After more than 75 hours of researching knife sets and testing 18, ... Some of our testers found the knives in the Shun Classic 9-Piece Knife Block Set too large and long for cooks with smaller hands.

Best Overall High-End Knife Set, Runner-Up Shun Classic 9-Piece Chef's Choice Knife Block Set. Credit: Shun. $980 at Amazon $768 at Williams Sonoma View on Kaiusa.com. Pros.

Best expanded set: Shun Classic Blonde 7-Piece Knife Block Set (5 knives) Shun Classic Blonde Knife Block, Set of 7. $750 $600. Williams Sonoma. $1,071 $600. Sur La Table. Pros and cons.

Best Early Knife Deals at Amazon . Global Classic 7-Piece Takashi Knife Wood Block Set, $329 (originally $800); Shun Cutlery Classic Gokujo 6-Inch Boning and Fillet Knife, $112 (originally $175 ...

Shun Classic Blonde Set includes 3.5" Paring Knife, 5.5" Santoku Knife, 6" Utility Knife, 6.5" Nakiri Knife, 8" Chef's Knife, 9" Honing Steel with Brushed Stainless Handle & 8 Slot Slim Designed ...