I wasn't sure how I felt about the look of this block set. the metal top made it seem so industrial, but when I realized the benefit of having the self sharpening, the appearance faded away. I love knowing that every time I go to cut, slice, chop, pare my knife is as ready as I am. I wish there was a way to make the slot for scissors a scissors sharpener but that's a tall order Im sure! The selection of knives in this set are just perfect for my needs and the quality is fantastic! I also like that you can buy replacement pieces but I'm sure I wont need to for a very long time