How Much Good News Can One Stand?
First, the knives. In a word: Su-frickin-perb. Nicely formed handles lie well in the grip while cutting. The blades are wonderfully sharp - I sliced with ease through the tomato skin that usually resists a non-serrated knife blade. On the sharpening steel, they hone with that ever-so slight tug of resistance that shows the steel is having an effect. The steak knives have a sort of scimitar-ish upcurve that is not my favorite but that's a very minor quibble. And the "tower" (not block) works perfectly too. It fits under the cabinets on the counter and when it tilts forward, all the knives are free to draw out without bumping the cabinet bottom. I had to position my previous knife block forward of the backsplash in order to draw the longer knives freely. Last but not least is that the top of the tower is a flat space on which I can put some pot holders.
Sweet!
What else is good? The pepper. Oh baby! I thinly sliced that fellow pictured below and put it on the tomato I was cooking for my morning eggs. Woo hoo! Wonderfully, perfectly hot. Enough heat to wake up the entire mouth and yet not so overwhelming that I couldn't eat a whole pepper mixed into two eggs. I'm loving the crops I tells ya!