This set places a lot of useful kitchen cutting edges within reach. The set consists of an 8-inch chef's knife, a 6-inch utility knife, a 5-inch serrated utility knife, a 3-inch paring knife, a pair of multipurpose kitchen shears, and a 9-inch sharpening steel to keep knife edges in order. It all fits in a heavy wood block with four extra slots for future acquisitions or old favorites. Except for the fully forged paring knife, the knives in this set--like other top-grade Henckels knives--are formed by a high-tech welding process that combines three steel types into what appears to be a single piece so a knife's parts have distinct characteristics. Traditionalists might insist on single-piece forging for strength, but Henckels says the invisible welds are stronger than the steel. These knife handles don't have full tangs, but they're made of tough polypropylene. Hand washing is recommended. What's in the Box 8-inch chef's, 6-inch utility 5-inch serrated utility, and 3-inch paring, shears, 9-inch sharpening steel, storage block with four extra slots.