Mercer CulinaryM20050 Genesis 6-Piece Wood / Glass Knife Block Set

I am reviewing this product after using them for 1- year and will address a few issues other posters have mentioned as either a question, or, an "issue".First to address the customer service at Mercer. I initially had a small problem with my orderand after not receiving a response going through Amazon, I contacted the company directly.When emailing the company I received immediate, helpful, 5 star customer service.They went above and beyond to make sure that I was a happy customer.A trait that is difficult to find these days. I learned that many companies do not seethe reviews posted here, and sometimes communication through Amazon to them,(regarding a problem for example) may not even make it to the company.That is what happened in my case. Once Mercer was aware of my issue they immediatelyjumped through hoops to fix it. I admit to not being the nicest person when makingcontact with Mercer as I believed they were ignoring me by not answering communication sent through Amazon, yet, they were nice to me. Proffesional.considering my "tone".The knives are a solid, heavy, (compared to cheap run of the mill sets), extremely sharp quality product. The handles are made of some type of rubber(?) material which assures a solideasy to handle grip. This matters, a lot. I am not a chef by any means, not even close, but from my experience wood handled knives when wet are not only difficult to grip, but dangerous because they become slippery.When the knives first arrive they are unbelievably sharp. After a few months they do begin todull a bit but I now have a knife sharpener that quickly brings them back. I'm a total novice in the kitchen so this was a learning experience. All knives getless sharp and should be sharpened appropriately. Mercer was kind enough to educate me.Now I see why in Game of Thrones every one is constantly sitting aroundsharpening their Valaryan Steel swords. Sorry, couldn't resist :)Others have posted questions about the glass block itself and how to clean it. One word. Easy. See attached picture. Extremely easy.The other "issue" I have noticed posted about a lot is the height of the knives in relation to the bottom of your kitchen cabinets. Again, refer to my attached pictures for the overall "look".When I each for a knife I do slightly pull the block forward (towards me) to remove it.This has proved to be a non issue for a couple of reasons. One, you just get used todoing that motion. If you place the block under a cabinet you obviously cannot lift theknife straight up and out. However, it is not a problem at all.Two, the glass block is surprisingly sturdy so it does not fall over as you tilt it forward a bitto remove the knife. I'm so used to the motion now I don't even notice, it's just second nature.I love this set. Apparently my undercabinet lighting has effected my pictures as they actually lookmore "shiny" from a distance in person. A clean, updated modern design as opposed to the big old wood block ones.And the quality is top knot here. Well worth the price! Would make a great gift too.

These knives are an excellent value for the money. Prior to ordering this set (three years ago!) I had a set of very expensive forged Henkels that I sadly lost in a divorce. Being on a budget, I purchased these and expected a mid-grade knife commensurate with the price point.I was pleasantly surprised to find that these knives compared favorably against my old set and less than a third of the price. They are solidly forged, thick spined, well-balanced, full tang with nice bolsters. They feel great in the hand, came shaving-sharp, and have held an edge through daily use (I love cooking) for three years. In fact, I am just now getting ready to sharpen them for the first time, and they still aren't that dull (I recently cut myself down to the bone when I slipped while washing my chef knife, and my babysitter didn't heed my warning and got a nice set of stitches from the paring knife).To address some of the negative reviews I have seen, I'll share some information about good knives. First, these are stain-free steel, NOT stainless. Stainless steel is generally far inferior for forging knife blades. The fact that "surgical stainless" is stamped on every junk knife is not a coincidence. A knife that doesn't rust when abused is probably not a great knife, will be difficult to sharpen, and won't have good edge retention. These knives will rust if you don't take care of them. Use your knife, was your knife, dry your knife thoroughly, and put it away.Secondly, these have excellent edge retention if used properly and maintained. Learn to use a honing steel and use it before each session with your knife. It will realign the microscopic serrations that are on the very edge of the blade and keep it sharp MUCH longer. Don't cut on glass, stone, hardwood, or cheap plastic boards. Get a bamboo cutting board and use it. Again, your blade will stay sharp almost indefinitely.Finally, never put your knives in the dishwasher. You are blasting them with abrasive soap and minerals and letting them rattle against other metal and glass objects before subjecting them to extreme heat and humidity. This will ruin your knives. Instead, get a long handled nylon brush and wash with hot water and mild soap. Don't use scouring pads, ajax powder, steel wool pads, or harsh cleaners.Take care of your tools and they will take care of you, and provide years of trouble-free service. Get a cheap set of beater knives and keep them in the drawer for the abusive tasks.If I had to find a complaint, after many many many hand washes, the logos on the blades have significantly faded. I can easily see which knives I use most. Do I care? Nope. This is a fantastic set of knives appropriate for any level chef and an incredible value.

I really like this knife set. All of them are sharp and well balanced in my hand. I didn’t like the glass knife stand, not useful and impossible to keep clean. I keep my knives in a kitchen drawer and got rid of the stand .

Tengo estos cuchillos conmigo por poco tiempo. Hasta el momento han resultado muy agradables al tacto se sienten firmes, tienen mucho filo y se ven bien. Recomendable por la relación costo beneficio que ofrecen.

I can’t speak to the longevity of these as I haven’t had them that long yet, but so far I love these. While I’m not a professional chef, I do love cooking and value high performing tools and equipment. After researching a lot of different brands, I went with Mercer. These have the perfect weight and balance to them. Some western knives tend to be a little too heavy, whereas these feel just right — heavy enough to feel strong and high quality, but light enough that they are easy to control and manoeuvre. They are sharp and have a comfortable handle. On top of that, they are at a great price point and beautiful to look at. The stand is such a gorgeous focal point on my kitchen counter. So far, very impressed!

Me encantaron super bien los cuchillos y es fácil de limpiar la base además esta muy moderna y bonita

Amazing! Super sharp!

Brilliant grip and excellent sharpness. Wife and Mom just love the feel and use of thr knives. The knife holder is great too.