Ginsu Chikara 8-Piece Bamboo Block Knife Set

This set of Japanese-style knives includes an 8-inch chef’s knife, a 7-inch santoku knife, a 3.5-inch paring knife, a 5-inch serrated utility knife, a 5-inch non-serrated utility knife, a pair of kitchen shears, and a honing rod. The tiered knife block, although it takes up a good amount of space on the counter, makes it easy to see exactly where each knife is stored. It’s also lightweight and made using bamboo, a sustainable and renewable material.

We were big fans of the santoku knife in this set. The handle felt extremely balanced, and the heel design features a thick, heavy bolster. All of the knives, however, were super sharp right out of the box. The chef’s knife was able to slice completely through a sheet of paper without catching and cut through a tomato with little to no effort. The paring knife also performed well–easily hulling strawberries thanks to the sharp point of the blade. The handles are on the thinner side, so those with larger hands might find them slightly uncomfortable.

Blade Material: Stainless steel | Number of Knives: 5 + scissors | Sharpening: Honing steel | Storage: Bamboo block