Excel BladesPrecision Hobby Knife Set, 13-Piece Precision Craft Knife Set with Case – Includes Light to Heavy Duty Handles and Assorted Blades for Crafting and Precision Cutting - Made in USA

Knifes work very well, They hold the blade easily and the upper blade holders have a magnet to keep them in place in the box.Pros:-MADE IN THE USA (unlike some competitors)-good value-handles are well made and hold the blade wellCons:-plastic inserts are cheap-product was a little dirty out of the box (undamaged though)Worth it if you are looking for a good valued, american-made set of knives.

I had tried two other brands prior to Excel. One was okay, the second one had dull blades before I finished the first project. Excel not only has a wide selection of blades at a great price, but the blades are very durable. One blade has lasted at least three times as long compared with the previously mentioned two brands.All three handles are comfortable as well.I have read criticism about the case. Sure it is a little thin, but if one knows how to care for it it will last. Besides, I bought the kit for the blades, not the box it came in.

Not a bad set of hobby knives.The blades are of good quality, razor sharp, and of sufficient thickness not to bend or break under pressure.You don't actually get 13 different blades. While there are 13 blades overall, there are a few copies. There are three #11 blades, one on the smallest aluminum handle, and two copies. There are two #2 blades, one on the large aluminum handle, and one copy. Still, with 10 different blades, you have all you need for basic carving and cutting.The handles hold the blades very securely, and blades are easily swapped in and out. The knurling (rough diamond cut) on the ends of the handles is deep enough to really provide a good grip so your fingers won't slip on to the blade. Unfortunately, the knurling in the middle of the two all-aluminum handles is rather shallow, and does not provide as secure a grip. This isn't too much of a problem for me, as I tend to grip the knives close to the blade to provide for better control during cutting.The large red handle is hollow (unlike the solid handle X-Acto used to use, years ago), making a little lighter than I would like, but the aluminum post is seated very securely in the plastic handle, after some heavy use, I see no signs of the handle breaking or becoming loose. If you're looking for a sturdier handle for heavy cutting you could move up to the Craftsman Set.The large handle in that set is solid aluminum.You can use either Excel or X-Acto blades in the handles.The box is not actually particle board. It is balsa wood (light and soft) with a cheap wood veneer glued to the top and bottom. A pretty sloppy glue job, as there are globs of dried glue on both the top and bottom veneer. The hinges and latch are attached by small screws. The latch holds firmly in place, but the hinges were loose when the set arrived, but I tightened them up with a small screwdriver. Just be careful if you do this, as again, the wood is very soft. While not attractive, the box serves its purpose.The blades and handles are held in place by plastic inserts. They seem to do the job well enough as a tray for the tools, however only the two all-aluminum handles are actually held in place, the large red handle is merely resting in it's compartment, and if the box is tipped or dropped, it will fly right out.The blades are held in place by a magnetic strip. It holds them fairly securely. Slamming the top of the box closed, I found that only the largest #18 chiseling blade popped off of the strip. Oddly enough, if you look at the picture, it looks as though a concave blade was supposed to come with the set, but a #11 is in there instead (third blade from the right). This is because this box is actually designed for their "Professional Set,Boxed" of knives. This may be why the red handle is not held in place as well.For the price, this is a pretty good deal. Excellent blades, good handles, and an ugly, but functional box.

Nice tools with a very nice storage case. Only problem was the spare strip kept falling loose. a little gorilla glue fixed that.

Decent little set for the price. I had a problem with the extra blades falling out of the top. I finally had to glue the blade holder to the top of the box. It’s hard to get the knives out of the cheap plastic holder for the knives . I might just ditch the box altogether. The knives seem to work okay.

I really like this tool and all the variety of blade shapes and sizes. I can do so much with these. They are easy to switch out as needed. I did find that I have to tighten the blade holder to the handle often but for me, that is not an issue. I am not a professional by any means and my needs don't require better stability. As the blade loosens, it's not like it falls off or that it is dangerous. It only takes a second to tighten. Mine could be coming loose because I don't have strong grip strength to tighten it onto the handle as tight as it could be. It is not a problem but I did read some reviews from "professional" wood workers that may take issue with it. I recommend this product without hesitation.

Durable and sharp great product!

No problems just as pictured.