I was struck by how handsome this set looks. Feels good in your hand. I was surprised at how sharp my set was out of the box. I was looking for flaws and found some very minor pitting near the handle on my set, wouldn't have even noticed it unless I had been looking.
As far as the negative reviews claiming staining after running in the dishwasher....this isn't an heirloom set of cutlery, that being said, you shouldn't be running any cutlery through the dishwasher, expensive or otherwise. I've been taking proper care of my knives, hand washing and towel dry without any issues. Not only does this prevent staining, it will keep your knives sharp. No faster way to get dull knives than putting them in the dishwasher.