Ginsu 7112 Chikara 12-Piece Stainless Steel Knife Set with Block

The Good:
Excellent knives for $119. 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 $500 set.

***Best knives set for your money. You will not find a better knives set for $120 unless you find a set of high end Shun, Wusthof or Henckels for 85% off at a...Read more

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 = $169.95). 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 $22.95 with free shipping). Shipping was very fast from this merchant.

I have been a professional chef for over twenty years and have always reserved my good quality knives for use at work. I have had a few budget sets for home use over the years (since I worked a lot I didn't do enough cooking at home to justify spending $200-$300 for a high quality block set for the house). When I saw this set on Amazon, I was very skeptical; and as a chef, I really didn't want a set of "Ginsu" knives sitting on my counter. So I researched these knives on several different sites and decided to give them a try.
I am extremely satisfied with the performance of these knives and I am recommending them to all of my aquaitances. I was truly shocked to get such a high quality set of knives with great such great weight, strength, and balance for under $120.
Buy these knives.