Calphalon Katana Cutlery 18-Piece Knife Set

Great Knife Set
I tried several different types of knives before I bit the bullet and just ordered these without being able to try them first. Among those I tried were the Wusthof Grand Prix II and Classic, J.A. Henkels Microedge and Classic, and Calphalon Contemporary. I was beginning to despair of finding knives that I liked.

Pros:
Well balanced, none of the knives feel unwieldy or precarious while cutting (I have small hands and my husband has large hands, neither of us have any problems with these knives).
Sharp edge that holds up well, and the honing steel is easy to use to keep them at their sharpest.
The blades are nice and sturdy, but not heavy.
Good variety. The serrated utility works great on tomatoes, sausages, slicing sandwiches in half, etc. Chef's knife goes through large melons like they're nothing. Scissors work great (some other sets have really sub-par scissors).
Aesthetics... a really beautiful knife set to have displayed on your kitchen...
Shapely and Sharp
I've had a set of Chicago Cutlery steak knives for years, and while I was okay with them, I was also ready for something new. Something more modern looking. Something without a wooden handle.

I didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a set of steak knives, but I did want a decent quality set. I started looking at all-metal sets, but the handles often looked too thin to hold comfortably. Then I found the Katana series. The shape was appealing. The price was on the high end for me, but not exorbitant. The smooth blade with the serrated tip intrigued me. (I know knife purists are gasping, but I just don't care - I want a decent knife that works not an heirloom.)

And the verdict after using them for a while? I like them quite a bit. They look great. They're sharp. The handle is a very comfortable shape - more rounded than I thought it would be from the picture. The polyresin gives a good grip even with wet hands. They seem to hold their edge well enough...
Sharp Set of knived
I spent about a month looking around at various shops for a great set of knives. This is what I ended up ordering, They are razor sharp! The material is made of thirty-three layers of stainless steel, has an outstanding ability to retain an edge and proven strength with VG-1.

Nothing feels better in your hand than these handles, they are not made for small hand though but for me they feel great. The material used to make the knife handle is much more important than you might think. Wooden handles have a tendency to rot or corrode. A corroded handle will make the blade fit loosely, which can be dangerous. These feel and great they are less likely to break than many other handles and are not overly heavy.

The way that a knife handle is designed is important. The part of the blade that goes into the handle (called the tang) should go all the way through on both sides. Many knife tangs only go part of the way through the knife's handle or on one side. This may...
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