Quality knives are often not only practical, but beautiful too. With the growing influence of Japanese knife design, which have a long history of focusing on beauty, there is an ever growing range of high-quality and stunning knife sets to choose from.
In this article, I’m going to show you some of my recommendations of top-quality kitchen knife sets, with a range of traditional western function and Japanese-influenced styles.
But first I’ll start with my overall favorite, a great balance between price, style and reliability.
The luxury knife set I would recommend is the Dalstrong Phantom Series 6-Piece Magnetic Block Set. It has a unique design and style which is equally matched by the top quality materials used. I also think the range of knife types should cover almost all but the most specific kitchen tasks, for a reasonable price.
View My Top Recommendation
You can take a look at the Dalstrong Phantom Series 6-Piece Magnetic Block Set on Amazon here.
If you want to explore my other choices then the following list includes some of the top luxury cutlery sets available, all at different price levels.
With a variety of features, designs, and capabilities, it will be easy to find the best luxury knife set for you.
My Luxury Knife Set Recommendations
Here is a summary table of my favorite luxury knife sets, if you want a more detailed review of each then take a look at my full reviews below.
| Name | Price | Check current price |
| Wüsthof Classic 20-Piece Knife Block Set (most durable) | $1,250 – $1,350 | Link to Amazon |
| Shun Classic 13-piece Knife Block Set | $1,150 – $1,250 | Link to Amazon |
| Zelite Alpha-Royal Japanese Series 6-Piece Damascus Magnetic Block Set | $410 – $430 | Link to Amazon |
| Dalstrong Phantom Series 6-Piece Magnetic Block Set (my top pick) | $390 – $410 | Link to Amazon |
| Shun Classic 5-Piece Block Set | $340 – $360 | Link to Amazon |
| Dalstrong Shogun Series X 5-Piece Knife Set | $330 – $360 | Link to Amazon |
| Cangshan S Series 12-Piece Knife Block Set | $290 – $320 | Link to Amazon |
Wüsthof Classic 20-Piece Knife Block Set
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Wüsthof Classic 20-Piece Knife Block Set Review Table
| Country of manufacture | Germany |
| Steel type | X50CrMoV15 (German steel that’s ideal for durability) |
| Rockwell hardness | 57 |
| Factory edge | 15 degrees (double bevel) |
| Handle material | POM (thermoplastic) |
| Pros | Durable materials and traditional design |
The Wüsthof Classic 20-piece block set includes:
- 25-Slot Block
- Come Apart Kitchen Shears
- 9-inch Steel
- 8-inch Hollow Edge Carving Knife
- 8-inch Cooks Knife
- 8-inch Bread Knife
- 6-inch Straight Meal Fork
- 6-inch Utility Knife
- 5-inch Hollow Edge Santoku
- 4½-inch Utility Knife
- 4½-inch Steak Knives (Quantity of 8)
- 3½-inch Paring Knife
This incredible knife set from Wüsthof has a comprehensive set of knives using very durable materials.
Wüsthof are one of the most well-known and respected brands in the knife world. They produce their knives in Solingen, Germany, also known as The City of Blades due to its long history of knife making.
The steel used for the blade is a German stainless steel called X50CrMo15. This is a steel frequently used for quality knife blades as its high carbon content makes the blade strong, with great edge retention, and the high chromium content makes it very resistant to rust and corrosion, increasing the durability.
The handles are all made using a thermoplastic called POM. It’s a material often used for quality, western-style knives as it’s very durable and resistant to the type of moisture and heat fluctuations you would expect in a busy kitchen.
This huge knife set will equip you with pretty much any type of knife you’re going to need, and because Wüsthof knives are specifically built for durability, you can fully expect this set to last for decades, even with heavy use.
Not everyone will be able to splash out $1,000+ on a knife set, but if you can then you actually end up with a very good value for money per knife, especially given that Wüsthof are widely considered as the best manufacturer of western-style knives.
Shun Classic 13-piece Knife Block Set
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Shun Classic 13-piece Knife Block Set Review Table
| Country of manufacture | Japan |
| Steel type | VG-MAX (Durable and hard Japanese steel) |
| Rockwell hardness | HRC 61 |
| Factory edge | 16 degrees (double bevel) |
| Handle material | Pakkawood (wood/resin composite) |
| Pros | Very sharp and extremely rust resistant |
The Shun 13-Piece Knife Block Set includes:
- 13-Slot Bamboo Block
- 9-inch Hollow Edge Slicing Knife
- 9-inch Combination Honing Steel
- 8-inch Chefs Knife
- 7-inch Hollow Edge Santoku Knife
- 6-inch Serrated Utility/Tomato Knife
- 6-inch Kiritsuke Knife
- 6-inch Gokujo Boning/Fillet Knife
- 5-inch Hollow Edge Nakiri Knife
- 4-inch Serrated Paring Knife
- 3½-inch Paring Knife
- 2½-inch Birds Beak Peeling Knife
If you’d like a knife in a traditional Japanese style which has been crafted to fit the western market then you can’t do much better than this 13-piece set by Shun.
Shun knives are made in the Japanese city of Seki, the knife capital of Japan.
The blades use a Japanese steel exclusive to Shun, VG-MAX. It’s a western twist on classic Japanese steel. As you would expect with Japanese steel it is high in carbon which makes it extremely strong, giving it a super sharp edge with excellent edge retention.
The western twist is that Shun has added more chromium to the blade, the element which makes stainless steel knives resistant to rust and corrosion. As a result, you end up with the blade having Japanese strength with increased durability.
The blades have partial bolsters and are full tang going down the handle. The handles are crafted in a beautiful traditional Japanese style, with a tapered cylindrical shape using Pakkawood as the material. This wood composite is often used for quality knife handles as it’s renowned for its durability and attractive natural appearance.
This exceptional knife set offers you something a little bit unique and uses all the traditional features which make Japanese knives so great with a few western ideas to make it easier for the western user to work with.
Zelite Alpha-Royal Japanese Series 6-Piece Damascus Magnetic Block Set
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Zelite Alpha-Royal Japanese Series 6-Piece Set Review Table
| Country of manufacture | China |
| Steel type | AUS-10 (High-quality Japanese steel) |
| Rockwell hardness | HRC 61 |
| Factory edge | 12 degrees (double bevel) |
| Handle material | G10 (fiberglass laminate) |
| Pros | Incredible materials for a relatively low price |
The Zelite Alpha-Royal Japanese Series 6-Piece Set includes:
- 8-inch Chefs Knife
- 8-inch Bread Knife
- 7-inch Santoku Knife
- 6-inch Gokujo/Boning Knife
- 6-inch Utility Knife
- 4-inch Paring Knife
- 360 Rotating Rubberwood Block
Zelite makes a range of top-quality kitchen knives with a Japanese influence, this Zelite Infinity 8 Inch is one of their best.
Zelite knives are manufactured in China using imported German or Japanese steels, as a result, you get incredible quality knives but for a relatively low price.
The knives are made from a top-quality, very high carbon steel called AUS-10. This is a well-renowned steel in the knife world. As high carbon knives can become quite brittle, this steel has added nickel, manganese and silicon to improve the flexibility of the blade.
The addition of vanadium, chrome and molybdenum to the steel also increases its resistance to rust and corrosion. Overall this highly technical steel is super strong, allowing for a great cutting edge, whilst still remaining durable.
The handles are made from a fiberglass laminate called G-10, helping to keep the knives lightweight and durable, these handles won’t be affected by any of the moisture and temperature fluctuations you’d expect in a busy kitchen.
The magnetic block allows you to display to knives in all their glory and overall this is a fantastic set, where you get a range of knives using top quality materials for a very budget friendly price.
Dalstrong Phantom Series 6-Piece Magnetic Block Set
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Dalstrong Phantom Series 6-Piece Set Review Table
| Country of manufacture | China |
| Steel type | AUS-8 (High-quality Japanese steel) |
| Rockwell hardness | HRC 58 |
| Factory edge | 12 degrees (double bevel) |
| Handle material | G10 (fiberglass laminate) |
| Pros | Incredible materials for a relatively low price |
The Dalstrong 6-piece Phantom knife set includes:
- Dragon Spire Wooden Block with Double-Sided Magnets
- 9½-inch Kiritsuke Chefs Knife
- 9-inch Bread Knife
- 8-inch Chefs Knife
- 7-inch Santoku
- 5-inch Utility Knife
- 4-inch Paring Knife
Dalstrong knives are manufactured in China using imported German or Japanese steels, as a result, you get incredible quality knives but for a relatively low price.
These knives use AUS-8 as the steel for their blades. It has a high carbon content making it strong as well as a mixture of nickel, manganese, silicon, vanadium, chrome and molybdenum which combine to make it resistant to rust and corrosion and to add a little flexibility since high carbon knives tend to be brittle.
It’s a quality steel and it makes for a fantastic blade with a sharp cutting edge that retains the sharpness very well.
The blades have a partial bolster and a full tang into the handle. The handles are a Japanese style of handle and as a result, it’s very well rounded and comfortable to use. The handles are made from a fiberglass material called G-10.
This means the handle is lightweight and incredibly durable, chemically inert and resistant to water and temperature changes it shouldn’t corrode or deform at all.
Shun Classic 5-Piece Block Set
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Shun Classic 5-Piece Block Set Review Table
| Country of manufacture | Japan |
| Steel type | VG-MAX (Durable and hard Japanese steel) |
| Rockwell hardness | HRC 61 |
| Factory edge | 16 degrees (double bevel) |
| Handle material | Pakkawood (wood/resin composite) |
| Pros | Very sharp and extremely rust resistant |
The Shun Classic 5-Piece Block Set includes:
- 8-inch Chefs Knife
- 6-inch Utility Knife
- 3½-inch Paring Knife
- Honing steel
- Slimline Bamboo Block
This is the second set by Shun on my list. The reason it gets on is that it uses the same fantastic materials and design but as it’s smaller, it comes at a much lower price.
Shun knives are made in the Japanese city of Seki, the knife capital of Japan.
The blades use a Japanese steel exclusive to Shun, VG-MAX. It’s a western twist on classic Japanese steel. As you would expect with Japanese steel it is high in carbon which makes it extremely strong, giving it a super sharp edge with excellent edge retention.
The western twist is that Shun has added more chromium to the blade, the element which makes stainless steel knives resistant to rust and corrosion. As a result, you end up with the blade having Japanese strength with increased durability.
The blades have partial bolsters and are full tang going down the handle. The handles are crafted in a beautiful traditional Japanese style, with a tapered cylindrical shape using Pakkawood as the material. This wood composite is often used for quality knife handles as it’s renowned for its durability and attractive natural appearance.
Dalstrong Shogun Series X 5-Piece Knife Set
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Dalstrong Shogun Series X 5-Piece Knife Set Review Table
| Country of manufacture | China |
| Steel type | AUS-10 (High-quality Japanese steel) |
| Rockwell hardness | HRC 61 |
| Factory edge | 12 degrees (double bevel) |
| Handle material | G10 (fiberglass laminate) |
| Pros | Incredible materials for a relatively low price |
The Dalstrong Shogun Series set includes:
- 8-inch Bread Knife
- 8-inch Chef Knife
- 7-inch Santoku Knife
- 6-inch Utility Knife
- 3½-inch Paring Knife
- Acaica Wooden Block with Stainless Steel Accents
As you’d imagine from a knife with Shogun in the name, these Dalstrong Shogun knives take inspiration from the Japanese style.
Dalstrong knives are manufactured in China using imported German or Japanese steels, as a result, you get incredible quality knives but for a relatively low price.
These knives use AUS-10 as the steel for the blades. It has a very high carbon content making it extremely strong as well as a mixture of nickel, manganese, silicon, vanadium, chrome and molybdenum which combine to make it resistant to rust and corrosion and to add a little flexibility since high carbon knives tend to be brittle.
It’s a top-quality steel and it makes for a fantastic blade with a sharp cutting edge that retains the sharpness very well.
The blades have a partial bolster and a full tang into the handle. The handle itself is a mix between the classic western style and the more cylindrical Japanese style of handle and as a result, it’s very well rounded and comfortable to use. It’s riveted and the material used for the handle is a fiberglass material called G-10 .
This means the handle is light and incredibly durable, chemically inert and resistant to water and temperature changes it shouldn’t corrode or deform at all.
Cangshan S Series 12-Piece Knife Block Set
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Cangshan S Series 12-Piece Knife Set Review Table
| Country of manufacture | China |
| Steel type | X50CrMoV15 (Very durable German steel) |
| Rockwell hardness | HRC 58 |
| Factory edge | 15 degrees (double bevel) |
| Handle material | Thermoplastic |
| Pros | Durable materials with a large range of knives |
The Cangshan S Series set includes:
- Come Apart Metal Shears
- 9-inch Hollow Edge Carving Knife
- 8-inch Honing Steel
- 8-inch Bread Knife
- 8-inch Chefs Knife
- 7-inch Hollow Edge Santoku Knife
- 7-inch Nakiri Knife
- 6-inch Boning Knife
- 5-inch Serrated Utility Knife
- 3½-inch Paring Knife
- 2¾-inch Peeling Knife
- 11 Slot Acacia Wooden Block
This large set by Cangshan offers a huge range of knives using very durable materials at an attractive price.
The full-tang high alloy German steel blades are forged from X50Cr15MoV and feature an ergonomic handle. All pieces get housed in a stunning Acacia wood block.
The handles are made using a thermoplastic, making them very durable and resistant to temperature and moisture fluctiations.
The range of knives included in this set is extensive and you’ll very rarely be without the knife you require.
They are not just knives, but works of art. Each well-balanced knife performs its function with skill and style.
It’s a beautiful set that usues quality and durable materials. The cost per knife is very low and that’s mainly because the set is manufactured in China, using imported German steel, to keep the costs down.
That cost saving is passed onto the customer and as a result you get a hard-wearing quality set of very attractive knives for a 40% – 50% lower price.
