Bargain!

These are the five inexpensive knives that my husband bought out of curiosity from eBay as a set. I got a bit of acrylic on the handles when I used them to paint Family Circles.

This is a first-impression review. I can't tell you if they will last as well as a more expensive knife.

The build quaity is, overall, adequate. The handles are, I think, low quality soft wood (my Winsor and Newton knives look like they have hard wood handles), and are already sporting a few dings. The blades are reasonably flexible and work well, but they have a few sharp corners that I am wary of. The ferrules aren't as tidy as those on dearer knives.

This, for comparison, is a Winsor and Newton knife. It's not one of my favourites (they are at the studio and this one was loitering at home), but it does possess the superior build quality that you'd expect for a knife that cost about the same as all five of those shown above...

But that price won't break many piggy banks. This particular knife can be acquired for under £4, as can may others in the Winsor and Newton range.




Conclusion:
It is worth shelling out for a selection of nicer knives, but the Chinese set will provide an introduction if you're feeling impoverished, and you get to play around with a few different shapes while you're at it. Filing the corners lightly might be a good idea if you do go for cheap and cheerful; it is quite possible to cut yourself, and the canvas may also be at risk...