Rada Cutlery 7-Piece Starter Knife Gift Set, Silver Handles

Been using Rada for years. Made in the USA and are sharp and sturdy. Rada sharpener hones the blades back to normal if the get dull. Very reasonable set price rather than buying them separately.

I bought these knives for 3 reasons:1. Price. They were very reasonably priced. Compared to many other sets that have questionable reviews and quality for ten times the price, it's hard to believe that you would receive a quality set for this cost, but so far they are. More below.2. Quality. From reading of other reviews they sounded like they were a decent quality set of knives. After receiving and using them for the past few days, I have to say I'm very impressed. This is the sharpest set of knives I've ever owned, and the quality of the metal is great. I will update later with more information on how they fare over a longer period of time, but so far so good.3. Made in the USA. There's a growing movement to support smaller, local companies for many US residents, and this was a major factor in my decision to purchase this set. After checking out the company, I decided on Rada cutlery. It's great to know that there are US companies making good quality products.PROS* Very sharp.* Reasonable price.* Many options for expanding your set of knives after buying this starter set.* Can be sharpened at home.* Lifetime warranty.CONS* Somewhat utilitarian appearance. Aluminum handles look fine to me, but they're not as classy-looking as some of the black / stainless options out there.There are a couple other options out there for US-made cutlery, but neither one compares in price, so if you're looking for a decent quality set of knives that are easy on the wallet, this is a great option. I will update this review with any bad news that may come up over the next few months and years, but so far, this looks like a great set at a great price.UPDATE 2012-09-04:As another customer pointed out, Rada does indeed sell a block for these knives. This is now available from at least one Amazon seller. After owning them for nearly a year I'm finally ordering a sharpener. The paring knives and chef's knife are used nearly every day. The tomato slicer in particular is very nice. The chef's knife seemed to lose its edge faster than the others, but that may have had more to do with use frequency than any aspect of the knife itself. Still 5 stars, and I definitely like the aluminum handles as they've maintained their nice-looking appearance (albeit utilitarian) much better than my previous set of knives with black plastic handles.

For several years we had a set of four paring knives with dull aluminum handles that we used for cutting steak and chicken at the dinner table. They didn’t have the look of expensive cutlery but they took an edge easily and when they did, boy, were they ever sharp. I was always curious as to what they were, but the stamping on the blade was worn away so I couldn’t tell. I made several comments to my wife about how I liked them and wished I could find more but since they looked old and faded, I assumed they were something that wasn’t made any more, maybe even vintage.Being tired of my expensive knives that took forever to restore the edge and get them sharp, even with professional equipment, I decided to start looking around for reasonably-priced alternatives. And then—ta da!—Amazon saved the day. I couldn’t believe my good fortune. At long last, the mystery knives had a name! Being the ever-diligent online researcher like many of us Amazon shoppers, I checked into Rada a little further. Imagine my shock (and pleasure) to learn that not only are they a bargain, they’re made in the USA. Since I’m accustomed to equating “made in the USA” to “good stuff but your credit card company will send you a thank-you letter,” this was a no-brainer. I immediately ordered the gift set.I’m very picky about knives. I am no chef, but I’m a guy who knows his way around the kitchen and am a decent cook and barbeque-er. I’m also an outdoorsman. I know knives. I own everything from skinning to filleting (in the latter category alone I own probably half a dozen), from the cheap stuff all the way up to custom-made. My knives stay sharp; I am very meticulous about this and know how to put a good edge on them. Frankly, those old Radas held one better than anything else in the kitchen, including a fairly expensive set of Chicago Cutlery knives in a block.With this in mind, I will simply say that Rada makes some fantastic blades. Not “good for the price.” Just good. Do NOT let the price fool you. These are the sharpest blades you’re likely to find at nearly any price. They take an edge like nothing else in my kitchen and cut like scalpels. As far as I’m concerned, these are the most important criteria in any knife. A knife can have a handle made out of rare albino wooly mammoth tusk and a blade finish that looks like it came right off a samurai’s belt, but if it won’t cut, it might as well stay in the block and look pretty. Your guests can ooh and ahhh over it it while you slice and dice with your Radas.That’s the biggest difference between these knives and the expensive ones with ogle factor. They are nothing to look at. The brushed aluminum handles are nice enough, though, and they provide good grip even with wet hands. Some may not like the texture, as it does not feel as nice in the hand as wood or composite. If you hand-wash them they will stay nice; you can throw them in the dishwasher but understand that the handles will oxidize and get gray and dull pretty quickly. I have not used the plastic-handled ones, but I think the aluminum gives them a little touch of class, but I doubt anyone will ever call them the Faberge eggs of knives. If you think Faberge eggs are pretty.Ergonomically they are fine. By “fine” I mean that I don’t ever think about balance or heft when I use them. They’re perfectly functional. The blades are a shade thinner than some of the more expensive knives, and flex a little more. Again, it’s never an issue and personally I prefer a bit of this, anyway. Like the handles, their finish is completely utilitarian, nothing fancy.I fully understand that for some folks, their kitchen is their pride and joy. They cook a lot and do it well, and won’t settle for anything less than the best money can buy. I get it—you’re going to spend money on your passion and that’s okay (God knows I sure do--I have fly rods so expensive I had to learn to live with one kidney. Totally worth it.). It’s why avid golfers buy carbon-fiber titanium wonder clubs that not only hit the ball better and further, they give you advice on your swing and criticize your sense of style, or why bass fishermen will buy a metal-flaked $50,000 boat loaded with ten grand’s worth of electronic equipment to chase fish that any kid with a banged-up rowboat, a cane pole, and some patience will probably catch too.That said, if you want knives that just work, buy these. The whole set is less than forty bucks, for Pete's sake. If you don’t like them you can give ‘em to your just-getting-started-in-the-real-world kid as long as you trust them with sharp pointy things. Great stuff made right here in Iowa, USA. Why buy cheap Chinese garbage when you can get quality right here?