Forever Sharp Knives Review
By Bobby B. | October 25, 2020 | Knife Brands
Forever Sharp knives have been around for many, many years. I guess that’s a good sign! In any case, the mainly sell their knives by “going on the road”. They do these road shows or in-store presentations at places like Wal-Mart to show off their knives. The presentation will consist of a salesman cutting a few veggies. No big deal. Then he’ll cut some crazy #$@# (cutting boards, aluminum cans, and even hammers!) to show the knife doesn’t get dull before cutting fruits and vegetables again. It really is a convincing presentation. There are some old clips from cell phone videos that can be found on YouTube if you care to spend 14 minutes watching it.
They make claims that due to the surgical steel in their blades, they’ll stay sharp forever and never dull, hence the name “Forever Sharp”. Of course we’re here to confirm or debunk these claims and help you identify if their knives are really as good as they say they are.
Forever Sharp Knives
Forever Sharp knives are offered in two different sets. You have the main “Classic Series” knife set that includes (10) knives, and then they also offer a 4-pc steak knife set. As we mentioned before, these are most often sold at demonstrations at Wal-Marts and other retail stores, but they can also be purchased directly from Amazon. Here are our comments on both sets below, with a more detailed review of each.
Forever Sharp Classic Series Knife Set
Classic Series Knife Set Review:
This is it, the core knife set sold by Forever Sharp. In this set you get (3) of their Forever Sharp knives (long, serrated blade), a filet knife, (2) paring knives, (2) gourmet juicers (why?), and (4) steak knives. All the knives are stamped, all use the surgical steel blades and plastic, ergonmic handles. We aren’t particularly thrilled with this set of knives due to the poor build quality and lack of premium materials that will ensure the knives last the test of time.
Forever Sharp Steak Knives Set
Forever Sharp Steak Knives Review:
These steak knives by Forever Sharp are similar to their standard “forever sharp” knives. They use the same surgical steel and have micro-serrations on the blade so that the majority of the edge can stay sharp (more on this below). Nothing special here. These are basic cheap knives with inexpensive materials all around. For this price, we feel that you can find a better set of steak knives.
How Do They Stay Sharp Forever?
After one of Forever Sharp’s demonstrations, most are thinking one of two things. The skeptics in the group think the salesman must be cheating the system or performing an illusion. And everyone else is is amazed at this new “surgical steel” that might change the world since nothing can make it dull!
Well, technically neither is true, but the skeptics are “more right” on this one. Unfortunately, surgical steel is really just code for any old cheap stainless steel. It was the buzz term for several years, but you don’t see it used often any more. Maybe people just caught on.
So if the surgical steel isn’t anything special, how do the knives stay sharp forever, or is that an illusion also?
It’s the fact that the knives are serrated that allows them to stay sharp, or at least appear sharp, for so long. You see, serrated knives actually do get dull on the points. However, because of the serrations, only a very small portion of the blade’s edge actually comes in contact with the cutting surface, leaving it nice and sharp when cutting your food. This is not some trick Forever Sharp came up with. All serrated knives (See More: Bread Knives) wear this way.
It’s this same reason that you see almost all cheap knives have micro-serrations on the blades, even on knives that are not typically serrated. Their cheap steel won’t hold an edge, so they get around it by using a serrated blade that will rarely need sharpened. Then you have the age old issue of How Do You Sharpen Serrated Knives if they ever do need it?
Are Forever Sharp Knives Any Good?
When we look at the core criteria we usually measure knives against, we see that Forever Sharp knives don’t stack up well with the average kitchen knife (how they’re made, materials used, appearance, do people like them, and what do they cost?).
They use thin, stamped blades rather than heavy-duty forged blades. They also use cheap materials all around. Cheap plastic in the handles and “surgical steel” for the blades.
I’m sorry if I just burst your bubble on Forever Sharp knives, but for the amount of money spent on these cheap, thin, stamped knives, you could buy all kinds of sets that are better and include forged knives. Here’s just one example…
Chicago Cutlery Belden 15-pc Knife Set
This 15-pc knife set sold by Chicago Cutlery is offered for about the same price as the smaller 10-pc set from Forever Sharp reviewed above. The knives in this set are fully forged (big plus) and use high-carbon stainless steel for added strength and edge retention.
So, more knives, higher quality knives, and still a lifetime warranty. What more could you ask for? This is just one of many sets I’d recommend over the Forever Sharp knife set. For a full look at knife sets we recommend, check out this page: Best Knife Sets Under $200.
What About the Lifetime Warranty?
But wait! Forever Sharp offers a lifetime warranty. Why would they do that if their knives aren’t any good? Great question! No seriously, that’s a great question. This is a redeeming factor for these knives. They really do have a lifetime warranty, and it’s actually a really good one!
Their lifetime guarantee states that “if any of our products should ever become damaged or not work properly, even if the damage is your fault, TTT (the trading company that sells Forever Knives) will send you a replacement absolutely free.” You don’t even have to have the receipt or the original packaging, so that part is great.
I think that after many years, just very few people actually return their knives for a replacement. They also ask you to write them a check for $5 per knife to cover postage. These knives, made in China, are probably so cheap that this covers their cost to manufacture
Forever Sharp Knives Conclusion
Forever Sharp knives are in expensive and really can stay sharp for a long time, however the trick is not in their magical surgical steel. It’s a built-in feature to the micro-serrations on the blade that keep much of the knife’s edge from coming into contact with things like cutting boards, plates, etc. This keeps the blades sharper longer. They really do have a great lifetime warranty that covers almost anything. You just send them 5 bucks and get a new knife, simple as that. They aren’t super high quality knives, but they do stay sharp!
To see reviews on more kitchen knife brands: Best Kitchen Knife Brands