Review by Anjana Nigam:

Suddenly, I feel like cooking again. Chopping onions, dicing carrots, making perfect juliennes with red peppers and mincing the garlic fine for my famous (!) vegetable medley is…effortless. All because of these knives. Ooh they are sharp! So be careful or you may end cutting yourself!

I love the fact that the knives are sharp right out the box. Many people swear by their forged knife blades but that makes the knives heavier. I have another set from Pinzon (Amazon’s brand) and yet another from Cuisinart that I barely use as they are heavier and not as sharp as these knives. I think stamped blades are great as they are lighter and thinner like these Ginsu knives. If you cut vegetables more than meat then you need knives like these. For meat you need heavier blades with more balance and “brute force”. For slicing a tomato so fine that you can see through it you need a Ginsu. With a Ginsu in your hand you’ll end up sculpting roses from your radishes!

Update 11/5/08: I have been using these knives for 1.5 years now. They’re still doing fine and are still very sharp. I regularly throw them in the dishwasher and they have not shown any signs of rusting. I love these knives and miss them if I am cooking somewhere else. I use the steak knives as everyday knives for slicing veggies and they work very well. If I ever purchase another set I will go with Ginsu again.

Review by Roy Gordon:

We needed some new knives, but I couldn’t see spending hundreds of $$$.

Yes, these are at the lower end and there are undoubtedly much better (and more expensive) sets out there.

But these feel OK, are very sharp (as other reviewers reported), seem to be sufficiently sturdy, and have ably carried out the various mundane tasks we’ve put them to.

For .99, what a value!!!

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Update 11/21/08: We’ve had these 2 years now. The very sharp edges have gone, but the steak knives still are OK cutting, not great. But, I never sharpen them. I don’t like the long thin knife (it’s not serrated, so not a bread knife): the blade isn’t stiff enough. (Hey, we’re talking less than for the set!) I really don’t use the others.

I liked the steak knives so well that I ordered a second set of just them. It’s a little weird at first doing paring with a serrated blade, but then you get used to it.

I’m still very pleased with the purchase overall and regard it, even as the price has increased a few dollars, as a true bargain.

Review by P. Bonifaci:

You get what you pay for. The knives are all serrated (meaning you cannot reasonably sharpen them). The blades are full-tang which is nice. The metal is not of the highest quality or thickness but it gets the job done.

This set makes for a decent utility knife set to complement a few more expensive quality knives. I recommend an expensive chef-knife be purchased along side if you are looking for any kind of complete kitchen.

Review by Kirk Taylor:

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3RJ3HVYV15PD1 Like most other knife sets they come in a brown block case. Not these. If you have a black kitchen as I do , Then all your other appliances will look great with this product. Ginsu is da bomb. Excellent choice foryou kitchen counter ————– ATTN must open video with windows media player

Review by Thomas Tracy:

These are very good knives and an excellent value. Yes, they are stamped, not forged, but they cost much, MUCH less then similar sets of quality forged knives. They arrived razor sharp and have stayed razor sharp with use of the included steel.

And these are indeed QUALITY stamped knives. They have a full length tang which gives them a good, balanced weight that feels nice in your hand. The handles are comfortable and non-slip. In short, they are a pleasure to use.

Top that off with a surprisingly (at this price) high-quality wooden block and I couldn’t be more pleased with this set of knives. Like another reviewer, I completed this set (there are 3 empty slots in the block, 2 for additional knives & 1 for poultry shears) with the 6-1/2-Inch Santoku Knife, the 5″ Boning Knife and the Poultry Shears. I have been using these knives daily for the last 3 months.

One thing about these knives that I haven’t seen any other reviewer mention – they have 15° edge bevels (like most Asian knives) as opposed to 20° bevels (like most German knives). I mention this not as a negative or positive regarding the knives (although some will argue the merits of one vs. the other), but as a “heads up” when using a steel on these knives or buying a sharpener. You need to use a 15° angle against the steel when doing the former & if you buy the latter and want to maintain the 15° bevel (which is a double bevel on these Oxo knives by the way, unlike some high-end Japanese knives which have a single bevel), be sure and order an appropriate sharpener.

Finally, in an attempt to address some criticisms in other reviews and the two questions I saw in one review comment:

1) To maintain a sharp edge, these knives, like all other knives that are not of the “laser ever-sharp” variety, require periodic steeling to realign the edge. I steel a given knife before every 3 or 4 uses (just a few strokes on each side – no biggie) and they are as sharp as new.

2) Oxo recommends hand-washing, which I have done & I have experienced no spotting or discoloration of the knives after 3 months of daily use.

3) The steak knives are smooth-edged, not serrated (and cut a steak very nicely!)

4) These knives cut tomatoes very nicely – I have used both the santoku knife & the 5″ serrated utility knife for this task, but I prefer the non-serrated santoku. (The only two serrated knives in this set are the aformentioned 5″ utility & the 8″ bread knife).

Review by Island Cook:

OXO is our favorite brand of kitchen tools and when we found this wonderful collection of practical knives in a gift set we bought one for our house and one for a wedding gift.

There are more expensive knives available but these are well-designed and high quality and an absolute bargain for 0.

All knives are sharp when you buy them, but no knife stays sharp forever. In fact the measure of a good knife is its ability to take and hold an edge after resharpening. OXO PRO Series knives do indeed take and hold an edge after resharpening. The knives are based on OXO’s Universal Design concept and feature non-slip, comfort handles. I also like the fact that all OXO products have a no-nonsense satisfaction guarantee.

For the price of this handsome set you could go out and buy one overpriced German or French knife, which will also need resharpening, or you could spend over ,000 for some fancy knife sets that will not slice tomatoes or bread any better than OXO’s knives.

Just think of the 0 saved by going for OXO Pro Knives instead of inflated German cutlery, and use the savings for a ticket for yourself to Europe.

Review by Tom Cook:

Don’t let the name Ginsu fool you: This is a beautiful, professional-level knife set that screams quality–at an exceptionally low price (list price = 9.95). Ginsu has really upped its game (note that there are a lot of cheap knock-off knives out there that call themselves Ginsu, especially Ginsu 2000 and 3000, which are total junk). Several other points: 1. This set recently won a best in category Housewares Design Award; 2. The knives and block are made in China (just an fyi); 3. The company is actually owned by Berkshire Hathaway, i.e., Warren Buffet; 4. You should not run these through the dishwasher; 5. You will need to think about a sharpening system in addition to usual honing steel that comes with the set (I suggest the Edgemaker Pro system, which, if you search hard enough on the ‘net, can be had for as little as .95 with free shipping). Shipping was very fast from this merchant.

Review by Keola:

The Good:

Excellent knives for 9. Good weight and balance of handle and blade. It feels great in your hand. Razor sharp but sharpening is a must before each use (or at least every other use). It may not have the prestige presence of a Wusthof or Henckels set on the kitchen counter, but it DOES NOT look cheap. Its Japanese design and bamboo block make it more of a resemblance of a Shun knives set. And Shun is actually more expensive than the two more popular brands.

The Bad:

Handle’s finish becomes very flat and dull after wash. Dab a little oil on a paper towel and rub it on the handle and it will look fantastic without being slippery.

The Ugly:

The Ginsu name seems to make it sounds like a cheap TV offer knives set. But believe me it looks and performs like a 0 set.

***Best knives set for your money. You will not find a better knives set for 0 unless you find a set of high end Shun, Wusthof or Henckels for 85% off at a closeout sale somewhere.

Review by Diane:

We purchased these knives…and think they’ve been worth every penny. They’re sharp, comfortable to grip, aesthetically appealing, and come in a nice assortment. Certain knives like the Chef’s knife and the table/steak knives have become the proverbial ‘work horse’ of the set while the tomato knife hasn’t really seen the light of day since it left the box. The polypropylene handles are capable of withstanding high temperatures and, because of their nature, do not harbor bacteria like some sets that contain rivets or those with wooden handles.While this is a great set, it is not a high-end set, so you may want to look elsewhere if that’s what you’re after. None of the knives have a full-tang (where the steel goes all the way through the handle) or rivets. The handles are plastic. Also, the steel is from Japan (if I’m not mistaken) instead of Germany and boy, do the Germans know how to make steel! So, dear friends, if you’re looking for a set that you can pass on to your children and your children’s children then you should indeed move up the Henckels line or look into Cutco (my favorites) or another high-end set. If you’re looking to buy a good, inexpensive set that looks great and is every bit as functional, then look no more!Also, consider looking into a pair of kitchen shears… they’re indespensible!

Review by :

Our knives were in pretty awful condition – I was getting tired of pushing the blade of the steak knife back in the handle every time I sawed through a piece of meat. Sure I’d love to have a set of top-grade Henckels but given the price of something like that plus the fact that we don’t use knives that often, I figured this second-tier set was worth a try. The knives are nice and sharp. The construction quality is decent and it suits our purposes fine – they look good, cut well and fit in the block like they are supposed to. So what if they don’t do well in the dishwasher? How much trouble can it be to hand-wash a knife? For $…, they’re a fine deal. I’m glad I bought them.

Review by Kelly-Girl:

After holding off on buying new knives for years, and settling with a drawer full of hodge-podge of collected crud, I finally decided to treat myself. Could not be any happier with them. Felt guilty at first for buying myself something a couple of months before Christmas, but I rationalized that with all the cooking I’ll be doing, I’ll be far better off. The are amazing. The rubber-like grip makes for steady handling. They are weighted perfectly. Comes with a great sharpener, as well as super simple instructions on how to care for them. (Who knew you are really supposed to sharpen them after each use! Takes two seconds, and will keep them like new forever!) Anyway, I’m still rambling. But I’m just so happy with them. And I love the santoku knife! The block looks great, too.

Review by WBS77:

Have used many knife sets over the years, some more expensive than these. Was very pleased with how sharp they were out of the box. (I am used to sharpening knives immediately — before using — as factory efforts are never comparable to what we can, with care and the right tools, do at home.)

When it comes to sharpness, I am a sharpening fool: water cooled 10″ sharpening wheel and all. My wife, on the other hand, is not so obsessed. And, she was very impressed with these knives as soon as we opened the box and started using them. And, after some use, they are holding their edge. The balance of the chef’s kitchen knife (along with others) is such that they also have a pleasing feel when in hand.

Have not attempted to resharpen yet. But, given the steel they are advertised to be comprised of, should be fine.

Steak knives, not something I wanted (but, my wife had other views), are a delight. Instead of the usual serrated edge found on cheaper sets, they have an actual VERY sharp straight edge and should work well, even when that flank steak was not quite as tender as you had hoped. And, because they are not serrated, they can be sharpened more easily.

Do like the natural wood block. This set replaces a set that had a wood block painted black. After little use, paint nicks– don’t quite hit the knife slot with the knife — made that black, painted block look unattractive.

Review by Anand Vijayachandran:

Pros: This knife set is really good. The blades are all sharp and cuts through fruits and vegetables seamlessly. The large knife is good for meat (tried on chicken).

Cons: The knife is not dishwasher safe and needs to be cleaned and dried immediately after use.

Review by Firelock1776:

I bought this knife set to replace a cheap set we received as a wedding gift 16 years ago. This set makes the old one look like a toy. The construction of the knives is very solid, from the metal handles to the blades. They cut wonderfully. With the ladles, extra knives, and such this set is also quite a bargain.

Review by C. Davis:

Well after searching and searching, reading review and reading reviews I decided on this set. I ordered them from [...] at first and then found them cheaper $[...] shipped at [...] so I canceled and ordered from them. Received the set and right away I knew I was going to love these knifes. Well balanced, well weighted, and feel great in hand. I was a little worried that the poly grip handles were going to be squishy but they are not at all. Just a very slight give and feels soft to the touch. I actually really like the poly grip handles. The steak knife handles are a little thin but still work great. The blades are nice and strong and sharp right out of the box. Spend a few seconds on each one with the included sharpening Steel and they just get shaper. There is only ONE thing that is somewhat bothering to me and most would laugh about this but when you place all the knifes in the storage block they don’t line up perfect like the picture shows. After trying to rearrange the knifes you just can’t get them to line up. This has nothing to do with the quality of the knifes and with me being extremely hard to please. This only bothered me for 5 minutes and I decided this set is WAY to nice especially for the price to let this bother me. They kind of make a rainbow shape when placed in the storage block so it looks ok. Like I said I am hard to please when it comes to quality of a product and this set pleases me. I have looked at many sets before purchasing this set and for only 9.95 I truly believe you will NOT find a better set. Maybe even for more money. I highly recommend you give them a try.

Review by L. Walton:

My husband and I have been very pleased with these knives. They’ve made life in the kitchen much easier, we threw away all of our other knives. But be careful…my husband has already cut himself twice just picking them up!

Review by Jesse Adkins:

I haven’t mounted them under the cabinets yet but for the money I don’t think this set can be beat! They are extremely sharp and cut like no other! You won’t be disappointed and I am thinking about getting two more sets as Christmas gifts. After all of these years of seeing the commercials I am a believer!

Review by G. Heredia:

I got these for my mother. They are super sharp, I would keep them in the block they came in so you won’t get cut trying to grab them from a draw. They cut just like a sword does with little to no effort.

Review by D.S.:

I just got these knives and I love them. Regarding the rust problem, all quality knives are made of high carbon steel. They will all rust if left in water. This includes henckles, shun, wustof ect.

Regarding the spaces that others have been complaining about, high quality knives are forged out of a single piece of metal. It is impossible to get a uniform shape for every knife this way. Chicago Cutlery uses a poly handle that has uniform in shape (unlike wood handles), hence the spaces.

These knives are very sharp. You can see how sharp a knife is by holding it loosely by the handle and pulling it over a tomato without applying pressure. I have done this with the sontoku from this et and it slices through like butter.

Handles are a matter of taste. these are thick handles, I like them this way. If you like thinner handles go with Shun. Of coarse one chef’s knife will cost you twice as much as this whole set.

The only minor complaint is the steak knives. Steak knives should be serrated; the steak knives in this set are basically long paring knives.

These are great knives and %99 of users will be just as happy with these as with a 0 set from henckles.

Review by D. Hoffman:

Bought this as my first set of knives. Appreciated the price. A little surprised at the craftsmanship. The knife handles are not made to perfection and there are some rough edges where the handle meets the metal blade of the knife. This does not cause much of a problem other than appearance. The knife block is well made. The slots for the knives go completely through the knife block allowing for ventilation, should you want it.

Pros

+ Price

+ Great starter knives

+ Convenient storage block

Cons

+ Poor visual craftsmanship