I wanted a complete knife set for my kitchen and Chicago Cutlery is a well known name so when I found this set for a great price, I ordered it. The package arrived quickly and was well packed. Literature inside the box was excellent explaining the location and use for every knife. Each knife was carefully shielded and easy to unwrap. All knives fit perfectly in the block, properly aligned. The handles are very comfortable. Machining of the blades is excellent. They are very sharp. Built in sharpener in the block is an added bonus. Block and knives make a handsome addition to the kitchen. My only drawback is that you must dry the knives immediately as water spots easily form on the blades. This is not the manufacturers fault, but the water situation in my home. I am sharing this only so that anyone who purchases these and has like situation with their water know to wash and dry immediately. I love these so much I'm looking for the 8 steak knife expansion set.