V3 TrendLine Mandoline Starter Set (6 pcs.) • Vegetable Slicer (V-Slicer) + Safety Guard + Inserts + Collection Tray + Multibox • Kitchen Slicer Set (White)

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. =POverall, 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,-RobUPDATE (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

It has been a great investment and has paid for itself, many many times over. I use it more often than any other gadget in my kitchen. Clean up is simple, just rinse and store in back in it's holder, it drips dry with no rusting and the blades are still super sharp after being used pretty much daily since November of 1999.I use it to dice onions and peppers in seconds when I make chili, sloppy joes or tacos. I use it whenever I make hashbrowns, potato chowder, potatoes au gratin or even french fries as I can safely and swiftly slice potatoes into cubes, thick or thin strips, chips, scalloped slices or fries. It can julienne tender-crisp delicate slices of veggies for stir-fry or a salad or side dish. You can make quick easy carrot and celery sticks for snacking, cucumber slices for salads, tomato slices for burgers -- you name it this does it.I love my Borner V-slicer and recommend it to everyone. I still buy this for every wedding gift and housewarming party that I've attended since 1999! Yes, there are less expensive mandolins and more expensive ones, but for the ease of use, super quick clean up, handy storage/safety holder and just overall sturdiness and reliability of this little tool I rate it 5 stars all around. I know I sound a bit over the top raving about it, buy I could not recommend it more enthusiastically.Wait--I can! This thing rocks! Buy it, try it, you will adore it!It has drastically reduced my preparation time on many dishes and it has become as essential to my kitchen as my chef's knife and fry pan. But again, this is a high quality product with German-made blades that stay sharp longer than you will. It's super sharp and slicey. If you like your finger tips and don't like blood and gore--then use the safety guide and a little care and you'll be a-ok.When dealing with any cutting tool, just as you would with a chainsaw or with a knife--use care, common sense and precaution. Always use the little safety food guide that comes with it, and make sure that you are holding the guide properly so that the arrows point the right way and the guide slides smoothly! It's very safe to use if you use your head, but yes, the blades are really very sharp. However, with sensible care the Borner V-slicer is safer than a knife and very easy to use.The V-slicer has a safety catch at the base. To get it out of it's case you simply release the catch and gently remove the slicer. If you reach inside or try to yank or force it out without releasing the safety catch first--you'll injure yourself. The unfortunate woman whose hand was badly sliced while removing the slicer from its case probably didn't take the time to release the catch before she tried to remove it from it's safety case. Having had a tendon reattachment of my own after a box-cutter hit a metal staple and sliced into my hand, I do really feel for her, but it's not the Borner V-Slicer's fault she injured herself--Please use care!It's a very sharp edged tool, and the bladed edges for julienne and cubed foods are dangerous too. Read the instructions, use the safety guide, store it in its safety case and avoid touching the blade edges. With a little normal caution you'll soon be confidently slicing veggies in seconds like a pro.****REVIEW UPDATED NOVEMBER 28, 2011 - I am updating this review to reflect my 12 years of product use. I wrote the original review in November of 2002, after owning the V-slicer for only a few years. I've had it 12 years now and I still use this thing (the same unit) practically every day. Crazy.It's a great tool, and very safe when used correctly. In all the years I've used the V-slicer I've cut myself maybe six times - and each time it was because I wasn't using the safety guide from laziness or I had oriented the guide the wrong way.Despite using it more or less daily since November 1999, the only issue we have had with it is that one of the small plastic hooks on the front of the storage unit broke off and now the safety guide (or "hat" as my husband calls it) cannot stay neatly attached to the unit when stored. No biggie. There's some minor cosmetic stuff too - it's gotten a bit stained from tomato sauce at some stage, and there's also a slight ding in the blades right in the center "V" where the two blades meet - not sure how that got there, but it has no effect on the slicey-diceyness of the thing. 12 years and it still works great and is ridiculously sharp.****REVIEW UPDATED NOVEMBER 29, 2011 - Murphy's law. I updated the review for this and the very next day -- the safety catch on the bottom broke off. It can't be stored safely on the countertop now, so I'm ordering a new one.12 years. The product lasted me 12 years. Pretty dang good for a mandolin that cost me about $25 bucks back then. I firmly stand by it, and I endorse it as a great, economical and labor-saving tool.

After literally daily use for over 8 years I noticed the small julienne blade on my Börner V3 TrendLine Mandoline Slicer was getting a little dull. The thick/thin insert had melted a bit on the end years ago in an unfortunate accident, and I finally decided to replace the whole set since I had points on my Prime credit card. I reordered, it arrived quickly, was packaged wonderfully and had not changed hardly at all! The only difference in the new set was the brand name is now on the end of the slicer. Same high quality German made set, same EXTREMELY sharp blades. This set is great, one blade for slicing 2 ways (thick or thin) one blade for fat julienne cuts and one blade for think julienne cuts, all neatly kept, along with the cutter & safety guard in a stand. Not dishwasher safe, but I have thrown it in the dishwasher top rack many times. Cleans easily by hand (be safe) and stays sharp for years and years, even with daily use! Wonderful safety features and instructions right on the holder & cutter! (hard to see in the photo) Great investment that will be a must have in your kitchen for years to come! I keep mine hanging over my sink with the stand & blades nearby, since I use it multiple times a day.