Preamble: I received this mandoline last week. Being a virgin mandoline user, I actually decided to read the instructions. Being a man, this was a first for me. Prior to purchasing, I read a lot of reviews for this and got the impression that this is a dangerous device to operate without complete foreknowledge of its' operation. When people say this is sharp, they really mean it. The main blade and the two julienne inserts are EXTREMELY sharp. Don't even look at them wrong, because they will cut you. For a slicing device, that's a great thing, but make sure the pets (or kids) never touch it. I'm stating the obvious when I say that this would be a useful tool in prison. One slap with this thing and ears and noses would hit the floor, forget looking for the biggest guy to knock out, with this on your side, you'd be king! Where was I....oh yeah, the review... First time I used it, I put it through it's paces. I had 12 different vegetables ready to slice & dice. The carrots were first. I julienned them like a pro. I Immediately found two issues. One, while using the food holder, it left about a quarter inch chunk of each carrot stuck on the main blade. Second, the carrot had stained the white plastic a dull pink/orange color. No amount of soap and hot water got the stain out completely. I was momentarily disappointed. I may have to use something stronger to take the stain off. I'll revisit this issue later on. Next, it was time to slice the tomatoes, cucumber, daikon, onions, zucchini, and bell peppers of various colors. It did an excellent job, without a single drop of blood spilt. I then moved on to lettuce and cabbage. Once I cut them down to managable chunks to fit the width of the guide, it shredded them faster than a mafia accountant before an IRS Audit. It took 6 days to eat the pounds of vegetables that I had processed with this thing. I enjoyed many very healthy meals during this "meat fasting period" of my life. A nice change from the normal carnivorous diet of mine. Perhaps there's something to that vegetarian diet that has been mentioned to me a few times, but that's a discussion for another day. Lastly, on the seventh day, I made french fries to go with my much anticipated ribeye steak. I have to say, that was the fastest that I've ever prepared homemade fries. Color me impressed (but for the love of [insert favorite deity here], please, not fuchsia, lilac, or especially periwinkle!). So... Finding a good bowl with a solid base is highly beneficial to this whole process. Not only does it keep the vegetables from scattering like roaches when the lights come on, it's also the ideal platform for the madaline. I've got 10 inch and 12 inch stainless steel bowls. The small notches on the bottom end of the mandoline locked onto the rim of the bowls perfectly, almost like it was designed to sit atop those bowls. Anything smaller than 10", or larger than 12" probably wouldn't work nearly as well though. I still haven't found the perfect grip for the food holder yet, and not sure if I will. I didn't know until it arrived that the food safety holder is ambidextrous. Sadly, I'm left-handed. I should have ordered the left-handed one instead. My momma always told me, "You ain't right.". Now I know what she meant. =P Overall, I am extremely satisfied with my purchase so far. Hopefully, as long as I keep using the food SAFETY holder and those chainmail gloves, I'll keep all my fingers intact and attached. The only major downside about this product is that compared to my previous mandolin, this one can't play "Ode to Joy", "Scarborough Fair", or even "Greensleeves". They both cut into fingertips well though. Have a wonderful day, and happy slicing, -Rob UPDATE (1/30/2017): My mandoline is still going strong. Surprisingly, I still have all my fingers. Why is the 7-piece kit cheaper than the 5-piece? It makes no sense! I used a little diluted bleach to clean the stains, and it looks brand new again, although my black shirt that I was wearing does not. Bleach and black cloth makes brown. Who woulda thunk it. UPDATE (8/1/2018): I'm still using my mandoline at least 3 times a week. I don't know how, but the blades are just as sharp as the day I got it nearly 5 years ago. Sadly, I have lost a finger since my last update. Nothing to do with the mandoline though. I got into an argument with some guy claiming to be a Samurai (bushi), and after a heated conversation, I flipped him "the bird" and told him, "if you are a real Samurai, then slice off my finger!". Little did I know until that point, he was carrying a katana. I heard him say "Hai", and then my middle finger was on the ground. In that moment, I found that there was something sharper than this mandoline. That's the last time I will visit Japan. I like my remaining nine fingers. UPDATE (10/11/2021): Well, I’m still here. I survived the mandoline mostly intact, a global epidemic, the free-speech/thought police, and the PPP (political putrescence process). I hope all of you made it through all this unscathed. Anyhow, I'm back to tell you that I'm still happy with my mandoline purchase. I'm still using it at least twice a week, and it's still sharp as the day I bought it 8 years ago. I hope that they are still selling the same high quality model as the one that I purchased. I still have most of my fingers, but the remaining ones aren't quite the same length as before. A bit of advice: Even if you are in a hurry, ALWAYS use the food safety holder. Listen to me, I'm a professional. They don't call me "'Nubby" (now) for nothing. Peace, love, and long health (and fingers)! It’s too bad Amazon got rid of Product Review comments and replies. That was a very powerful feature to have when making decisions to buy products. Oh well, that was the good old days. Review subject:Swissmar Borner V-1001 V-Slicer Plus Mandoline
