04835 Ginsu 14 Piece Stainless Counter Saver Knife Set  Product Reviews

"After years of putting my enginnering skills to use on the domestic front perfecting handyman skills and owning every tool known to man I have a few observations about our recent Ginsu/swivel block purchase I just installed. I don't offer this as advice, but offer these ten potentially money-saving feedback notes: 1)Resist the tempation to send the whole thing back when you realize you bought knives with no full tang construction. Some Ginsus have'em, some don't. It is way too easy to read specs an reviews then conclude "they all have'em." These don't. Significance? Have you ever had a "cheap knife" fail? Here's what happens: the blade come loose straight up from the grip while you apply pressure to a cut. The "tang" on those is a measly little protrusion of metal only glued or riveted (at best) into the handle which has rotted away. These knives were cheap, but now we will simply be aware that failure may be in the future. Which brings up the second consideration: 2)Don't be dismayed by the limited warranty. Is "wear and tear" covered by the warranty? What is a "manufacturing defect" and who will decide such if "an accident has occured? Anyway, you can return it and get a new one for $3. Yes, that seems like it is more than the initial unit purchase price. 3)When mounting the "innovative" swivel block note that whatever you mount it to can support a "15 pound permanent load". Otherwise, you may experience a scene similar to the opening of Who Framed Roger Rabbit. How do you determine this load requirement? When you can't find a wall stud (recommended) with your magnetic stud finder (not included), drill the wallboard and intall the cheapest wall anchors on earth (included), then hang a 15 pound weight off of them for 10 years. Occasionally knock the weight around to simulate the pull from a knife block. When it hasn't fallen down and destroyed your linoleum, mount the product. 4)Be careful taking the block out of its original box. The magnetic adhesive strips can simply fall out. When you get a flashlight to find which knife slot they came out of you will discover their re-installation is not trivial. You may decide to simply use this unit as a counter-top model since having knives sliding out at you sideways is not everyone's favorite game. 5)When you have chickened out and decided only the underside of your hand-made $20,000 wooden cabinets can safely hold these "weapons" follow the instructions closely. The mounting template for drilling holes "moves" ever so slightly no matter what as you mark or drill. There is no tolerance for failure, and the penalty is woodwork that resembles swiss cheese. 6)When you first assemble (not mount) the block. Remember to "snug: but do not over-tighten" the tiny screws that will support the whole thing in the air. If you tighten the holes might strip and you will have Ginsu'd feet. If you don't "snug" just right...you guessed it. Don't forget to attach the metal arm stand to the unit as directed; it is really useful with all it's additional functionality, beauty, and weight hanging in the air. 7)During your blind fitting of the bolts to the swivel unit, resist the temptation to throw the unit through a plate glass window; it would be non-productive. Instead, note that the "spacer" which you have dutifully installed in step 4 has actually made the supplied bolts too short to work. This is because there either has been some assumption that all cabinets are of equal thickness, or all bolts are the right length under all circumstances. 8)Note: now that you have intalled it you have screw-heads protruding up right inside the front of your cabinet. Remember not to put glass jars and such on that particular shelf at night or you might have something creeping back out toward you. Relegate that shelf to pasta boxes...the horizontal type, so as not to tear the bottoms out of every other kind of box during extraction/replacements. 9)you'll need a strategy for preventing childrens access to these blades now that they are essentially every bit as close to seizing as they would have been in a block on the far back of the counter. Suggestion: never invite any children into the house, and create a gated kitchen for your own. Now that it's up, be proud. You bought it (so it MUST be the best). Note that the paring knife slot seems to have the magnet recessed too far to work (or the magnet has stopped working). At any rate, be still proud but leave that slot empty at all times. 10)Finally, when it gets installed under the cabinet and you're wife walks in and freaks, telling you it looks like **** , tell her there were no studs in the wall and you were just saving everyone's life, and to make sure no child ever goes in the kitchen again. Oh, and mention the bread knife has a magnet attached to it at all times as a unique feature, the paring slot is unusable, and that thing about re-arranging the pasta boxes. "