The SteigenBerger knives are a scam. The http://www.steigenberger-worldwide.com website is a front for selling cheap Chinese (I’m guessing) recycled steel knives. Rob Bevan got scammed by this and wrote a post back in 2004 about this when they were being sold under the name Berghaus and Swissler Royal. There’s nearly 400 comments on Rob Bevan’s site of people who’ve been similarly scammed.
The story
A dutch guy called Jacob called at our house in Belgium today. He was in Belgium on his way back to Holland. They had furnished a flat for a new block of apartments which they had just furnished as a show flat. He had some furniture from the apartment that he didn’t want to take back to Holland. When we went to see him he said that he had just given the
furniture away. However he said that he had a few knives and saucepan sets left from an exhibition that were a ‘real bargain’ – a 90% discount on the retail price. He offered the knife set and the saucepan set. We paid 60 euros for the knife set.
Had a quick check with the local policeman – this is not actually a crime because you’ve agreed to buy, its simply a civil matter that is almost impossible to prosecute with because he is a foreign citizen.
The website
A domaintools.com check on the steigenberger-worldwide.com site is that its registered by T&U Handel und Service GmbH and a guy called Andreas van de Vinne whose e-mail is steigenberger.worldwide@gmail.com. The address its registered to is the same address as the contact page on the website in Germany – both could be made up though – I don’t know how strict the Germans are about checking addresses.
Notes
An interesting comment by Rob Bevan in his post referring to a forum that is now defunct:
“I bought the knives and they are horrible. They are a very heavy piece of dull steel. I brought them to a professionell service and they explained, they can not resharpen, as the steel is recycled and too soft. I am using them now in the garden ..”
There’s a german discussion on the SteigenBerger knives on this forum, or the google translated version.
Ian Channing 
They are going under the name Masterline at http://www.mastercooking.net I got scamed as well. It feels like shit, but he was good. He had the same story, was doing a trade show and couldn’t take the stuff back and was willing to sell them for 80 percent discount. I quess I have a lot of garden knives. I live in Sweden and he said he was driving back to holland. Its a sickning feeling when you know you’ve be had. Those pictures look like Big Sur love that place if that is were it is
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My dad who lives in Solihull, uk was approached in his driveway today by a man with a similar story – saucepans and knives worth thousands of pounds that he was offering at a great reduction so he didn’t have to take them back to the Netherlands after a trade fair. Fortunately he didn’t part with any money and the well dressed well spoken Dutchman went away. Beware …
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Goddamnit… Got scammed by the same guy today in Norway…. Feel so stupid… Beware….
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I was scammed by him on the 21st of Feb this year. (Oslo, Norway) So it seems he moves around a lot, selling his fake products. I am no chef, so I didn’t know the difference, but I’ll live with one. So the scam quickly became apparent.
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I got scammed by him today – in Norway – watch up! He said he was on his way south with Colour Line
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Watch out. This guy is now operating in London driving a blue Land Rover Discovery with a dutch number plate.
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he is operating in Kings Hill near Maidstone today. Driving a black Audi with a Swiss plate. Funny that when I mentioned he try the nearby restaurants he stated the knives were too posh for them! he said he was from Switzerland but had a strong Dutch accent for sure!
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yes! it’s all happening down here on the Costa del Sol too
we also got scammed 2 weeks ago with cookware / knives / cutlery
a local newspaper THE OLIVE PRESS – big crime awareness medium! – is hot on his / their tail
keep posting!
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My boyfriend and I were scammed today in the car park of Silvermere Golf Club! My boyfriend is usually so good at smelling a rat but taken in! Same story! Show at Chelsea Docks! Going home tomorriw ! Young boy in car too! Boyfriend not happy! X
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just bought some of these knife off a lovely dutch fella wanted £60 per box but got him down to a fiver a box bargain had 3 boxes
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