Richardson Sheffield V Sabatier Knife Set Review

Sabatier knives, originally produced for cooks and butchers, are a confusing affair. The Sabatier name originated back in the 19th century in Thiers, France. Since the middle ages this area has been associated with cutlery. At the dawn of the industrial age manufacturers started to begin creating brands and trademarks. There were two separate families that began using the Sabatier name to market their knives, both unrelated, from different ends of town. This led to much debate about who registered the trademark first. Since then the Sabatier name has become one of those branding oddities due to the use of the name by many different companies before the full establishment of trademark laws in France. As a result of this manufacturers were required to add a second word or symbol along with the word Sabatier to distinguish themselves.

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The V Sabatier range by Richardson Sheffield can supposedly trace itself back to the founders of the Sabatier knife manufacturing industry in France. Richardson Sheffield, founded in 1839, have been around for 175 years and during that time they have become a leading brand in the UK kitchen knife market. Head-quartered in Sheffield they are known for a mix of innovative design and technically advanced construction.

The Richardson Sheffield V Sabatier 5 piece knife block contains all of the knives you need on an everyday basis:

• 20cm (8”) Chef’s Knife
• Bread Knife
• Carving Knife
• Utility Knife
• Paring Knife

The V Sabatier knives are stored in a sleek black box (a sustainable rubberwood block version is also available) with the prestigious V Sabatier branding at its base. The knife block has a lovely curve to it and its narrow profile makes it ideal to store against a wall or in a corner.

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The knife blades are made of a premium quality chrome molybdenum vanadium high carbon stainless steel which has a superior Rockwell Scale hardness rating of HRC55. They have a taper ground blade which offers effortless cutting. The complete knife has a full tang construction with a classic 3-rivet black handle. They are dishwasher safe, although hand washing is recommended and they come with a 25 year guarantee which shows the confidence that Richardson Sheffield have in their V Sabatier knives.

I found each V Sabatier knife in this set to be sharp out the box. They feel great to handle and have classic good looks, I particularly like the traditional 3 rivet design.They feel good quality even if they are a little lighter than some more expensive Japanese knife sets.

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This Richardson Sheffield knife set can cover all the essential food preparation requirements and the easy-to-grip handles help to make a comfortable prepping experience. The packaging does state that these knives are dishwasher safe but they are so easy to handwash that you might not bother. Another nice touch is the enclosed guide which tells you what each knife is for. This is useful for those new to cooking who have perhaps been given this set on moving out of the family home for the first time, but of course you can find all that information out on this website.

Returning the V Sabatier knives back to the sleek block was fiddly and unfortunately the finish on the block is easily scuffed with the tip of the knives. This is not a problem unique to Richardson Sheffield knife blocks but unfortunately due to the black finish the scuffs show up. A wooden blocked version is available though.

Conclusion

The Richardson Sheffield V Sabatier knife set is a great mid-level knife set that is comfortable and efficient to use. They are strong and durable and certainly better than many cheaper knives. If you take into consideration that they are guaranteed for 25 years then, on a per year cost basis, they are not really all that expensive. Just look after the block properly by returning the Sabatier knives carefully.

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