of Zwilling vs.Henckels and find out which brand to choose for your kitchen.

About Zwilling J.A. Henckels

About Zwilling J.A. Henckels

Zwilling traces its existence to Solingen, Germany. Established in 1731, the company is the oldest and largest manufacturer of kitchen knives.

Peter Henckels founded the company and registered it as a trademark having the Cutler’s Guild of Solingen. This trademark grew to become the foundation of an international brand–Zwilling.

In 1971, Peter’s son J. A. Henckels was born and became an integral part of his father’s company and gave the company its red background logo in 1969.

The company grew to become Zwilling J.A Henckels in a father-son partnership.

A quick overview of this brand’s journey through history helps us learn more about the Zwilling vs. Henckels brand.

Some of the major milestone dates in the history of Zwilling J.A. Henckels are as follows:

  • 1731: registration as a trademark.
  • 1818: opening the first outlet store in Berlin, Germany.
  • 1851: Winning the highest World Fair award in London.
  • 1883: Establishment of the first outlet in New York.
  • 1893: Winning the only metal award category.
  • 1909: Zwilling opens the first international subsidiary in the U.S.
  • 1976: Zwilling develops a four-star knife range and wins the best-selling chef’s knife award.
  • 2008: Emergence of Zwilling’s Twin 1731 chef’s knife. This commenced a new generation of high-end kitchen knives with a focus on efficiency. 

Being among the oldest knife manufacturer globally, Zwilling continues to take pride in the quality and reliability of its cutlery knives.

The company’s milestone achievements throughout history since its establishment speak a lot about this brand.

An analytical look at Zwilling’s symbol shows its level of sophistication as presented by its red background.

Currently, Zwilling is the parent company that heads up other brands, including Zwilling J.A. Henckels. In addition, it has opened hundreds of branches in other countries throughout the world.

The brand’s overall success is founded on high customer satisfaction and the early globalization of its operations.

What is Zwilling?

What is Zwilling?

The name Zwilling in German means twin. This brand is easy to determine, thanks to the twin logo. Although this logo has evolved with time, it still carries the same premise.

Zwilling is renowned as a premium knife primarily for top chefs. They are high-end products produced in Germany and Japan focused on enhanced performance.

Their enhanced performance directly reflects on its pricing.

Both professional and amateur chefs appreciate Zwilling’s innovative knives globally. Zwilling focuses on the choice of knife construction materials, quality control, and modern manufacturing techniques.

This brand has set itself apart by concentrating on meeting the high expectations of its customers all over the world.

Zwilling’s knives are fogged, which means that they are constructed for ultimate performance and reliability.

This is the ultimate knife for every purpose. What makes Zwilling even more interesting is its emphasis on “the right knife for every task.”

Having a good knife does not necessarily mean that it’ll serve every purpose. This notion is what drives Zwilling’s performance and increases its recognition among top chefs.

Zwilling produces different knife models through continuous innovation to fit different customer expectations.

As a result, their knives are available in diverse designs based on their intended use. As a result, they have variations in size, shape, and form.

Let’s have a look into a few diverse knives of Zwilling and their intended use:

  1. Zwilling Santoku Knife: Asian equivalent for chef’s knives. Excellent for cutting fish, vegetables, and meat. Has extra wide razor edge for optimal performance.
  2. Zwilling Paring Knife: It is the perfect knife for peeling, garnishing, or cutting your fruit and vegetables.
  3. Zwilling Professional S, Boning Knife: High tip and sharp blade ideal for kitchen and outdoor use to loosen bones, cut tendons, and remove fats. It is also the perfect choice for filleting.

The three Zwilling knives are not the only ones available. There are many others for utility use, such as bread knives, slicing knives, and many more.

You should understand that Zwilling’s knives are ice-hardened for more strength.

What is Henckels?

What is Henckels?

Henckels is Zwilling’s entry-level brand. You can quickly identify the Henckels brand by the logo, which has a single-person design.

Henckels was established in 1895 as part of Zwilling’s strategy to create a value-driven brand. This brand was established to provide similar durability, usability, and design to the standards of Zwilling.

Here we discover Henckels as a global knife maker. Henckels provides a value-driven customer experience through their diversity in professional chef knives.

This brand is renowned for its focus on quality, traditional designs, precision, rust-resistant blades, German engineering, and ergonomic handles.

Owning a Henckel knife guarantees you an outstanding balance in material properties and excellent edge retention.

Henckel knives provide the best flexibility and convenience for many users. In addition, customers get value for money by purchasing block sets of Henckel knives.

Here is an outline of the different block sets of Henckel products available to customers.

  1. Henckels Silvercap Knife Block Set, 14 Piece, Black: This knife set defines quality, precision, and value for money. Each knife in this set has ergonomic handles for a comfortable grip and flexibility.
  2. J.A. Henckels International Everedge Plus 13-Piece Knife Set with Block: Proper balance of hardness and performance.
  3. Henckels Forged Accent 15-Pc, Knife Block Set: This product serves all your kitchen purposes. They are forged for enhanced quality and durability.

While we only mention a few block sets of Henckels knives, there are many other products available. Therefore, you can choose a desirable Henckels product from the vast pool available in the market.

Henckels continues to register significant performance in all international markets. Therefore, it shows that they are doing an incredible job of keeping their customers satisfied.

The company has established many outlets in different countries such as China and Spain to reach a broader market. Since 1895, Henckels has continued to provide better products.

Comparison

Before choosing between the premium Zwilling and its entry-level brand, Henckels, we give you a detailed comparison of the two brands.

A good comparison of the Zwilling vs. Henckel’s brands clears any confusion in the minds of customers.

In this comparison, you’ll learn the similarities and differences of Zwilling vs. Henckels. We focus on factors such as construction, thickness, hardness, corrosion, resistance, affordability, and the place of manufacture.

Similarities

SIMILARITIES

While Zwilling vs. Henckels are two distinct brands, some features bring out apparent similarities between these two brands. We base these comparison features on general knife blade properties.

Corrosion resistance

In Zwilling vs. Henckels, both are brands use stainless steel to make their knives. Henckels and Zwilling knives have high levels of carbon, making them corrosion-resistant.

The anti-corrosion properties of the blades are almost the same.

Hardness

Zwilling vs. Henckels has high levels of hardness. This is because they both undergo an ice-hardening process which increases their strength for everyday use.

Besides, a high concentration of carbon in both knives increases their hardness and durability.

Usability

Both follow the “the right knife for every task” rule: In discussing Zwilling vs. Henckels, they both produce diverse knives for performing different tasks.

Whether you want a deboning or paring knife, both brands cater to the market. Purchasing any of these brands in sets delivers better value for money. 

Handles

The Zwilling vs. Henckel’sbrands has ergonomically designed handles. Their handles are designed for excellent grip and comfort in your hand.

The design for a better handle lies in the originality of the parent brand, Zwilling.

Edge retention

Both Zwilling and Henckels have excellent edge retention capabilities thanks to their hardness.

As a result, you can comfortably use any of these brands for a given period without worrying about them becoming blunt.

However, this does not mean that their edge retention lasts forever. You’ll definitely need to sharpen your knives after frequent use.

Make sure you get a premium knife sharpening stone to keep your Zwilling vs. Henckelssharp for a better experience.

Wear resistance

Both knives have great wear resistance properties. The presence of high carbon volumes in both Zwilling and Henckels protects the blades from wearing.

Hardness goes hand in hand with resistance, so both these knife brands are hard, automatically ensuring their resistance to constant wear and tear.

Differences

DIFFERENCES

Although Zwilling vs. Henckels knives have several similarities, there are distinguishable differences between the two brands.

Having understood the purpose and history of each brand, it’s now easier to outline these differences.

Place of manufacture

Zwilling vs. Henckels differs in their chosen places of manufacture. Zwilling is mainly produced in Germany and Japan.

They are high-end knives, hence, demand quality machining processes. Besides, Japan and Germany have centuries of excellent reputations as knife makers.

Zwilling utilizes this expertise to increase the performance of their premium quality knives.

On the other hand, Henckels knives are manufactured in India, China, Spain, and Thailand. Manufacturing in Asia and Spain is a strategic move due to less expensive labor.

These countries allow Henckels to lower the pricing of their products.

Construction

While both brands have a variety of forged knives, most Henckels’s knives are stamped. On the other hand, all Zwilling knives are forged.

The difference between forging and stamping is in the technique used when crafting the blade.

Forged knives have more thickness than stamped knives as they are crafted from a uniform metal. Stamped knives are crafted from a large sheet of metal; thus, they have thinner laded and a slight tang.

Cost

Zwilling and Henckels are significantly different in their pricing. The construction method, place of manufacturing, and material used increase the pricing of Zwilling, which is a premium brand, thus, more expensive.

Since the establishment of the Henckels company was to produce an entry-level brand, its knives are less expensive than the Zwilling brand.

Their knives focus on a value-driven strategy, so the company manufacturers them in countries with affordable labor.

Warranty

Zwilling provides a lifetime warranty for their knives, while Henckels only guarantees a certain number of knife lines.

We suggest you familiarize yourself with the brand’s terms and conditions to understand the warranty offerings better.

Which One Do I need?

Which One Do I need?

As is evident from the comparison of Zwilling vs. Henckels, both are great knives.

They define classic Western-style knives, especially in the design of handles–all being black. Their exposed tang and rivets are also in line with the Western-style knives.

Choosing the right brand between the two can be a difficult decision. The right choice trickles down to some personal preferences and your situation (pocket wise).

For a classic chef, the ultimate choice is the Zwilling knife. However, Zwilling offers unique options for a professional chef based on either Japanese or German technology.

These two countries have a great history in the knife-making business; therefore, customers get the guarantee of quality, performance, and durability.

Zwilling knives are not limited to use by professional chefs only. Anyone can use them for their regular kitchen activity.

If you want a cheaper quality knife, go for Henckels knives. These brands are less expensive and offer “similar” qualities to the Zwilling brand.

However, they may not be a perfect fit for professional chefs.

Zwilling knives are better than Henckels by all accounts. They are a premium brand, meaning that quality materials and highly skilled labor go into their construction.

Even if Zwilling knives cost more than Henckels, their quality and durability surpass this consideration.

Conclusion

The bottom line in the Zwilling vs. Henckel’s knives comparison is that they both originate from the same parent company. However, they are different in many ways.

Zwilling wins as the best knife for regular use, whether for professional chefs or homemakers. The construction material and method, and place of manufacture ensure that the Zwilling knives have superior properties.

Henckels knives are also excellent, but they do not meet the same standards as the Zwilling knives.

However, the years of existence in the market show that customers derive great satisfaction from using this brand.

Ensure that you go through this detailed analysis before settling for either one of these brands, as Zwilling vs. Henckels both provide excellent benefits.

Resources:

Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter
LinkedIn

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *