Ginsu EverSharp Knife Block Set

Serrated Full Tang 8 Piece

Ginsu EverSharp Knife Block Set I'm always skeptical when the knife gets reinvented -- knives have been around a very long time, and fundamental changes to the design are usually bad ideas. The Ginsu, represented here by the 8 Piece Stainless Steel Block Set, is marginally different, a product more famous for its flamboyant marketing than its intrinsic value.

What you get sounds good for the price: seven knives and a pair of kitchen shears, plus a black-painted wooden knife block. The stainless steel handles are blocky and functional rather than stylish or ergonomic. Blades are stamped steel with serrated edges, which according to the company will never need sharpening.

The hardwood block is very lightweight, built for this set and nothing more -- there are no empty spaces for even a couple of the other knives you are bound to already own. The EverSharp claim is bogus, since all knives will dull, some faster than others. Serrated blades that are sharp at first cut very well but leave a more ragged surface on some food; when they dull, they will still cut but with a sawing action rather than a slicing cut, and they will require more force.

Most companies which manufacture serrated blades offer refurbishing at the factory, often for the cost of shipping and with no charge for the service, since serrated blades can't be sharpened with ordinary home equipment. Ginsu instead offers a lifetime warranty, with provisions for exchange of knives should they be unsatisfactory. There is a catch: at present, the exchange costs three dollars per knife.