Got my wife a set last Christmas. She loves them and I no longer have to sharpen knives. They seem to hold an edge if you don't do stupid things like cutting on a plate or through bones. The knife block contains "V" shaped ceramic stones which the blades drag on when inserting or withdrawing the knife, just touching up the blade very slightly. So far-so good. Some folks have complained that the carbon steel blades will rust. We have experienced no problems but we both wash and then dry the knives before they go back in the block.

Bruce

On the subject of sharpening. My father was a picture framer who hand cut his mats. He made his mat knife blades from hacksaw blades ground down to the shape he needed and he had a large oil stone at his bench and he sharpened his blades many times during a day. He taught me how to sharpen and I've done his technique ever since. It was much the same technique I learned in wood working shop in high school in 1958. I've been using water stones for 20 years now, using my fathers technique. I just tried using the Japanese technique's taught in previous posts to my wife's Wursthof Santuko. When I finished she said it was the sharpest the knife has ever been and I thought the same as I felt the blade cut newspaper on edge, from the knifes own weight. I've learned a new technique and thanks to those who posted it.

Stu

Old Hickory Knives can be found on Amazon and Midway USA , I have a couple of my mothers paring knives. She had a full set that disappeared when moved