Many associate Ginsu knives with the products kitschy infomercial from the ‘70s that begins with a karate kick to a watermelon and proceeds with a demo of these knives cutting through just about anything in the house. Like the original product, Ginsus International Traditions is designed for the home cook who is not attuned to the maintenance required of a more high-end knife. However, this line is an improvement on the original, offering the weight, balance, and style of a commercial-quality knife, while meeting current design trends and performance expectations.
This set provides a 5-inch fork--which holds a pork loin or rump roast still--and a 7-1/2-inch slicer for carving. Both fork head and blade are constructed from stainless steel and, although they do not have full tangs, are instead encased in a strip of bakelite, which is sandwiched within a brushed stainless-steel handle. The steel handle provides some of the weight of the missing tang and a sleek, modern style. The slicer features a two-dimensional serrated edge that is symmetrically-cut on either side for more accurate slicing and for either right- or left-handed use. The edge is still as low-maintenance as ever and never requires sharpening. Ginsu covers this International Traditions cutlery under a limited lifetime warranty, and recommends manual cleaning with hot, soapy water to keep it in top shape.
--Cristina Vaamonde Whats in the Box5-inch fork, 7-1/2-inch slicer
