Hi all,
I have been in the market for a starter knife set recently, and stumbled on Cutlery and More's clearance of a 7-piece Wusthof Grand Prix II knife set. Set is priced at $199.95 + $60 Postage to Australia (US website).
Includes the following:
3.5-inch Paring Knife
4.5-inch Utility Knife
8-inch Bread Knife
8-inch Chef's Knife
9-inch Sharpening Steel
9-slot Hardwood Knife Block
Come-Apart Kitchen Shears
Bonus Wusthof 2-stage knife sharpener (included in shipment if you spend over $149 on Wusthof knives)
Bonus Wusthof chopping board (included in shipment if you spend over $149 on Wusthof knives)
For those unfamiliar with knives, Wusthof are often regarded as some of the best out there. A set like this should not only get you off the ground with pretty much any knife situation in the kitchen, but hopefully last you many, many years to boot. These are not as famous as the Wusthof Classic or Classic Ikon range (used by chefs like Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsey, etc), but from what I can tell on my travels through the internet are still very highly regarded.
Links with more info:
Amazon 7-piece Wusthof Grand Prix II knife set on amazon (amazon has same price, but no shipping to AUS. Might be able to wangle a slightly better deal on postage if you went through a US forwarder):
http://www.amazon.com/Wusthof-8845-Grand-Prix-Block/dp/B0040…
Amazon 8-piece Wusthof Grand Prix II knife set (not the same clearance set as includes an extra knife, but I've posted here because it has a few reviews attached to it).
http://www.amazon.com/Wusthof-8518Grand-8-Piece-Knife-Block/…
As for Aussie retailers, Peters of Kensington, Home Depot and a few others have the 8-piece block set listed for just under $500:
http://www.petersofkensington.com.au/Public/Wusthof-Trident-…
While I think this is a competitive deal, my advice before you buy is to try and find a shop where you can "test" the knife out first. I was pretty much set on getting a set of Global knives (Japanese knives with a reputation similar to Wusthof), but after actually trying came to the realisation that the handle was a little small and the knife was a little too light for my liking. Others may love that though, so you will never know until you try….
Also check out the other clearance items on Cutlery and More's page, heaps going for Wusthof including the 9-piece Grand Prix II knife block set:
http://www.cutleryandmore.com/wusthof/clearance
Great deal. If I didn't already have good knives I'd nab these.