After years of use it was time for a new knife set. We decided this 15 piece set from Carl Schmidt Sohn, which garnered great reviews with a very reasonable price would fit our needs quite nicely. If a professional chef says they bought them and they are great knives, then they should be more than good enough for our needs.The set arrived a few days ago and was packed really well in two boxes. One box contains the very nice Storage Block in all black (which fits the color scheme in our kitchen better than a standard butcher block color) and the knives in the other box all wrapped and protected. You get the storage block, an 8” Chef Knife, 8” Bread Knife, 7” Santoku Knife, 5” Slicing Knife, 5” Utility Knife, 3.5” Paring Knife and 6 4.5” Steak Knives, plus Kitchen Shears and a Knife Sharper. The handles are solid (no hollow handles here) and they say they use a one-piece forging technique without splices, rivets or other adhesives. Translation? This set is well built and designed to last a long time if you take care of them.The most important part of knife is what it's made of. These knives are forged from High-Carbon German Stainless Steel. They are heat treated to resist stains and corrosion (but they tell you NOT to put the knives in the dishwasher – so don’t do that). All you should have to do is use the provided sharpening tool a couple times a month, wash the knives and dry immediately and they should last a long long time.Carl Schmidt Sohn has a long, storied history in the knife making industry. They were started in 1829 as a sword manufacturer. They started making kitchen cutlery in 1850. Over almost two centuries, they’ve pretty much figured out how to make quality knives. Of course we haven’t had ours long, but initial impressions are beyond high. They feel great in the hand with a very ergonomic design, with the right “heft” and they do what they’re supposed to do, which is cut meats, vegetables and bread very well. For the money, I think this is an incredible bargain, especially compared to other brands, which can cost significantly more.Been using for a while now, easy maintenance and great valueIf you like swords, you will like these knives. They feel HUGE, solidly built, and ready made for a zombie apocalypse. I may or may not have unnecessarily cut every food product I own just for the excuse to hold one of these knives in my hand, they feel that good. The wood block is fine but I would have preferred it to feel like it was made for this set of knives. Instead, it feels more like the knives happen to fit the slots, if somewhat loosely. I didn't notice any obvious blemishes, notches, or rust spots when opening.Awesome quality knife set . very good price and value. Very sharp knives. Easy to hold and use . very easy to clean. Nice sleek look. Does not take up too much space on my counter. Very convenient. Many different knives. Steak knives carving knives bread knife. Great set overall!! Highly recommend!!!Sharp when you get it. After a few days, you're looking for the whet stone.All the knives are weighty except the steak knives...they have no weight to them.If Hannibal Lecter was in the market for SHARP knives, these would be perfect for him! Cut myself twice since I got them. That being said, these are a really good set of knives! Very well weighted and very sharp!Awesome product. They look very elegant and are very high quality. Im certainly no chef, but im a dialy home cooker and these are perfect for what I need them for. They are extremely sharp and I would imagine they will last a lifetime if you take care of them properly.