We have used Henckels knives for 35 years and love them. These are for a gift as ours are far from wearing out. We see manufacture has moved to Spain. The proof is in the pudding.
I bought this set on sale with the caveat that it had "visual imperfections." It would have been nice if they had shown me what the visual perfections were. In addition to scratches, there was some "glop" on the knives that can't be washed off, so they always appear dirty. In my opinion, these knives should not have been sold at all -- even on sale! It's one thing to sell items that are actually usable; it's another to sell junk, which is what I consider happened in this case. Beware of items with "visual imperfections" because you'll get that and more...