These knives are sharp! They are balanced well and the round grip works fine. I like the variety of knives in the set -- I have used the chefs knife for chopping, the Santoku for slicing, the paring knife for peeling and hand-cutting things like broccoli. The scissors are super sharp and cut through anything, even splitting a chicken. The steel used can be stained by chemicals or rust, if left wet for a long time. I hand-wash them after use, dry and then put away. I would not run them through the dishwasher.