It's evident right out of the box - these knives are thin and very sharp. The set has a very good variety of knives for most cutting tasks. 

I found the Filet knife the most versatile. It has a flexible curved blade which is handy for everything from filleting to slicing sandwiches or tomatoes. The serrated blade edge is unique and you need to use a forward/backward motion when slicing, to cut completely through. The reason seems to be the width of the serrations - not bad really, just a little different. This knife also has a bevel on one side of the blade that encourages it to cut at an angle, as opposed to straight down - that was surprising. 

The control ball (Rock 'N Chop and Chop 'N Scoop) really does improve control and handling of those two knives. Otherwise, I would find the Rock 'N Chop a little big for good control, but this design seems to allow a better grip. This tool does a good job of dicing, slicing and chopping, but the Chop 'N Scoop is even better and the one we reach for the most.

The steak/utility knives are serrated and cut through venison surprisingly well. They're also handy for different cutting tasks. The Slicer is excellent for slicing bread with just the right thinness for even, clean slices. The Parer's long blade is better suited to slicing small items than coring apples. The utility shears are a handy tool. All blades are sharp and handles are comfortable. 

During testing, there was a problem with the Filet knife. While filleting fish, it sustained a crack in the blade and that is a major concern with this knife.Overall ImpressionAll the knives in this set are extremely sharp and seem to be designed for comfort and handling. They're thin enough to easily slice through even hard foods, but not too thin to limit their use. 

Our favorite piece from this set is the Chop 'N Scoop. I don't enjoy using a regular cleaver, but this small size, thinner cleaver-like tool feels comfortable in the hand and does a good dicing and chopping. The long Slicer has become my favorite knife for slicing bread.

The most versatile is the Filet, which easily doubles as a utility slicer or small chef's knife. Unfortunately, the cracked blade signals a weakness in blade design and after washing it, rust started to form immediately. Since these knives have a Lifetime Guarantee, we sent an email to customer service. We were told to call a service number and send in $4.95 to receive a replacement knife. Since replacement cost is 25% the cost of the set for one knife, we'll keep trying to get one for free. I'll update this review if we succeed. 

You do get a good variety and value with this set for $20. But since the Filet knife failed, if you're buying the set mainly for this knife, this isn't a good buy. As for the rest of the set, even without the Filet knife, there's still good value for the price. These knives do require care storing and since the two with the ball design are more difficult to store, I'd recommend getting the Miracle block for this set