3-Piece Chef Knife Set - SUMI Black Handle + Black Ceramic Blade - 7 inch Gyuto Chef Knife + 5 inch Santoku + 3 inch Paring + Luxury Gift Boxed Knife Set + 3 Knife Sheaths

Kikusumi makes both beautiful and exceptional knives. As I expected after hours of reading through the Kikusumi website, their magazine, their news, first recipe book, and their app, the knives are beautifully made using quality materials. They are so well thought out with such attention to detail. It is very obvious that they are producing a product that stands apart from others like it.I have only used the Santoku knife, and It is wonderful. It is smaller than other Santoku ceramic knives that I have used, but it's great to have a smaller one for more intricate cutting tasks. I already own black and white ceramic Kyocera Santoku knives that are 5.5 inches, and the Santoku in this set is 4.8 inches. Anyone who is interested in a 5.5 inch Kikusumi Santoku can purchase the two knife set which also includes a 4" paring knife. I know it's a set that I will want to purchase, even though I have the three knife set. These are the only ceramic Santoku knives that I have seen with cullens, which are supposed to prevent food from sticking to the blades.I didn't think I would want to purchase any ceramic knives other than Kyocera, but Kikusumi really impresses me. Their attention to quality, detail, and their customers are outstanding qualities, and I like supporting companies like Kikusumi. They were designed by a chef who combined both aesthetics and function when he created these knives.I am very careful when using my knives, whether they are ceramic or Japanese steel. I use only an endgrain wood cutting board or a soft plastic cutting boards. Bamboo and teak are supposed to be rough on knives, and so are wood composites, Corian, marble, granite, or glass. I have considered buying a Hinoki wood board. When used as suggested (staying away from bones, frozen food, prying, or twisting), I don't believe they are as fragile as people think ceramic is.The ergonomics of these knives is exceptional. They feel really nice in the hand and make food preparation much more pleasant. I have carpal tunnel syndrome and also arthritis in my hands, and these knives are really much better for me to use.I highly recommend purchasing these knives. They are aesthetically beautiful, very sharp, ergonomically exceptional, and a pleasure to use.

Was looking for a set that was above the quality level offered by some of the brick & mortar stores but didn't want to pay the outrageous prices offered by a competing manufacturer. Just as long as you are aware of the pros & cons of metal vs. ceramics, this, IMO, is the best bang for the buck I've encountered so far when offered as a set. Very pleased with the sharpness. Except for a few metal knives that have to be used for certain cuts, including certain extremely hard vegetables, these are the everyday go-to knives for everything else, assuming you know not to bang, drop or twist them. Along with their sharpness they hand clean easily without staining & rusting which has been always a problem with metal regardless of how well-taken care of. Although I cook a lot, I'm by no means a chef; along with some metal for those cuts not suitable for ceramics, I've found I really don't need any other sizes than what are offered in this set. The mundane cutting of vegetables and fruits with these turn the activity into an art form. The tool is part of the art. I also appreciate the set is not serrated. I find personally that serrated edges on knives are a bit of a gimmick that don't do much to enhance a cut whether on meat or bread, but larger deeper serrations you find on a dedicated bread knife are more desirable for that exact application. Although I have used them, again, in my experience, small serrations have a tendency to tear and collect debris on the knife during the cut which affects the smoothness and cleanness of the cut, while reducing the ease of a knife to make a cut, whether steel or ceramic. My suspicion for the popularity of serrations is from customers seeing this type of knife in certain steak houses, but there is a fear there that customers will accidentally cut themselves with razor sharp knives, so these serrated ones are used as a compromise to saw through the steaks. On any given day, a good sharp meat, vegetable and fruit knife is superior to anything serrated with some limited exceptions. Edit...I had a chance to use the much more expensive ceramic knife offered by another manufacturer. I'm always terminally second guessing myself on purchases and in fairness, maybe it was/is a better knife material-wise (it had better be considering the price) since I'm no expert on manufacturing processes for this type of product. Although it wasn't a side-by-side comparison which lacks some fairness, I preferred the overall tactile feel of the Kikusumi handle and blade during the cutting process and the Kikusumi seemed to cut more easily. It further reinforces that I made a good call on this product even with my own awareness of a bias that may occur because of the difference in price. Right or wrong, you just have to be settled in your own mind you made a decent purchase to be comfortable with it. I'd purchase these again. Further edit: Had these for about 6 months now of continuous use. The pairing knife is the perfect size for me while the sharpness of the knives is exemplary. These are actually fairly tough knives for a ceramic while with each use I appreciate the handles more and more. No chipping or other issues I've had with previous ceramics I've purchased. All that is required is careful use of them.

The knives arrived quickly in a box with magnetic closure. They are light weight. The handles are comfortable to hold. The handle length for each knife extends beyond the palm of a medium sized hand using a four finger and thumb grip. The length of the handle and the ovoid diameter of the handle decreases for each knife as the length of the blade decreases. The handles are smooth and comfortable. The blades come enclosed in individual plastic sheaths. They are very sharp. No defect was noted in handles or blades with materials or workmanship. The blades may seem on the small side by modern standards, but preparing food does not require much size. Sharpness and skill suffice. Being ceramic, they must be hard and brittle where steel is softer and tougher. Some care should be exercised to use the knives only to slice. Regardless of their utility, they are an aesthetically beautiful work of art. The designers, makers and inspectors of these knives put some of their soul into them. They are to be enjoyed.

The small ones work best. Ceramic chips easily but stays sharp. Overall, fine steel still rules.

These are poorly made Chinese garbage. Within a year, 2 of our 3 knives had failed. We are experienced in the care of ceramic knives, with our previous set lasting nearly a decade. When contacted, the company blamed our high quality wooden cutting board for the issue, instead suggesting that only the cutting boards they sell are sufficient.