The knife block it self is a nice walnut color (less red than in pictures thankfully). I get excited to cool every time it calls for slicing and chopping. They feel great in your hands and are well balanced for how I cook. The handles are heavier than Japanese knifes I had. They also seem sturdier. It came with a free sharpener which has a good weight unlike other old sharpener I had. The Scissors are made in china but seem like they are decent quality. The knives themselves are in fact german. [This review was collected as part of a promotion.]