Kyocera Ceramics 2pc Gift Set - Black

These are two great knives from Kyocera, the world's leading advanced ceramic company. I've been using their knives for over five years, every since my brother gifted me with a set of their white-bladed ceramic knives. Now, I'm a convert to ceramic knives who would never go back to steel knives, and, I preach their virtues to all who will listen. Those older Kyocera knives from my brother are still going strong, but, I wanted to upgrade to the more durable black-bladed knives. At $61.50, only 50 cents more than the white-bladed version, and over $25 cheaper than buying the paring knife and santoku individually, this is a great deal. The knives come nicely presented in a box, with a small red ribbon securing the knives to a black foam protective encasing. These knives will make a fantastic gift for a home chef or foodie. Made of ceramic, both the santoku and paring knife are very, very sharp and will likely never need sharpening. You won't believe how easily these knives slice and mince. The santoku is very comfortable in the hand and has a good balance to it. This is likely to become your most often-used knife in the kitchen, your "right hand," as it were. The resin handles are comfortable to hold and offer a good grip. The one caveat I would mention with respect to these knives is that, like all ceramic knives, the blade is brittle to a certain extent. Not brittle in the sense that you have to worry about damaging it during normal use; not at all. No, I mean brittle in the sense that, if you drop it on the kitchen floor, it may very well break or chip, depending on how it lands. The black-bladed version (as opposed to the white-bladed ones), are the knives that I recommend, as they undergo a special process which makes the blade harder and more impervious to chipping than the white ones. For a slightly higher price, I think that the extra durability is worth it. But, either way, you'll be getting a great knife which will prove itself to be a very useful addition to your knife collection. If you treat them carefully, they will provide years of good service and enjoyment. Note that, if your knife blade does suffer some minor chipping (which usually doesn't noticeably affect performance), you can send it back to Kyocera and they will re-sharpen all of your knives (as many as you have) for $10. You just pay the $10 and one-way shipping costs. As always, store your ceramic knife in a knife block after use -- never in a drawer. And, use them with wooden or plastic cutting boards only.