Ginsu 04878 8-Piece Stainless Steel Knife Block Set

Pros: Got these about 6 months ago on a promo -- they were ~ $20 then. Our existing high-end knives all needed sharpening and I figured for $20 if these would work for a while I could take my time getting the old ones sharpened and, if they didn't, I was only out $20.

Man! These things are excellent. They have a very nice heft and feel and they've been excellent cutters so far. I've been very impressed both with the blades and with the quality of the build. Someone got us a knife block set from a home store a while back and those are terrible -- plastic-like handles that feel cheap and blades that didn't even come sharp. These are nothing like those at all. Even the block is well-made and looks very presentable on the counter.

All of this comes from someone whose knife drawer is full of names like JA Henckels, F.Dick, and Glestain. I'm not sure I'll be sharpening any of these any time soon. The Ginsu batch is doing surprisingly well.

Cons: The only "con" is the same with all quality knives -- if you happen to mix them with lower-quality knives where they touch each other in the dishwasher or in water in the sink for an extended period of time, you can get some dielectric rust on the blade from the other knife's blade. Just make sure to separate them when washing and you won't have a problem. Avoiding the dishwasher except occasionally to sterilize is also best practice if you have the patience. :D

Pros: They work well. Nice variety. Cheap price.

Cons: None.

Pros: cheap. Bought on sale for $20.

Cons: Every knife is serrated except the big one.

Other Thoughts: be aware these are all serrated except the big one.

Pros: Very Sharp!!!!!
Be careful, I love to cook and I have never cooked with knives like these, as I chopped and picked up the ingredients my finger touched the blade I felt a tiny cut.
(twice!)

Cons: none, as long as you are careful.

Other Thoughts: Great bargain at Newegg!

Pros: Great value for 8 pieces - less than $22. Sharp knives, very sturdy feel. Bought it mainly to get the wood block for my cutco knives and to get few knives for my mom instead of a whole set for her. Used it for about a month. So far sharp, but doubt they will stay sharp for more than a year. Still decent value for under $25.

Cons: None so far

Other Thoughts: Great buy for some one who wants less expensive knives, or a second set of knives to have. Cannot say about long term value as these will be secondary knives for me.

Pros: Nice stiff blade, solid feel to handles.

Cons: none to date... maybe weight of knife?

Other Thoughts: Does not "appear" to be a full tang blade, none-the-less, still solid feel after one month of use. Blades are serrated and sharp (I place them flat side down in the block to prevent the wood block from getting chewed up)

Handle is heavy, and at first grasp, if off balance. After several uses, they grow on you. I am just getting used to the weight.

The steel is semi-nonstick, some veggies will stick, but cheeses will not (if you dip the blade in water first). Great through tomatoes. Not like the original, those on the infomercials had a “flexible” blade.

Pros: Stylish stainless steel look. Heavy-duty handles. The Santuko rocks, extremely sharp and the only non-serrated one.

Cons: One of the knives got rust stains within a week of use. Granted they were all put in the dishwasher a couple of times within that week but isn't this suppose to be "Japanese stainless steel"??!?!

Other Thoughts: Got it for half the posted price on a special. Totally worth it even though one of the knives got rust stains. The others seem ok so far. They've all been through multiple dishwasher cycles over the last few months and none of the others show any signs of rust stains.

Did I mention the Santuko totally rocks! I already have a high quality Wusthoff santuko that I paid $80 for a couple of years ago and this one seems equally good. Lets see if it lasts that long. :)

Pros: Good, heavy feel to the knives. Very sharp to start off with, we'll see how they hold up.

Cons: None so far!

Other Thoughts: Needed some cheap knives that I'll most likely be throwing away in 3 months when I move again. 20 bucks for the set = sold.

Pros: Great value! Very sharp.

Cons: None

Other Thoughts: Item shipped very fast.

Pros: I will only buy Ginsu now. Sharp knives. Low Cost.

Cons: Could always use more steak knives.

Other Thoughts: For this cost, should have bought more.