Jamie Oliver by Tefal Knife Block 6pc Set

A great set of knives that will suit most people, but not quite perfect – Disclaimer: I am a Productreview.com.au Ambassador and will be reviewing the product provided to me by Tefal. I am by no means a chef. I cut bread, fruit, vegetables, fish and meat in the same quantities (and probably the same way) as everybody else. My wife on the other hand is a pretty handy cook, predominantly preparing Mediterranean food (as… Read more

she is Middle Eastern background).

We have a smattering of Furi knives we had purchased many years ago, with the bread knife being the only one that we use on a regular basis. We are frequent visitors to Japan and have purchased 4 very high-quality molybdenum vanadium knives from Masamoto. These form the basis of our daily use knives as they retain their sharpness longer and are superbly balanced. Although we’re certainly not knife deficient, we were looking forward to trying the Jamie Oliver by Tefal knives.

The knives came packaged in a standard size box, with little wasted space. The set includes a 20cm Chef Knife, 16.5cm Santoku Knife, 20cm Bread Knife, 20cm Slicing Knife, 9cm Paring Knife and a 12cm Utility Knife, plus the Knife Block. The knife block was well protected to prevent damage, with the 6 knives also being well packaged and separated out. Each knife also has plastic protectors on the end to provide that extra layer of defence against accidental damage during transport. There was also some paraphernalia and warranty information in the box and a QR code on the outside of the box that provided access to an overview video by Jamie Oliver himself, explaining how to use and clean the knives.

At first glance, I was suitably impressed by the quality and aesthetics of both the block and the knives. The block is made from acacia wood and had a pleasing grain pattern and lovely satin finish. I was pleased that it was not a high gloss lacquer, as that would have cheapened the set tremendously. One thing that we felt detracted from the set was the angle that the knives slot into the block. Every other knife block we’ve owned has something around a 60° angle to make it easier to store and retrieve the knives without requiring too much clearance. With some of the bigger knives like the chef’s knife or bread knife, some of those with limited clearance might find it inconvenient.

The knife blades were nice and shiny. I think everyone feels good about using brand new knives because of the look and these did not disappoint. The blades are ice-hardened German steel, which is apparently thermal shocked down from 1000°C down to -120°C giving them excellent longevity and sharpness. Whatever they did, the blades looked great. The blades are integrated nicely into the handles, with the satin black polymer grip material being riveted directly onto the tang crating a fairly seamless join. This is handy as it means they remain cleaner during use and do not waste that could create food hygiene problems.

The knives have an excellent feel in the hand. Although heavier than our Masamoto knives, the balance is on par. My wife and I both found the grip took a little getting used to as we both felt that it didn’t provide an initial feeling of stability in the hand because of their smoothness. Once we used them for a while though, they became much better.

I wanted to take a pause here to make a PSA. I’ve seen others on here commenting about putting knives like this in the dishwasher. Please, don’t. It’s not only terrible for the surface of the knives, creating cloudy water stains and even corroding (rusting) them but it can permanently damage them when the knives knock into surfaces (even each other) or if the detergent is abrasive. Knives should be hand washed gently in warm water, rinsed and then immediately dried. Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming…

>>>> Using the knives <<<< Immediately in the hand, we could tell that these knives were well balanced. There was the right amount of heft in them but little to no force was required to slice everything from root vegetables, fruit and ripe tomatoes, through to meat, bread and seafood. We used the chef’s and Santoku knives the most out of all of them, but my wife did use the paring and utility knives quite a bit, including giving them a brief workout with large carrots, mushrooms and herbs while making a beef bourgeon. We certainly didn’t feel like the Tefal knives were markedly inferior to the Masamoto knives, despite the latter being handmade and more expensive.

As I mentioned earlier, the handles are comprised of a plastic/polymer grip integrated into the tang of the blade. My only gripe with this is that it didn’t have a naturally secure feel in the hand (unlike our Masamoto knives) and given how sharp they are, this took a little getting used to. If I had to be picky, this grip material is also likely to be the first part of the knife to fade or discolour down the track.

Washing the knives was a breeze. I have had plenty of practice keeping knives in good condition and found these knives to be easy to clean and dry. I didn’t notice any waste material stuck in or around the join between the grip and tang. There was also no visible scratching on the knives ven after washing them a few times, although I’d expect this will change over time.

>>>> Final thoughts <<<< This is a solid offering by Tefal. The knives are much higher quality than I expected and they look and feel the part. I did not have any major concerns or problems while using them and I’m certain they will complement our existing knives for a long time to come. While there are better quality knife sets out there, you do get what you pay for and these are very good quality German steel knives that will suit most families. The range of knives provides great options for most tasks and if treated well (as per the guidelines), they should last many years. I would recommend the Jamie Oliver by Tefal set in place of your $900 down to $299 sets that are frequently offered by discount homeware chains.

Pros + Weight, balance and overall feel are fantastic + Blades are very sharp and demonstrate good durability + The set is aesthetically very pleasing + Good overview/explanation video by Jamie Oliver

Cons - The material on the handles can take some getting used to - 90° angle of knife block is awkward, particularly in small spaces - Did have some natural discolouration/marking on the knife block - Santoku knife has a slightly different design from the other knives

Sharp and beautifully balanced knife set – So excited when these arrived! We have been using the Tefal Jamie Oliver Kitchen knife and block set for the past 4 weeks, and preparing food has been something to look forward to. Out of the box they were all sharp, and packed well with tip protectors. It is immediately apparent that these are quality knives, very well balanced forged blades, and… Read more

feel great in the hand. The block looks very stylish, the knives only go in one way verticly, which can be awkward, however, it does what it is meant to do - holds them safely and conveniently. I have tried them all out, and find the cook's knife is a beast. It makes short work out of raw chicken and beef, letting the 285g weight of the knife do all the work. My go-to knife seems to be the utility knife, which slices veggies with ease, but the santoku is also pretty good for preping veggies. The santoku is 168g compared to the 285g chef's knife, so feels quite light in the hand and fairly nimble. I have not had to straighten the edge of any these with my steel, as they all still cut the same as when new. The knives are made in China from supposedly "ice hardened German steel" - my only concern with these knives is that the steel is over hardened, and will be more difficult to maintain an edge. Time will tell, but so far the edges are still perfect and haven't needed any touch ups. These knives have been excellent in the month we have used them, and highlighted how rubbish and dangerous our blunt old knives were. Note: you should not put these in the dishwasher. If I was to purchase a set of knives, these would definitely be in the mix. Well done Tefal (and Jamie)!

Good quality mid-weight kitchen knife set – Type of knives included in the set – See Photo Chef’s Knife – 20cm – (Most used) Bread Knife – 20cm Slicing/Carving Knife – 20cm Santoku Knife – 16.5cm – (general-purpose kitchen knife originating in Japan) Utility Knife – 12cm Paring Knife – 9cm Experience with similar knives – Tertiary qualified commercial cook (chef) having worked in a… Read more

variety of commercial kitchens. Have used lesser quality & lighter knives and equal quality and heavier knives, much preferring the latter due to the better control the added weight provides, blade quality and ability to maintain an edge. For the past 30 years I've used the same Messermeister brand knife set, the current equivalent being the Meridian Elite style. I sharpen my own knifes with a sharpening stone and finish with a steel. These knives in comparison cost about double that of the Tefal set.

Frequency of use – Over a 4-week period have used the Chef’s, Utility & Paring knives daily. Less frequent with others

Weight – Well balanced, mid-range knives, these are a good mid-range weight that still provide the blade control experienced with heavier knives yet not too heavy as to be too possibly add strain to prolonged handling

Blade quality and overall finish – Blades are very good, maintain their edge and I have not had to re-sharpen during the 4-week period. Handles are a good fit with the hand, smooth rounded edges. Overall finish is very good and I believe these are knives that if treated with due care will be the last set you will need to purchase.

Negatives – Sharpening steel not provided. However, sharpening a knife blade does require some degree of skill whether it be with a sharpening stone or steel. Noting that a steel only finishes off the sharpening process by deburring the blade and will not sharpen a blunt blade. Wood block design, my professional knife set experience has been with knives that are inserted into the wood block at closer to a 45 degree angle. The Tefal set is closer to a 90 degree straight up/down position, which in comparison I've found more difficult when removing and returning a knife into the wood block and when trying to quickly identifying the specific knife wanted. Both negatives are relatively minor points that could be changed by purchasing a sharpening stone & steel and a separate wood block designed to be more at the 45 degree angle.

Price - As of 1 Aug 2022 – have seen advertised online from $300 and up to $600, so shop around.

Would I recommend - Yes at the $300 price point

Best Knives I've Ever Used – Easily the best set of knives I have ever used. I was quite surprised because the knife block and knives we'd been using is of really good quality, from a reputable brand and I had no reason to think they were inferior. However, once using the Jamie Oliver by Tefal Knife Block set, I can honestly say there is a huge difference in every aspect. … Read more

When I first received these knives, I noticed a QR Code on the box which I scanned and it took me to a YouTube page with Jamie Oliver giving a 6 minute overview of the set. It was really informative and provided tips on use, cleaning and sharpening. It also gives a quick demonstration on how to use the knives safely which is great because these knives are very sharp. Of course, there are lots of webpages and YouTube videos if you're wanting to find out more, but it was convenient that it was a part of the packaging. For those who have discarded the box, there is a link to the video below.

The knives are heavier than expected but are very balanced and comfortable in your hand. The shape of the handles are ergonomic and very elegantly designed. The knives are extremely sharp and cut through everything with ease. Considering I've only had these knives for a short amount of time, I'm not able to comment on the durability of the ice hardening which is supposed to make them hardwearing and long lasting. I guess time will dictate that, but I can say that if that's what gives them their sharpness then it's quite impressive.

The knife block is a beautiful piece of acacia wood which is modern and looks very attractive sitting on the kitchen bench. One minor negative is the spacing between the knife slots (see photo below). The biggest knives are situated in the middle and the space to grab the handles is limited, I think it would have been better to put the bigger knives at the back and provide more space between all of the handles for easier selection. My previous knife block was angled (as seen in the photo) which I personally liked better, it made selecting and placing knives much easier. The Tefal one looks much nicer, but it might not be as practical.

The knives have a satin-like finish and I have found that when cleaning them, water spots and other marks are not removed very well. They almost need polishing after cleaning, or at least drying straight away and not left to dry on their own.

I did have one negative about the knife set, straight out of the box, the utility knife had a bur on the tip of the blade and a tiny, jagged section on the handle. I needed to remove the bur by sharpening the knife. If I'd purchased this set from a retail store I probably would have returned it to get a new one. It's not cheap and you'd expect it to be perfectly manufactured.

It's been a few weeks since receiving this knife block set and I can honestly say that I am very impressed. It still surprises me at how nice the knives are to use, how sharp they are and how effortless it makes chopping or slicing. Even the bread knife!

I highly recommend this set, it's a stand-out piece of kitchen equipment which should last a lifetime with proper care.

Great knives let down by wooden block – I’ve been using the Jamie Oliver by Tefal knives for several weeks now, so here are my thoughts on them, from the day they were delivered. The set is well packaged. It’s unlikely someone would trip and accidentally stab themselves from a loose knife piercing the packaging. A bruised toe perhaps, if the box fell on your foot, and maybe a bruised… Read more

ego.

The back of the box provides a picture and description for each of the included knives, along with what foods you might use them for. I’ve never been a stickler for this, but for those who like to use their knives on the foods the manufacturer recommends, this is handy to know.

The cleaning and maintenance instructions are on the side of the box. I had to put on two pairs of glasses for enough magnification to read them. I’ve taken a photo of them, so I won’t have to bother with the box again. (Basically, handwash with a non-abrasive sponge and dry carefully.)

The knives come in a long, thin white box. Each of the knives has a cardboard sleeve over the blade and most of them had a small plastic cover on the tip of the knife.

I compared two of the Jamie Oliver by Tefal knives to their equivalent Furi Pro knives, which I’ve been using for almost 14 years: 1. Weight Surprising the Jamie Oliver by Tefal Chef’s knife is heavier than the Furi Pro, while the Jamie Oliver by Tefal Santoku knife is lighter than the Furi Pro. When holding them, I couldn’t feel any weight difference. 2. Balance and Feel Both brands are well-balanced and feel good in your hand. The Furi Pro has an indent below the finger guard that your index finger sits in, whereas Jamie Oliver by Tefal only has the finger guard. Every time I use one of the Jamie Oliver’s, I look at the knife to ensure I’m holding it the right way up. The more I use these knives the less I’ll be inclined to look… my brain is a bit slow in the retraining department! 3. Aesthetics The handle on the Jamie Oliver by Tefal Santoku knife is slightly different to the rest of the Jamie Oliver by Tefal knives, unlike the Furi Pros, which are all the same. This might be a big deal for some people, even if it is only a minor difference. 4. Cutting, Slicing and Dicing My Furi Pros have needed sharpening a lot over the years. They’ve always been handwashed after use and put away. I thought their cutting edge was good, though once I started using the Jamie Oliver by Tefal knives, I realised my old knives were not as sharp as I thought. The task of cutting, slicing and dicing is done with ease. I kept a list of the various food stuffs we’ve used these knives on: Meats – raw veal, raw chicken, raw pork loin, chorizo and roast beef. Vegetables – carrots, tomatoes, expensive lettuce(!), capsicum, cabbage, potatoes, pumpkin, cucumber, spring onions, sweet potatoes and onions. Other – strawberries, tangelos, birthday cake, french stick and vienna loaf.

The biggest gripe I have with this knife set is the wooden block. I’m not sure if I was unlucky or they’ve been manufactured with what I consider a defect. There is a gap between the join on one side of the block. I could easily fold an A4 sheet of paper into thirds, then fold it in half and fit it in the gap. As I store my knives on my kitchen bench, below an overhead cupboard, my hand hits the underside of the cupboard well before I can remove the longer knives. This means I have to move the block from where it lives, take out the knife, then put the block away. (The process repeats when putting away the cleaned knife.) I would prefer to remove the knives on the diagonal, rather than vertically.

Knives: 5 stars Block: 3 stars Overall rating: 4 stars

knives’ for Pros and Worth a Show! – Un-boxing of knives is always exciting but mixed with fear as you always know they are always sharp out of the box. The Tefal Jamie Oliver knife set is extremely pleasing to the eye I just loved the way the black handle was almost formed into the knife giving a well-engineered, sleek look. My reference set of knives are my Wusthof classic which I… Read more

have had for over 15 years. I found the Tefal knives are more fetching and brilliantly balanced to hold and use. There is nothing worse than using a knife with wet hands and the level of grip was reassuring from the polished handle. My wife and I do a lot of cooking from scratch so a good sharp knife is a godsend in the kitchen. There is nothing worse than hacking away at a tomato when the knife should just slide tough it like butter. The clever people at Tefal provided the technology and performance. Tefal have made quality, trusted products for nearly twenty years that make cooking from scratch a real joy. The high-quality German stainless steel blades are ice hardened by thermal shock applied, by dropping their temperature from 1000°C to -120°C making them hardwearing and long-lasting, who wants a knife that dulls too quickly.

There are 6 knives in the Jamie Oliver’s Professional knife block set Chef’s Knife- 20cm. A kitchen all-rounder. You would use it the dice vegetables and cut meat Bread Knife 20cm. Great for cutting a crusty sourdough or a whole wheat loaf. Slicing Knife 20cm. Awesome for carving that Sunday roast. Santuko Knife 16cm.Your go to knife when you need a light weight blade for the more delicate jobs. Slicing salmon or chopping, slicing, dicing and mincing Utility Knife 12cm. Ideal for prepping fruit for breakfast or that lunchtime salad. Paring knife 9cm. A precise little knife for slicing orange segments or prepping mushrooms and carrots. The knives are beautifully presented in responsibly sourced Acacia wood block, the knives are arranged vertically into the block making it easy to select your choice of knife.

Pro’s Great looking knives with an engineered crafted appearance. Good level of grip and extremely sharp. Too good to hide away in a drawer.

Con’s My only complaint is the vertical slots in the block are a little too narrow and make is difficult to store the knife after washing.

Great quality knives that will last you forever – [UPDATE 2023: After nearly a year I'm going to increase my rating to 5 stars. They're really really good knives. They stay super sharp, are comfortable and well weighted and this set really covers all use cases we can think of.] Kitchen knives are one of the most used but often under-appreciated of our daily tools. Good quality knives, apart from… Read more

being a matter of safety also have a feel-good factor. I’ve always used good quality knives including Wusthof, Glove and Victorinox.

The set of 6 Jamie Oliver Tefal knives come in a good-looking wood block that looks like acacia or perhaps mango. The knives are super sharp straight out of the box. By that I mean they can slice the edge of a paper and a thin slice of tomato is a walk in the park.

The second impression is how solid they are. There is a substantial heft to five of the knives. They are solid stainless steel from the tip of the blade all the way to the end of the handle where they are over-moulded on three sides with plastic. From the blade guard rearwards the steel is thick and chunky and this explains the weight.

At first, this put me off. I was used to the delicate feel of my Globe paring knife the minimalist feel of my Wusthof Chef knife and the light wood-handled Victorinox bread knife. By contrast, these are neither delicate, subtle, nor minimalist.

The only exception is the Santoku. This is shaped completely differently and as a consequence sits in the hand very much like a made-in-Japan Santoku. It feels light and nimble and I found I liked this knife the most.

The third impression is of the generic shape but this is countered by a very comfortable and ergonomic feel with no sharp edges and a well-balanced weight.

I have used them a lot for about a month and except for the Santoku they haven’t needed sharpening. The Santoku I had noticed had been honed to such a fine edge that the metal folded over after a little use. I sharpened it and since then it has been perfect.

The rest of the knives haven’t needed sharpening which is to be expected for high-quality steel. I have no doubt the steel is high quality because the paring knife was accidentally washed in the dishwasher and it survived without needing to be sharpened. Do that with a knife you buy in the supermarket and you will have to sharpen it.

As I said, I love the Santoku, the paring and the utility knives. I am still on the fence about the bread knife. I find its teeth a little too sharp and grabby. They are filed to a thin point as opposed to a rounded point on the Victorinox so while it cuts perfectly well it doesn’t stop when it gets to the cutting board. By contrast, the Victorinox feels less sharp but cuts just as well and doesn’t mark the board. The 20cm chef knife and the big 20cm slicer are a little too big for my needs. They work brilliantly and feel balanced but I kept going back to my 16cm Wusthof. But I guess everyone has their preferences.

Overall, this is a great set of knives that will last you forever. They are a little cheaper than the equivalent Made-in-Germany Wusthof or Japanese Global. If you are not a brand snob and the country of manufacture doesn’t bother you then you need look no further.

Great design & incredibly sharp! – We were offered the opportunity to test & assess these Jamie Oliver Tefal knives. We had (for some decades) been using Wusthof Drejzwerk (Trident) knives. A size comparison is in the images. The Tefal knives we found to be excellent, they are incredibly sharp & were a great improvement to what we had been using, the handles were far superior to… Read more

our others & easy to hold. The footprint (bench top space) was possibly not as good by comparison but I feel this was unique to us, it would not affect most others. In fact the Tefal wooden block is more stable & looks better. My one minor point would be that there was no place for a sharpening steel as in our old block. It's not an issue since it's probably best to store this in a cutlery drawer anyway since it's rarely used. CONCLUSION: An excellent set of knives that cover pretty much every need.

' Really Makes The Cut ' – Straight to the point and cutting to the chase . The Jamie Oliver , Tefal knife set is a well produced set of cutting implements that look good , perform well and are easy and comfortable to use . The choice of kitchen knives is a very personal thing , some suit your hand and experience , some don't . Sharpness aside , if the handles are… Read more

uncomfortable , too big , or are slippery then the knife isn't fit for purpose . The Jamie Oliver , Tefal set is well designed , very sharp and easy to use , the handles are nicely proportioned , smooth but non slip and fall easily to the hand . The swell at the rear stops the knife slipping when pushed , the finger well at the front helps prevent contact with the blade , all this gives you a very stable and safe grip when in use . Small hands will find a blade to suit all purposes . my larger hands preferred the utility knife as a paring blade and the slicing knife as the utility . Certainly my favourite blade of the set is the Santoku , it's deep and thin and allows really accurate paper thin slicing of difficult foods . I found a diamond stick gave the best results when honing the blades , my conventional ' F Dick ' steel was OK but struggled against the very hard edges of these knives . The block is fine , its small foot print and upright stance takes up very little space on the work bench . The blades, although stainless steel are still able to be held securely on a magnetic bracket if that is your choice . Compared to many this set is exceptionally good value for money , performs well , holds an edge and really does ' Make The Cut '.

One month on and the edges of these knives have weathered the rigours of everyday kitchen life very well . I still like them though with this longer period of use I have noticed the handles to be heavier than first noted . This is really a matter of preference though woe betide you if one was to fall onto a tiled or marble floor .

Really nice block and knife set – One thing I really love is a good sharp knife. It makes meal preparation so much easier, so I was eager to receive my Jamie Oliver by Tefal Knife Block Set. I like some of Jamie Oliver’s recipes and am happy with my Tefal’s titanium non-stick thermo signal pans, so I expected a good product. The Jamie Oliver by Tefal Knife Block Set includes the… Read more

following knives: Chef 20cm, Santoku 16.5cm, Slicing 20cm, Bread 20cm, Utility 12cm, Paring 9cm. The storage block is made from acacia wood.

The first thing I noticed when I opened the box and removed the set from the packaging was the way the set looks. Both the block and the knives look really lovely in the kitchen and much prettier than my day to day knife set which is a Wusthof 10 piece which I bought almost 30 years ago and the Jamie Oliver/Tefal set takes up much less space. The acacia wood is a very durable, solid and is a long lasting wood - an excellent choice of wood for a knife block.

I had to make a small adjustment using the Jamie Oliver/Tefal knives. I love the weight of them in my hands, but when I go to use them, I find them a bit difficult to weild because they are heavier and thicker than the knives I am used to. For elderly people or people with smaller hands, they may be awkward to use. However, the weight makes it easier to use a rhythmic motion when cutting as it automatically cuts into the food without your hand having to use pressure and is safer.

I don’t particularly like the utility and paring knife. I have thinner and lighter knives that work better, but I do like the chef’s and the slicing knife. The bread knife doesn’t seem to cut well unless I use it slightly slanted and I prefer my existing bread knife.

Obviously this is a six set but it would have been nice to have a sharpening steel and a pair of kitchen shears as I believe this type of set would really suit those that are leaving home and this would be their first set. The sharpening steel is indispensable to keep your knives in good condition and a pair of kitchen shears are wonderful for snipping herbs, breaking down poultry etc. You can always buy a pair separately and keep them in a kitchen drawer.

Be very careful when you first use this set and when unpacking. The knives are extremely sharp and if you are used to old, dull knives, you can very easily hurt yourself.

All in all I like the set I took one star off because I’m not a particular fan of the bread, utility and paring knife.

A good European style knife set – Firstly I need to note that as an Ambassador I was provided this set of knives to review at no cost. I am however writing this with the understanding that my review is genuine and unbiased. So with that out of the way, on to the review itself. The packaging is almost all recyclable except perhaps for the small plastic tip protectors on some of… Read more

the knives. The overall finish is good, although not perfect. For example, looking closely at the join between the black handle and the steel on some of the knives you can see imperfections. It's a minor thing, but jars slightly. The block has a decent weight to it so it won't move around on the counter, with slots underneath to let any moisture out.

Good weight and balance to the knives, and they all came with a nice edge to them straight out of the box. I tend to judge knives by the chef's knife - the one I use the most - and I was not disappointed. It has a good feel to it, and is very much typical for a good quality European knife. The other knives are also similar, although again I tend to use the chefs knife for most things. A standout for me though is the bread knife - some can be too short or flimsy, but I suspect this knife is going to become my favourite for slicing up loaves from now on. The set included a Chef's 20cm, Santoku 16.5cm, Slicing 20cm, Bread 20cm, Utility 12cm, and Paring 9cm - I wish knife sets like this would come with a carving fork like they used to, and maybe some scissors, but other than that I can't complain about the selection. Some European sets still come with a steel for sharpening, and the vast majority of people have no idea how to use one of those properly.

The knives are X50 Cr15 MoV - there is better out there, but this is a quality steel blend that is used a lot with good European knives. Be aware that you should try to clean and dry the knives soon after using them to avoid stains. Do not leave them sitting in the sink overnight.

A few years ago I moved away from the classic German knives like these are styled after, and have been using Global (Japanese) knives. One thing that attracted me to the Global knives was - as the handles are all steel - they could go straight into the dishwasher and not worry about the handles splitting etc. The CROMOVA 18 steel is also slightly more resistant to corrosion or 'spotting' if left to air dry. Now in general if you have really good knives, you never put them in a dishwasher - you clean them by hand as soon as possible after using them, then put them into a knife roll to protect the edges. I am however not a professional chef and try to balance my love of good knives with practicality. I'm going to throw these in the dishwasher - I'll update the review later to let you know how they survive.

These knives are better balanced than my Globals - the Japanese knives are lighter which is both a positive (less tiring to use for extended periods) and a negative (with a lighter knife you need to push down more rather than let the weight of the knife cut food, plus it is easier to hurt yourself with a lighter knife accidentally). Keep in mind that European knives are generally sharpened to an angle of around 20 degrees (17 to 22). Japanese run from 12 to 17 degrees - in fact some are only sharpened on one side. This means the Japanese knives are generally sharper *but* also tend to blunt faster as well as are more prone to damage.

But, I need to make this a review on these knives rather than a pros and cons between European and Japanese knives. Overall, I'm pretty impressed with these. Although I didn't have to pay for them, I've checked out the RRP and they don't seem overpriced. It's still early days yet - I'd like to see how long they hold their edge over time as well as if they can survive the dishwasher. We'll see!

**update** OK, it's been well over a year now and these knives have stood up to a lot of use. Although I personally lean more towards the Global knives the rest of the family prefer these. They are almost all used daily and have all gone through the dishwasher multiple times. The handles are fading a little because of the dishwasher but the blades themselves have survived quite well.