Kramer's custom knives sell for many times the cost of this set, but in this assortment of five knives, a fine storage block, and a sharpening steel, you'll find many of the same features Kramer puts into his custom creations. Japanese chefs prefer sharpening stones to sharpening steels because the harder edge of a fine Japanese knife chips. Americans want knives that cut well but sharpen easily with a honing steel. Kramer developed knives which feature the best combination of steel, hardness, and bevel angle, finding an efficient place in between the standard European and Japanese designs. The result is a set of knives that cuts extremely well, sharpens easily with a sharpening steel, and holds a sharp edge for a long time.

All the materials that create these knives are also beautiful. Synthetic Pakka-wood handle slabs display the red and black figure you'd expect in a knife fitted with Brazilian rose wood. Forged blades show the regular rippled pattern of machine-forged Damascus-like steel. Layers of resilient high carbon stainless steel support a tough central layer of SG-2 steel, not the harder VG-10 found in the regular Shun product line. Americans like to use knives roughly, and the SG-2, hardened to 64-66 HRC, allows normal use and sharpening without an entirely new set of sharpening stones.

Paring knife, bread knife, utility knife, santoku, and chef's knife, as well as the matching honing steel, fit neatly in the mahogany-stained bamboo storage block.

See the Shun Chef's Classic 8-piece Block Set for another selection of Damascus-style steel knives from Kai USA.

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Each knife features a hand-hammered Damask steel blade with tsuchime finish and a core layer of SG-10 high carbon stainless steel. You'll find four useful knives with a look that's good enough to display. The set includes the Premier 4-inch paring knife, 6-1/2-inch utility knife, 8-inch chef's knife, and 9-inch bread knife. All but the bread knife feature thin SG-10 plain edges, long-lasting and easy to sharpen. The bread knife's scalloped edge meets the same high standards with a 16-degree bevel on each side and a core hardened to Rockwell 60 to 62. This scalloped edge will require professional sharpening when the edge eventually wears down, but expect high performance and long life between servicing.

Knife handles all use the new and comfortable shape that Shun re-designed for the Premier series. Walnut Pakkawood grips, permanently mounted between a solid stainless steel end cap and a streamlined front bolster, give the knife handles a natural look. Pakkawood uses layers of real hardwood injected with resin to build a durable grip that withstands even the high temperatures of dishwashers but requires very little maintenance.

The knife block provides the best possible storage for these fine tools and needs only an occasional rub-down with mineral or vegetable oil to maintain the polish and repel moisture.

See the Shun Classic Bamboo Knife Block Set for another assortment of fine Shun kitchen knives.

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SHUN KAJI 11PC LARGE CHERRY WOOD KNIFE BLOCK SET KNIVES INCLUDED NEW IN BOX US $1,084.99   Auction Ends: 26m

Shun Elite 8 piece Knife Block Set Damascus Steel US $849.99   Auction Ends: 14d 21h 44m

Wusthof's Classic series features one-piece forged blades, bolsters and tangs with riveted black polymer handle slabs permanently secured to the full-length tangs. The Super Chef set includes three knives from the Classic series: an 8-inch chef's knife, 9-inch carving knife, and 6-inch fish fillet knife. Each Classic knife comes in the old European pattern with full-width forged steel bolsters reaching to the heel of the blade.

All other knives and implements in the set come from the Gourmet line. Laser-cut from solid steel blanks, these knives use similar handle construction but lack the forged bolsters of the Classic pattern. Where needed, bolsters formed from the handle polymers support the blade and add safety to the grip. All Wusthof knives use the same high carbon stainless steel alloy, designed for toughness and ease of sharpening as well as for stain resistance.

Along with a full set of prep knives, you'll get a carving fork, melon baller, citrus zester, and channel knife (for opening oranges neatly and for carving designs in the rinds of fruits and veggies). Chef's needles include a truss type for closing stuffed cavities in poultry and two types of larding needles for inserting thin strips of fat into tasty but dry meats.

The sturdy case uses plastic side panels set in a metal framework with interior storage panels of tough foam that fit each Wusthof knife or tool to a customized pocket.

See the Mundial Chef's Set for a practical set of basic knives in a convenient soft-sided carrying case.

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Wusthof Culinar forged knife set NEW Chefs attache with bonus block 9 pcs US $619.90   Auction Ends: 16h 2m

Each of the knives is made from one piece of Friodur ice-hardened high carbon stainless steel provided by Zwilling J.A. Henckels. Hot forging forms the blade, the solid steel bolster, and the full tang of the handle. Black polymer slabs riveted to the tang provide a comfortable European-style grip. If you're interested in Japanese knives but don't want to invest in an entirely new sharpening system or adapt to a traditional Japanese handle, the Miyabi 600-S knives could be exactly what you need.

The chef's knife, vegetable knife, paring knife and santoku all receive the traditional Japanese finishing touches -- a three-phase honing procedure which creates an extremely sharp polished cutting edge. Since the knives are hardened only to Rockwell 57, the honing steel included in the set takes care of most edge maintenance. Blades are flexible and durable as well as easy to sharpen. Miyabi also includes a pair of stainless steel kitchen shears.

Each tool slips into one of the ten slots built into the laminated bamboo knife storage block. That leaves plenty of room for knives you already own, or for adding more good knives to this sensible starting selection.

For a top quality block set in a truly Japanese pattern, see the Shun Elite 9 Knife Block Set.

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Henckels Miyabi 5000 S 5 Pc Knife Block Set US $149.95   Auction Ends: 5d 23h 27m

JA Henckels Miyabi Kaizen 10 pc Knife Block Set BRAND NEW in BOX US $750.00   Auction Ends: 1d 2h 29m

If it's more than steel you're after and you do appreciate the appearance of the knives, the Olivier Anquier pattern adds style and beauty to a strong and practical forged knife. The first thing you'll notice is the ironwood grip, a one-piece hardwood design firmly positioned between strong stainless steel fittings. This dense tropical wood resists damage from moisture and temperature extremes and requires very little upkeep to retain its polished appearance. This is the Old World type of construction, not trimmed back to save on materials. The knives include heavy bolsters which run the full width of the blade and forged stainless steel end caps with built-in loops, handy if you prefer to hang these blades from a peg-rack.

The set includes an eight-inch carving knife and fork for dinner service, an eight-inch chef's knife able to do most of the kitchen's chopping and slicing, plus a six-inch serrated utility blade for sandwich prep and slicing. A 2-1/2-inch bird's beak peeling knife and a 3-1/2-inch standard paring knife handle vegetable peeling and trimming. A pair of forged steel kitchen shears and a sharpening steel complete the tool set. All items store neatly in the laminated hardwood knife block.

Yes, there are modern knives which perform better than the Old World design of the Mundial Olivier Anquier knives -- but with this set of good knives on hand you may never be tempted to try them. The set comes with a lifetime warranty.

See the Mundial Olivier Anquier Steak Knife Set for a matching set of serrated steak knives.

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Mundial Olivier 8 Carving Set Presentation Box PB 2A US $24.90   Auction Ends: 29d 17h 36m

Here's where you shouldn't worry about a few extra ounces of weight and whether or not the extra strength of forged steel is actually necessary. During the dining service, the two-piece carving set from Mundial of Brazil does more than slice the meat. This carving set fits the occasion with a polished high carbon stainless steel fork and knife built in a traditional Old World pattern. Mundial's grips give servers total control of the tools but also add beauty with forged stainless steel bolsters and end caps and one-piece hardwood handles shaped from dense Brazilian ironwood.

In the kitchen you'll find them equally useful, since the ironwood grips resist moisture extremes and hold up to heat and cold without distorting. The best tropical hardwoods like ironwood provide density and durability that rivals modern composites. High demand for some popular tropicals like rosewood has put specific species in danger of extinction. Ironwood, a member of the acacia family, happens to be one of the faster-growing and most renewable hardwood resources in the tropics, so don't feel guilty when you use this fine carving set. It's sensible in many ways.

See the Wusthof Culinar Carving Set for a modern carving set made entirely from stainless steel.

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Mundial Olivier 8 Carving Set Presentation Box PB 2A US $24.90   Auction Ends: 29d 17h 36m

The three knives are modern versions of traditional Asian knives but manufactured in 2.5-mm-thick SG-10 steel. That's the extremely hard high carbon stainless steel that forms the core layer of Shun's Damascus steel knives. This set of professional knives was made especially for precise slicing.

The three knife types included here are Yanagi-ba, Nakiri, and Deba. All three feature blades with one hollow-ground flat face and one edge bevel on the opposite side of the blade. That flat side guides the cut like the sole of a plane, while the hollow grind reduces contact with the food and lessens drag. The acute slope of the edge bevel shears food paper thin without tearing. Each knife is supported by a strong forged bolster and a handle grip of D-shaped Pakkawood. Pakkawood has the appearance of dark ebony but is actually created by layering resin-impregnated layers of genuine hardwood. The real-wood appearance disguises a handle with better durability and moisture resistance than the best tropical hardwood.

Sushi chefs use the 9-1/2-inch blade of the yanagi-ba knife for perfect slicing of sushi and sashimi. The 6-1/2-inch nakiri slices vegetables, and the 6-1/2-inch deba carves fish, chicken, and meat.

Try the Global Starter Knife Set for a sampling of high quality all-stainless knives preferred by Chef Anthony Bourdain.

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In the "Forever Sharp" Platinum series, you'll find an interesting assortment of knives meant for carving and light prep. The set includes a carving knife, pastry/bread knife, a frozen food knife, one filet knife, and two paring knives. The three larger knives are essentially identical except for granton grinds meant to lessen friction. These narrow blades could do a good job when slicing bread or meat, but dividing blocks of frozen food with one is something most people won't want to try twice.

The three larger knives feature forked tips handy for lifting slices of meat or cheese, but you'll still find a carving fork a great help. These blades tend to flex, and for serving, you'll need another tool for support. The filet knife is a useful although ordinary blade. Anyone who knows how to sharpen and maintain an edge will have good luck with it, and the all-stainless build reduces cleanup problems. The paring knives also will prove themselves useful and durable with ordinary care.

The catch comes in the "Forever Sharp" claim that these Chinese-made knives remain in top cutting condition for ten years. The set of high carbon stainless steel knives will need sharpening and could serve well for that ten years with regular attention. The manufacturer will replace dulled knives once, for $2 apiece over the cost of shipping. You'd be much better off by caving and using a sharpening steel or whetstone. Although the company calls them dishwasher-safe, clean these knives by hand or risk rust and corrosion.

Get better design and better quality with the Wusthof Meat Carving Set.

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W Richardson Stainless Forever Sharp Sheffield England Steak Knife Set US $15.00   0 Bid Auction Ends: 1h 25m

FOREVER SHARP Profesional Food Service knife set Series 6 pc brand new steel US $29.99   Auction Ends: 16d 5h 15m

Guy Fieri's minimal knife set fits the needs of the mobile barbecue chef with a chef's knife made to handle nearly every prep chore in the outdoor kitchen and a wicked sandwich knife specially engineered for burgers and subs. Both knives were manufactured with strong full-tang construction and reduced bolsters to allow full use of the high carbon stainless steel blades. Another Asian influence, the rows of hollows ground into the blade sides, reduces blade friction and cuts back on the amount of sliced sandwich prep that stacks up on blades and tumbles onto the parking lot.

With an offset blade, scalloped cutting edge, and forked tip, the sandwich knife easily divides burgers and other sandwiches without getting your knuckles into the condiments and gives you an easy way to add that extra slice of cheddar. If used with care, you'll get good blade life even if working on unfriendly surfaces like plates and platters instead of cutting boards. Fieri's Chef Knife sports a full-sized 8-inch blade and an unusual handle design behind the red and black grip. Most chef's knives incorporate a tang that's in line with the spine of the blade. Fieri's knife drops the angle of the tang for more comfortable wrist action. If you have large hands, you may find that a drawback, but otherwise it works well. The pommel of this knife could smash garlic cloves, but most of us prefer the flat of the blade.

For a celebrity chef knife set designed for the kitchen, see the Rachel Ray Furi Knife Block Set.

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Guy Fieri Kulinary Series 8 Chef knife new US $37.99   Auction Ends: 19d 4h 33m

Guy Fieri 5 1 2 Inch Santoku Knife Knuckle Sandwich Series US $38.25   Auction Ends: 3h 12m

There's very little here beside high quality stamped stainless steel and black poly handles -- the rest is functional design. You might pay nearly as much for a paring knife with almost no tang in the handle, or a paring knife with a poorly tempered blade that bends or breaks. These three knives meet Victorinox standards with steel that's evenly tempered for strength, flexibility, and an edge that you can resharpen for years. Instead of flimsy tangs that quickly push through plastic grips, the Victorinox knives have ample steel in the handle and will hold up to hard use.

The three paring knife styles provided here include two spear-point paring blades with plain or serrated edges and one special purpose Bird's Beak style. The Bird's Beak comes in handy when doing decorative work but also has a practical application if you're faced with oddly shaped garden vegetables. The curve of the blade peels ginger root, for example, without the massive amount of waste you'd get from a straight-edged knife. Blade length of the standard paring knives is 3-1/4 inches, while the Bird's Beak knife blade measures 2-1/2 inches.

Each knife is NSF approved and made to clean easily, either by hand or in the dishwasher. Washing any modern stain-free steel by hand extends the life of polish and edge. Expect to sharpen the knives regularly -- use a standard honing steel to quickly reset the edges before use.

Professionals who need good knives they can still afford to lose will also be interested in the Mundial Paring Knife Set.

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Victorinox Kitchen Paring Knife Set 2x Blue 4 and 2x Red 325 Sheepfoot US $25.00   1 Bid Auction Ends: 1d 6h 37m

Victorinox Fibrox 6 Piece Paring Knife Set 46652 Peeling Decorating US $34.50   Auction Ends: 19d 58m