Power Grip Carving Tools, 7 Piece Set (Japan Import)

From Japan! 4 1/2 stars really. I was very impressed when I opened these. They appear to be pretty good quality and arrived sharp enough to use. Don't even really need to be stropped right off. I was a bit skeptical when I first ordered them due to the low price. The handles are nicely shaped of some sort of good for handles hardwood and finished nicely. They have small flats on the sides to keep from rolling off the bench. The steels appear to be some sort of quite hard tool steel. The only drawback I see is these do not have metal ferrels and the tangs are only an inch or so long going in somewhat spindly handles. Not a lot of meat there for strength. Without much difficulty, I pulled out a couple of the larger blades by hand. I mixed up a bit of epoxy and reset these figuring that at least it will keep them in over time and strengthen the tool a bit. These are not tools I would use a mallet with, but perfect for hand work. I love the feel of them in my hand -- a good fit. I'll re-edit this review in a few months if I find these don't hold up.Edit: I've been using these the last several days on a walnut piece and am finding them very nice indeed. They really hold an edge well even on this tough hard wood. The handles are holding up well so far. I am very happy.

If you're getting these I assume you either know what you're getting into or in a class for it. These are great mid-price tools. The blades are durable and unlikely to break, though the don't sharpen very well. Handles are a decent size if you have smaller hands like me, but for large hands it may be a bit awkward.

The price was excellent, and enough to convince me to try these for small, delicate work, and I have been totally pleased. Enough so that I recommended them to a friend, and after looking at mine, my friend bought a set too. They are sharp, feel good in my hands, and cut very well. I couldn't be happier, and I have bought several other shapes and sizes in this brand.

These were some tools i had my eye on for a while, and once i grew competent with my beginner set of carving tools i bought these. i soon realized that i should have just started with these from the beginning instead of starting with a beginner set! the price is really reasonable and the quality is great, sharp right out of the box, but giving them a few passes on a strop made them even sharper. they are very comfortable in the palm and cut the linoleum like butter.

I've been using these for almost a year, they've been great all around. No complaints.

I had wanted to try the palm version of these tools, but ended up getting this brand instead. When held with the proper technique to avoid stiff joints and gouges, these do a great job and are a great starter set that will carry on as skills grow. Glad I got them

Wanted to upgrade from Speedball cutters, but didn't want to spend too much just yet. Figured I'd do a slight upgrade and see how I liked this style, as opposed to the palm tools. I'm glad that I got them and I think I'll have many uses for them. Overall, they feel fine and seem to cut well, even on the older, almost brittle battleship lino that I have been using. I like that they can be sharpened, which in my mind, makes them a step above the Speedball cutters that I have. I'd recommend them as a decent intermediate set. I carved/printed the image in the picture with these tools. I plan on getting a good palm set down the road, but these are great for now, and I'll always have a use for them.

It looks like the picture. I have not used them yet because we are on school break and there is no class or project to work on until we return