Dalstrong Knife Set Block - 8 Piece - Gladiator Series - German High Carbon Steel Kitchen Knife - Premium Food-Grade Black ABS Polymer Handles - NSF Certified

Let me start by saying I grew up in the restaurant business and am the owner of a successful catering company, so after 50 years in food service I think I know a little bit about cooking utensils. When my my 30 year old set of Henckels "Pro S's" started showing their wear, I did what I always do and hit the internet to research replacements. Yes. there were plenty of more expensive knives to choose from (I'm sorry but spending $2000 on a set of knives for home use is just stupid) but when I came across this set of Dalstrong Gladiator Series I was intrigued. From the photos, the knives looked nicely made and I liked the fact that Dalstrong was a small, family run business, that is just now trying to break into an already crowded market. When Black Friday rolled around and I saw that this set was on sale, I just couldn't resist trying them out. And boy am I ever glad I did! The set came very nicely packaged in a nice handled box and the knives shrink wrapped in one box, and the block in another. The block is beautifully finished wood and is quite substantial in size and weight. It is also tall, which is the one minor complaint that I have. As others have said, the block is a little too tall to fit under the kitchen cabinets without having to pull the entire set out onto the counter in order to remove a knife. (This was not a big deal to me as I found a space where there is no cabinet overhang) But, because of the size, once the knives are in the block, you can't help but notice just how beautiful the set is. Your eye is drawn right to it. I have already had several comments on how lovely the set looks even though I have only had it a few days.But I digress. The true star of the show are the knives themselves. They are truly superb. As soon as you pull a knife out of the box, you can tell that it is beautifully hand crafted with a great attention to detail. The gorgeous wood handles are perfectly rounded and fit to each specific tang, and the forging and honing of the steel is top notch. The finish on the knives is perfect, and they come out of the box razor sharp. In the hand, the knives feel perfectly balanced with no cornered edges to cause fatigue or get a little painful when slicing or chopping a lot of food. The grip is solid, and the weight is just enough to cut easily through whatever you are cutting without feeling heavy. More importantly the knives are not too light (my main complaint with Japanese knives) which can get dangerous as the blade can slide off of the food and cut into your fingers instead. All in all, the knives are a true pleasure to cut with and you might find yourself just looking for food to slice, dice or chop just because they are that much fun to use. Just listen to a blade sing when you pull it out of the block and you will understand what I am talking about.Believe it or not, the customer service is even better than the knives! I had a minor issue with the set I received and not wanting to go through the whole return process with Amazon, I decided to contact Dalstrong directly. All I can say is WOW! Not only were my emails responded to almost immediately, but the issue itself was rectified very quickly. These people STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AND WILL GO ABOVE AND BEYOND ANYTHING YOU CAN ASK FOR TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT. With Dalstrong they say that customer truly is their main priority and it is! They are not just saying that in order to lure you into buying their product. I know for a fact that you are going to have a long and happy relationship with Dalstrong..In conclusion, all I can say is BUY THESE KNIVES, YOU CAN"T GO WRONG!!!

Hi, I'm reviewing all of my Dalstrong knives. NOTE: I was a professional (Meat Cutter/Butcher) for over 13 years and a in-home chef (yes I am a woman..LOL). I have been looking for another set of knives for a long time. The proper weight, balance (blade to handle ratio), quality of the steel, edging of the blade (angle of the edge), grip of the handle and the flexibility or stiffness of the blade, depending on the task you are doing.My boning knife (Dalstrong Gladiator Series) is the most important (I do not let anyone else use), and keep in its case. (It's in the picture for viewing purposes, 3rd from the left). The boning knife does its job! It has the proper feel and grip. It has a proper lip at the bottom of the blade to protect your hand from slipping onto the blade. It has just enough flex on the tip to maneuver in and around bones and joints, and just the right amount of stiffness to cut through joints and membranes. The quality and sharpness of the blade is amazing and the construction of the handle is absolute quality workmanship. I highly recommend this knife. As a note, I wish they had a 5 inch boning knife, but they do not..The rest of my Dalstrong set includes a, 10" and 6", Chefs(Shogun Series). First two on the left in the picture. Warning : they are sharp, sharp, sharp! The quality and sharpness of the blade is amazing and the construction of the handle is absolute quality workmanship.The 3rd from the left, in the picture is my boning knife and 4th-10th is for culinary, all (Gladiator Series). The opinion is the same. Warning : they are sharp, sharp, sharp! The quality and sharpness of the blade is amazing and the construction of the handle is absolute quality workmanship.All knives are shipped and packed with protective cases and covers on the tips.(The only one I do not have is the filleting knife, for fish)These knives are NOT meant for the dishwasher or children. The blades are very sharp! (I just glazed the edge with my finger and cut the crap out of myself !!). They're a professional set . These should be hand washed. If you want knives that you put in the dishwasher buy something else!! These are a professional set and should be treated as such!!

I love everything about this knife set and am very happy with my purchase. The wooden storage block is gorgeous and it's solid. I read the other review where someone thought it was just Acacia wood veneer, so I looked down into the knife slots for myself and I could see that it's the same wood all the way through. It looks just beautiful on my counter!I'm also very pleased with the assortment of knives that come in the set and think they're a good value at the price. It doesn't contain any specialty items like cheese or tomato knives, but it has everything I need to handle my kitchen on a day to day basis - a chef's knife, santoku, a granton edged carving knife, a bread knife, utility, serrated utility, a paring knife and a honing rod.The chef's knife is a little heavier than my old one, but on the other hand, the extra heft seems to make it function better than my old knife when I chop with it. I tried it on chopping up raw acorn squash, and it was like night and day compared to my old Wusthof or Mercer knives. The knives perform well, are super sharp, have a very comfortable handle, and a good heft to them.The Chef's knife also has a bit higher blade than my Wusthof and a longer guard to protect my hand from getting cut. After having had the chance to use most of the blades multiple times now, I remain impressed as well as very satisfied with their quality and with this purchase. This is exceptional quality at an affordable price. Recommend!

It’s been less than 2 years and I noticed hairline crack lines on the handle of almost all the knives. Attached are photos. Knives are beautifully made and perform perfectly. But why are there cracks on the handles?We take care of them like the brochure explains.