I am a 24 year old who wanted to treat myself to a grad school graduation gift--this was a great investment! I wanted a solid knife set and I love these knives. The design makes it so much more comfortable and I couldn't be happier with the smoothness of the blade. I also do not have to worry about sharpening thanks to the block, which is really nice because I tend to procrastinate those sorts of activities. I couldn't be happier, even though it was a pricey purchase up front. No doubt these knives will last for years