J.A. Henckels 8 Piece Stylus Block Set

I bought this set as a Christmas present, but had to check it out before I wrapped it. I have a Henckels block and some Henckels knives as well, both the cheaper Chinese "International" and some more expensive German ones as well. The "International" Henckels knifes I have are wooden-handled, poorly balanced, flimsy and somewhat poorly made. I wanted to be sure that these knives didn't suffer from the same deficits before gifting.

I was quite pleased to see that this set of knives greatly exceeds the quality of the cheaper Henckels knives I own, and approach the quality of some of my most expensive knives. They are well balanced, sturdy, well-made and beautiful. The grip seems like it would be of no concern to me (some other reviewers have pointed out that the stainless grip offers little purchase) but I didn't use them for any cutting work.

Overall, I am jealous, and tempted to buy another set for myself. Just not sure the wife would permit two blocks on the kitchen counter. This set is a steal at twice the price.

This knife set is well constructed and has a nice weight to it. The only downfall is that it is missing slots for the set of steak knives that are sold separately.

These knives are OK. For their price, they're actually decent. But these are, after all cheap, stamped knives. Expect to toss them after a year, and expect to sharpen them often, but not in a sharpener for nice knives.

The block is surprisingly good-looking. The set as a whole goes very well in my super modern kitchen. I plan to keep using the block with nicer knives.

I sorry I guess a prefer a wood handle because these handles seem to be more slippery when cutting meat or anything greasy.
Aside from that they ARE sharp and a very good set. A bargain for the money. The handles just don't do It for me. May be Perfect for you!

I was completely surprised to find that the German knives I purchased were actually made in China. I think it is an important piece of information that was missing from the Amazon description.