Let me start by saying I grew up in the restaurant business and am the owner of a successful catering company, so after 50 years in food service I think I know a little bit about cooking utensils. When my my 30 year old set of Henckels "Pro S's" started showing their wear, I did what I always do and hit the internet to research replacements. Yes. there were plenty of more expensive knives to choose from (I'm sorry but spending $2000 on a set of knives for home use is just stupid) but when I came across this set of Dalstrong Gladiator Series I was intrigued. From the photos, the knives looked nicely made and I liked the fact that Dalstrong was a small, family run business, that is just now trying to break into an already crowded market. When Black Friday rolled around and I saw that this set was on sale, I just couldn't resist trying them out. And boy am I ever glad I did! The set came very nicely packaged in a nice handled box and the knives shrink wrapped in one box, and the block in another. The block is beautifully finished wood and is quite substantial in size and weight. It is also tall, which is the one minor complaint that I have. As others have said, the block is a little too tall to fit under the kitchen cabinets without having to pull the entire set out onto the counter in order to remove a knife. (This was not a big deal to me as I found a space where there is no cabinet overhang) But, because of the size, once the knives are in the block, you can't help but notice just how beautiful the set is. Your eye is drawn right to it. I have already had several comments on how lovely the set looks even though I have only had it a few days.But I digress. The true star of the show are the knives themselves. They are truly superb. As soon as you pull a knife out of the box, you can tell that it is beautifully hand crafted with a great attention to detail. The gorgeous wood handles are perfectly rounded and fit to each specific tang, and the forging and honing of the steel is top notch. The finish on the knives is perfect, and they come out of the box razor sharp. In the hand, the knives feel perfectly balanced with no cornered edges to cause fatigue or get a little painful when slicing or chopping a lot of food. The grip is solid, and the weight is just enough to cut easily through whatever you are cutting without feeling heavy. More importantly the knives are not too light (my main complaint with Japanese knives) which can get dangerous as the blade can slide off of the food and cut into your fingers instead. All in all, the knives are a true pleasure to cut with and you might find yourself just looking for food to slice, dice or chop just because they are that much fun to use. Just listen to a blade sing when you pull it out of the block and you will understand what I am talking about.Believe it or not, the customer service is even better than the knives! I had a minor issue with the set I received and not wanting to go through the whole return process with Amazon, I decided to contact Dalstrong directly. All I can say is WOW! Not only were my emails responded to almost immediately, but the issue itself was rectified very quickly. These people STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AND WILL GO ABOVE AND BEYOND ANYTHING YOU CAN ASK FOR TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT. With Dalstrong they say that customer truly is their main priority and it is! They are not just saying that in order to lure you into buying their product. I know for a fact that you are going to have a long and happy relationship with Dalstrong..In conclusion, all I can say is BUY THESE KNIVES, YOU CAN"T GO WRONG!!!