Violins and other instruments - http://www.theglassviolin.com

Editor's picks

• 

  Johnson Mandolin A-Style with F Holes Sunburst

  Musical Instruments (Rogue)
  

  Rating (81 reviews):

  (4.3/5)

  

  Perfect budget instrument..but needs some tweaking

  Not sure why purists froth at the mouth over this little fellow. It's meant to be an entry-level instrument...if you want a $500 Gibson this isn't for you. But for beginners or someone who wants a cheap mandolin to try it's ideal. Sound is pretty good, intonation is proper at the 12th fret and the stain and lacquer finish are high-quality, almost embarassing at this price.The tall bridge is the only caveat, which makes the action way too high. So I used a dremel tool to grind the bridge lower as well as the back of the nut on the neck, with great results to the action. I also used a file across the frets to level everything out. I had never done this before but read how to do it online. So along with spending so little on it I learned how to be a mandolin luthier(!) Very satisfying. 5/5 B. Little (Hamden CT, USA) - See all my reviews, December 25, 2005

  ---

  Great Starter Mandolin

  Customer Video Review Length:: 1:01 MinsI was strumming songs on this less than 5 minutes out of the box. The two finger chords make it easy to pick up, with so much room for improvement, it's also hard to get bored learning this thing. It is a beautiful instrument and holds a tune suprisingly well for such an inexpensive instrument. 5/5 Aaron - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Johnson Mandolin A-Style with F Holes Sunburst, September 8, 2011

  ---

  Pros and Cons

  For $39.99 you might as well get one. Here's some things to evaluate.- The sunburst finish on the one I bought was awesome. It was better than some really high dollar mandolins.- The action was higher than I like and there isn't much room to adjust. It's OK right now, but in months or years to come, this will probably get worse.- There is NO adjustable truss rod. Once this baby goes out of whack, you're gonnas have to toss it or turn it into a project to try to retrofit an adjustable truss rod and get some more life out of it.- As with any new mandolin, it takes a few iterations to tune it since once you get through the one pair of strings, then the previous ones need adjusting again until there is the right tension on the top via the bridge. But once it's in tune, it holds pretty well.- The tuning keys are actually much better than I expected. Comparing to other beginning mandos, this is easier to turn the tuning... 4/5 gitpicker "gitpicker" (somewhere) - See all my reviews This review is from: Johnson Mandolin A-Style with F Holes Sunburst For $39.99 you might as well get one. Here's some things to evaluate.- The sunburst finish on the one I bought was awesome. It was better than some really high dollar mandolins.- The action was higher than I like and there isn't much room to adjust. It's OK right now, but in months or years to come, this will probably get worse.- There is NO adjustable truss rod. Once this baby goes out of whack, you're gonnas have to toss it or turn it into a project to try to retrofit an adjustable truss rod and get some more life out of it.- As with any new mandolin, it takes a few iterations to tune it since once you get through the one pair of strings, then the previous ones need adjusting again until there is the right tension on the top via the bridge. But once it's in tune, it holds pretty well.- The tuning keys are actually much better than I expected. Comparing to other beginning mandos, this is easier to turn the tuning... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , April 22, 2005

  ---

  List Price: $149.00
  Price: $49.99
  You Save: $99.01 (66%)

---

• 

  Progressive International HGT-11 Folding Mandoline Slicer

  Kitchen (Progressive)
  

  Rating (301 reviews):

  (4.3/5)

  

  Mandoline Slicer

  Heard about this mandoline from a guy who makes salad frequently. This is ideal. Exceptionally easy to clean, quick to handwash, or pop it in the dishwasher. Offers a good variety of slice thicknesses, plus juliennes; changeout is quick and easy. Storage box is a definite plus. Excellent value for the price. The best part? The blade is really sharp. The worst part? Yeah, the blade is really, really sharp. I find the holder is too awkward to use and actually sliced myself once in the first week because it went so much faster than I expected. Best way to get a stir fry or fajitas done and on the table in top speed, though. 5/5 L. Pierce (Florida) - See all my reviews, May 31, 2009

  ---

  what a great deal

  I have a full sized mandoline but it does not cut with the ease of the Progressive Mandoline. The first time I cut potatoes for french fries I thought it wasn't cutting because there was no effort to move the potato over the cutting blades. It offers several choices of types of cutting and all are fantastically easy to use. Also the clean up is exceptionally easy. I love the plastic storage box that comes with the slicer. I bought this to put on our motor home, the size, ease of use and clean up, plus the storage container make it a real winner for me. I haven't had a problem, but I've read in other reviews about the need to be careful around the blades as they are very, very sharp. As easy as things are sliced with this slicer, you should take that warning seriously. 5/5 M. Stowers "mountain moma" (West Virginia) - See all my reviews, September 15, 2009

  ---

  Why did I ever live without one of these?

  Haven't had this slicer for very long, so I can't comment on blade life but has yet to disappoint. So far have sliced tomatoes, apples and even onions with ease. Can't believe I stuck with using a knife for so long. Changing depth guides is a snap, literally, and I have put in the dishwasher for cleanup with no ill effects. There does seem to be a learning curve with the gripper handle so I rarely use it but be careful as the blade is very sharp obviously. 5/5 En Sabah Nur (Gulf Shores, AL USA) - See all my reviews This review is from: Progressive International HGT-11 Folding Mandoline Slicer (Kitchen) Haven't had this slicer for very long, so I can't comment on blade life but has yet to disappoint. So far have sliced tomatoes, apples and even onions with ease. Can't believe I stuck with using a knife for so long. Changing depth guides is a snap, literally, and I have put in the dishwasher for cleanup with no ill effects. There does seem to be a learning curve with the gripper handle so I rarely use it but be careful as the blade is very sharp obviously. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , February 6, 2009

  ---

  List Price: $19.95
  

  Dishwasher safe

  Grooves on the underside allow it to be used over a bowl

  Non-skid base and ridges keep it stable on cutting surface

  Comfort grip handle provides a secure grip during use

  Compact mandoline slicer with 3 double sided cutting blades for 6 different cutting options

---

• 

  Rogue RM-100A A-Style Mandolin Black

  Musical Instruments (Rogue)
  

  Rating (40 reviews):

  (3.9/5)

  

  Surprised at how good this is!

  I had low expectations about this mandolin. I mean come on, $50? But when it arrived, I tuned it, it held a tune, and it played pretty well! I tightened up the pick guard, and changed the strings, and it really sounds pretty good! I have used this for church, have played a duet with a violin, and have really enjoyed using it to learn on! Excellent investment for someone interested in a really fun instrument! 4/5 Jennifer W. Hale - See all my reviews This review is from: Rogue RM-100A A-Style Mandolin Black I had low expectations about this mandolin. I mean come on, $50? But when it arrived, I tuned it, it held a tune, and it played pretty well! I tightened up the pick guard, and changed the strings, and it really sounds pretty good! I have used this for church, have played a duet with a violin, and have really enjoyed using it to learn on! Excellent investment for someone interested in a really fun instrument! Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , November 29, 2010

  ---

  Surprisingly nice beginners axe!

  I just got this Mandolin from Musicians Friend. Don't let the price fool you, this Mandolin is no junk! Its as nice as a $200 Epiphone, for 1/4 of the price. Sets up nice and easy. You will have to play with the action and the bridge a bit to get it all together correctly but out of the box its more than playable. I couldn't be happier with my purchase.For a beginner, or someone looking to have a Mandolin to kick around, look no further. Another fine product from Rogue instruments. 5/5 Arthur H. Johnson II (Flint, MI USA) - See all my reviews, December 30, 2010

  ---

  Well worth the price

  It came with the bridge set and all the strings strung. It sounds really good. Despite being kinda light and feeling a little flimsy, it actually holds together quite well. The only problem I have with it is the tailpeice cover falls off a lot, and I'm afraid I'm gonna lose it. 4/5 Buffalo - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Rogue RM-100A A-Style Mandolin Black It came with the bridge set and all the strings strung. It sounds really good. Despite being kinda light and feeling a little flimsy, it actually holds together quite well. The only problem I have with it is the tailpeice cover falls off a lot, and I'm afraid I'm gonna lose it. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , October 3, 2010

  ---

  List Price: $149.00
  

  With an easy-to-play neck and adjustable bridge, the RM-100A is perfect for beginners who wish to play bluegrass

  It features clean workmanship throughout and projects a bright tone with lots of bark

---

• 

  Swissmar Borner V-1001 V-Slicer Plus Mandoline 6 Piece Set

  Kitchen (Borner)
  

  Rating (486 reviews):

  (4.5/5)

  

  Hasn't left the counter in ten years

  I purchased the V-Slicer over ten years ago and it has been a faithful companion in the kitchen. The speed with which it slices/dices onions makes it more than worth the price. You can make french fries or julienne fries, onion rings, scalloped potatoes, carrot or celery sticks...the list is endless! Cleanup is no more than a rinse under water. The safety holder ensures that you won't be suffering any mishaps. But for safety's sake, keep this appliance away from the kids. The blades are VERY SHARP and can deliver a nasty cut if you don't handle them carefully. For that reason, I never wash them in the sink where suds can hide them and risk injury. But these warnings aside, this is a wonderful and versatile tool. It is as useful as a mandoline at a fraction of the price. You will reach for it often and the V-Slicer will be one of your favorite and most used kitchen tools. 5/5 Daniel F. Moore (Yarmouth, Maine USA) - See all my reviews, July 21, 2002

  ---

  Best mandolin for the price, beats out higher priced items

  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... 5/5 Martha A. Barton "modgrrrl" (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews, November 14, 2002

  ---

  View from a former salesman

  ...Here are some of the distinctions that you might not notice from a distance.First off, it is a great slicer. The parts fit together securely and it feels like quality. It's made in Germany and has a stainless steel blade, which does eventually get dull. It can be sharpened, but it's a little awkward.Just because you haven't cut yourself with a knife for years, doesn't mean that you're safe with this tool. The cutting action with this tool is distinctly different from using a knife. Take my advice and use the safety handle... even when you think you don't need it. I remember cutting an orangeonce; my hands were wet... the blade hit a seed and my hand slipped. In a flash I had cut half way through the tip of my index finger. The good news is that it was a really clean cut and healed within a week, but I learned my lesson.You have two different sizes of julianne cuts. One is nice for french fries, the other is more like shoestring potatoes. There are also two different... 5/5 F. C. Boyd "Carson" (Tempe, AZ) - See all my reviews, August 1, 2002

  ---

  List Price: $45.00
  

  Made in Germany, surgical-grade stainless-steel blades are incredibly sharp and snap in and out of base with 1 easy movement

  Protective storage caddy safely holds all components while not in use; easy to clean; rinse under running water after use

  Includes 7mm blade, 3.5mm blade, and thick/thin reversible slicing blade; slice different thicknesses, julienne, or shred

  Ambidextrous Food Safety holder provides complete protection; prongs hold food while guard protects hands

  Set includes tough ABS plastic frame, food safety holder, 3 blade inserts, and storage caddy with locking clip

---

• 

  Rover RM-35S Festival Series A model Mandolin (Solid Spruce Top, Sunburst Finish)

  Musical Instruments (Saga Musical Instruments)
  

  Rating (7 reviews):

  (4.7/5)

  

  Best value in a mandolin, period.

  The Rover RM-35S is made by Saga, the same folks who make the more expensive Kentucky and Trinity College mandolins. It has a solid top and has an adjustable truss rod for about half what you would pay elsewhere. A solid spruce top that will actually improve in tone over time and the adjustable bridge make this a good value. The finish on this baby is beautiful. It's a darker take on the sunburst pattern with the back being completely black which nicely contrasts with the white binding. The frets are all rounded and the action can be easily adjusted at the bridge. The GHS strings that come with it are of good quality and maintain tuning after a normal couple of days stretching. The sound is wonderful. It's nice and bright with ample sustain. Had I purchased one of the cheaper beginning mandolins having a ply top and without a truss rod, I think I would have been a bit envious of the better models in short time. This mandolin compares in quality with the much more expensive models. Now... 5/5 Gregory Buchenberger (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews, July 24, 2011

  ---

  Highly Recommended

  I am very happy with this Rover mandolin. The tuning pegs are easy to manage, and the instrument hold the tuning very well. Firm and easy pressure on the frets produces a good-sounding note. This instrument sounds good, handles very well, and looks good, too. For the money I spent, I got an excellent bargain. 5/5 Helen D. Touster "senior critic" (western PA) - See all my reviews, May 1, 2010

  ---

  Very pleased

  I received my Rover a few days ago. WOW. Although there were no written instructions for setting the bridge, with the help of my keyboard to find the notes, it was no problem to find that information on the web. After the initial tuning, and retuning that night, I put the instrument aside. It was in tune the next morning, and has been in tune with just minor adjustments; I have had more problems in the past with guitar strings. I am a guitar player of 40 years (YIKES!) and this is first time owning something other than a keyboard or guitar (12 and 6 string). I am delighted in the quality of the instrument, the tone is amazing. And it is easy to play, at least for this guitar player. 5/5 dlbell - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Rover RM-35S Festival Series A model Mandolin (Solid Spruce Top, Sunburst Finish) (Electronics) I received my Rover a few days ago. WOW. Although there were no written instructions for setting the bridge, with the help of my keyboard to find the notes, it was no problem to find that information on the web. After the initial tuning, and retuning that night, I put the instrument aside. It was in tune the next morning, and has been in tune with just minor adjustments; I have had more problems in the past with guitar strings. I am a guitar player of 40 years (YIKES!) and this is first time owning something other than a keyboard or guitar (12 and 6 string). I am delighted in the quality of the instrument, the tone is amazing. And it is easy to play, at least for this guitar player. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , January 22, 2012

  ---

  List Price: $149.95
  Price: $96.75
  You Save: $53.20 (35%)

  Hand carved and arched all solid spruce top Select maple back and sides

  Mahogany neck with bound rosewood fingerboard topped off with a newly designed paddle-head style peghead adorned with a beautiful abalone Rover inlay

  Unique slimmer f holes New and improved vintage-style adjustable compensated rosewood bridge

  Neck is attached with a traditional dove-tail neck joint unheard of in Mandolins of this price range

  Sunburst Finish GHS strings Shop adjusted

---

• 

  Teach Yourself to Play Mandolin

  Book (Alfred Pub Co)
  

  Rating (24 reviews):

  (4.2/5)

  

  A great beginner's guide to the mandolin.

  I found "Teach Yourself to Play Mandolin" by Dan Fox to be a wonderful beginner's guide to the mandolin. It gradually introduces new concepts and techniques as it goes along, and it constantly reinforces previous ideas. The examples are very well done, and the music selections are very enjoyable. I had several other mandolin instruction books, but this one was clearly the best, and it was the one that I stuck with. I have since introduced two other people to the mandolin, and this is the book that I had them use. They have both since progressed nicely, and both have given very high praise to this book. 5/5 D. Denis (San Leandro, CA United States) - See all my reviews, September 25, 2002

  ---

  Useful little book!

  Having played electric and acoustic guitars for more than 30 years, I was surprised at how different it was to learn the mandolin. Dan Fox's little book got me up and running in about a week. The author introduces the mandolin in a step-by-step manner that is quite easy to follow. The exercises grow more difficult as the book progresses, however, the instruction remains concise and clearly communicated. The book ends with a handy Chord Dictionary illustrating the proper frettings and a Mandolin Fingering Chart. All in all, this book is a great tool for those learning the mandolin. It can even be recommended to young readers looking for musical instruction. 5/5 Donald F. Proctor "Don Proctor" (Tampa, FL United States) - See all my reviews, March 10, 2005

  ---

  Great book but no CD

  This is an excellent book for learning mandolin except it does not come with a CD. At first I was discouraged but then used another mandolin book that included a CD and then went back to learn from this one, which worked out great. Great excercises for learning the fret board. 4/5 Flora Rosenbloom (East Side, USA) - See all my reviews This review is from: Teach Yourself to Play Mandolin (Paperback) This is an excellent book for learning mandolin except it does not come with a CD. At first I was discouraged but then used another mandolin book that included a CD and then went back to learn from this one, which worked out great. Great excercises for learning the fret board. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , November 9, 2006

  ---

  List Price: $12.50
  

---

• 

  Kansas K-MA1B Mandolin, Sunburst

  Musical Instruments (Westheimer Corporation)
  

  Rating (16 reviews):

  (4.6/5)

  

  mando man

  the mandolin was better than I had expected the gig bag also was a good surprise so far the instrument has a great sound and the fingering is super would recomend it for an expert player 5/5 J. R. Shakesby (Montreal Canada) - See all my reviews, November 18, 2009

  ---

  Great Mandolin for the Price

  I bought this as a Christmas gift for my husband. Given that we're experienced guitar players, I wondered if I should invest in a more expensive mandolin. Ultimately, we're both very happy with this mandolin and it's worth double the price. It does take a few tunings before it holds the tune for extended periods of time, but this also happens with guitars. A few of the tuning pegs felt a little tight and we were a bit afraid to crank them, but no strings have broken. The sound is nice and crisp and the mandolin feels good when playing.If you're a guitar player looking to branch out, I highly recommend this mandolin. Although the string order is different, you'll adjust quickly. I discovered a lot of my favorite songs actually sound much better played on this mandolin. 4/5 Eebles (Seattle) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Kansas K-MA1B Mandolin, Sunburst (Electronics) I bought this as a Christmas gift for my husband. Given that we're experienced guitar players, I wondered if I should invest in a more expensive mandolin. Ultimately, we're both very happy with this mandolin and it's worth double the price. It does take a few tunings before it holds the tune for extended periods of time, but this also happens with guitars. A few of the tuning pegs felt a little tight and we were a bit afraid to crank them, but no strings have broken. The sound is nice and crisp and the mandolin feels good when playing.If you're a guitar player looking to branch out, I highly recommend this mandolin. Although the string order is different, you'll adjust quickly. I discovered a lot of my favorite songs actually sound much better played on this mandolin. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , December 30, 2009

  ---

  Seems to be worth the $$

  I got this as a gift. For the money, it's exactly what it's supposed to be. Straight out of the box, it was in good shape. It took a while to tune, but now it seems to hold its tuning pretty well. The tuners are OK--not great because one tuning peg seems really tight and another seems a little loose. Neither is an issue so far, and the strings seem decent for a low-priced item like this.Intonation seems pretty good to a beginner's ear. The action gets a little high past the twelfth fret, but not too bad. The fit of the mandolin in the gig bag is a little tight, but I'm pleased with the bag for the price.Overall, I think this mandolin is a bargain. The only thing that would have made it 5-star would have been a strap and some picks at this price. 4/5 Jonathan Peacock (Rural, GA United States) - See all my reviews, December 26, 2009

  ---

  List Price: $99.95
  

  Maple back and sides to project the sound

  Great choice for mandolin beginners

  Adjustable rosewood bridge enables you to set the string height to your liking

  Padded carrybag for storage

  Gorgeous 6-string mandolin in sunburst finish

---

• 

  Norpro Mandoline Slicer Grater with Guard

  Kitchen (Norpro)
  

  Rating (46 reviews):

  (4.2/5)

  

  Great value!

  This is by far the best value when it comes to a mandoline slicer. You get a bunch of different cutting blades, and the thin/thick stick slicers rotate up from underneath, which is very convenient. They even have a plastic shield that can be popped open for cleaning, but keeps your fingers from getting cut otherwise.I bought a steel glove to use instead of the safety holder, but the safety holder is really well made and I suspect would work just fine. The citrus juicer addon seems kind of a strange thing to even build into a slicer -- like attaching a pasta strainer to a toaster. Yes, they're both used in the kitchen, but that's where their similarities end.I'm very happy with this purchase; it's a well-made slicer and everything worked exactly as it should. The workmanship is solid; it doesn't feel flimsy at all. It fit over the edge of a bowl and made quick work of everything I ran across it. It even lets me (with the glove anyway) cut down to a very small... 5/5 Laura L. Larsen - See all my reviews, October 2, 2009

  ---

  Mandolin Slicer

  Excellent product; very sharp slicing blade; quality product for the price. It sliced a cucumber so smoothly, there was no drag when the thick skin met the blade. Exactly what I wanted and expected. Thanks! 5/5 Sandy "GoPlay44" (Texas) - See all my reviews This review is from: Norpro Mandoline Slicer Grater with Guard (Kitchen) Excellent product; very sharp slicing blade; quality product for the price. It sliced a cucumber so smoothly, there was no drag when the thick skin met the blade. Exactly what I wanted and expected. Thanks! Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , February 6, 2009

  ---

  Review

  This mandolin works just fine for basic slicing needs, which is really all I need in my kitchen. It saves time and energy by reducing prep time, which is always a plus. The biggest downsides to the product are the parts meant for cutting fries. They are way too small. Even trying to use them to make hashbrowns, I ended up with a pile of mushy potato pieces that couldn't be used. If you have a little more money to spend, I'd say go for a different model where all of the attachments and features work properly, even if you don't necessarily plan to use those feature often. I kept mine because at this point it serves its purpose and the attachments that don't work so well don't interefer with my cooking, but I do plan to replace it in the future with a much more sturdy, completely-functioning model, which costs twice as much or more as this one. 3/5 A. Thompson "yellow_apple30" (New Windsor, NY) - See all my reviews, September 13, 2009

  ---

  List Price: $24.99
  

  Safety holder doubles as a citrus juicer

  Hand wash Recommended; includes instruction booklet

  Compact mandoline slicer for slicing, grating, shredding, and juicing

  5 stainless steel blades for a good variety of slicing and shredding options

  Legs fold for easy storage; concave notches on legs help keep grater firmly on any container

---

• 

  Saga Appalachian Mandolin

  Musical Instruments (Saga Musical Instruments)
  

  Rating (10 reviews):

  (3.6/5)

  

  Very Nice Mandolin Package for Beginners

  I just bought this beginning Mandolin combo-package for my twins for Christmas. For the price, this deal is hard to beat. The Mandolin itself seems to be good quality construction. It comes with the Mandolin, a gig bag, an instructional video, a strap, two picks, and a tuning pipe ...I bought some higher quality strings for it after reading the other reviews, but after tuning it up & playing it the past two days, I haven't really noticed any issues with the strings that come on it. Maybe if you're a pro, but for a beginner, the strings are fine.I did have to adjust the bridge/action slightly lower just for personal taste to get it to play a little easier. Make sure you don't take all the strings off & just loosen them while performing this procedure, because it's a floating bridge, not attached to the body ... but it has easy to adjust screws to raise or lower the action ... so this was actually quite an easy task & did help it's overall playability... 4/5 W. C. Isbell "roxybeast" (Oklahoma City, OK, USA) - See all my reviews, December 10, 2009

  ---

  Decent beginner set

  Overall, this is a decent beginners model mandolin. It is comfortable to play, and after it has a few days to loosen and set from being strung up the first time, keeps a decent tone. Clear resonating highs and mids, not much low end clarity, but still pleasing nonetheless. Replace the strings supplied immediately with your own, the included strings are worthless.Do not be fooled by the product description...it is not maple construction, but looks to be birch plywood. The edges of the f-hole clearly show the laminate, and looking inside the instrument, you can see the plywood seams as well. Finish is alright....nice sunburst, but minor scratches and blemishes are apparent upon close review.Fretwork is good and comfortable, seems to be level and accurate. Some minor adjustment of nut slots may make it more comfortable to play, but again, over all a decent beginners instrument.[...] 3/5 Kenneth E. Hundley "6stringdaddy" (Chicago) - See all my reviews, May 17, 2009

  ---

  Not Bad

  Seems like a good beginner mandolin. I had to put better strings on it first thing, but other than that i've been very happy with it. 4/5 Scott Dolbee "BigGeek" (Sylva, NC) - See all my reviews, July 19, 2008

  ---

  List Price: $119.99
  Price: Too low to display
  

  All Maple Construction

  Includes instructional dvd, adjustable strap, two picks, gig bag, and pitch pipe tuner

  Rosewood fingerboard and adjustable hardwood bridge

  A-Style Body Shape Mandolin

  Silver Nickel Frets

---

• 

  Benriner Japanese Mandoline Slicer

  Kitchen (Harold Import Company, Inc.)
  

  Rating (92 reviews):

  (4.1/5)

  

  Great slicer while it lasts

  This is an excellent slicer. I've used everything in it from carrots (when making my carrot version of thai papaya salad) julienned into matchstick thickness to wide thin slices of Korean radish. Never failed me.Two drawbacks though:1. The safety guard is a joke. It doesn't hold the veggies very well and is a pain to use effectively...which means I usually don't use it. I've cut my fingers on this mandolin twice now, which isn't bad for two years of regular useage, but I don't like the sight of blood so I'll leave it as a major detractor. Luckily for me, I cut myself on the julienne part and not the actual wide slicer. In other words, my finger meat was left shredded but intact. Whew!2. The metal parts rust. Yep. They rust. Hence the reason I am now shopping around for another slicer. Don't know yet if I'll get another Benriner. Might look into the Bohn. ***Update***Apparently Benriner realized the metal parts rusted... 4/5 Sandy P "saprater" (GA United States) - See all my reviews This review is from: Benriner Japanese Mandoline Slicer (Kitchen) This is an excellent slicer. I've used everything in it from carrots (when making my carrot version of thai papaya salad) julienned into matchstick thickness to wide thin slices of Korean radish. Never failed me.Two drawbacks though:1. The safety guard is a joke. It doesn't hold the veggies very well and is a pain to use effectively...which means I usually don't use it. I've cut my fingers on this mandolin twice now, which isn't bad for two years of regular useage, but I don't like the sight of blood so I'll leave it as a major detractor. Luckily for me, I cut myself on the julienne part and not the actual wide slicer. In other words, my finger meat was left shredded but intact. Whew!2. The metal parts rust. Yep. They rust. Hence the reason I am now shopping around for another slicer. Don't know yet if I'll get another Benriner. Might look into the Bohn. ***Update***Apparently Benriner realized the metal parts rusted... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , June 1, 2006

  ---

  excellent portable mandoline with a few flaws

  THis is a great item which is used several times per week in my kitchen, primarily for slicing cucumbers, carrots, potatoes, and other vegetables. the basice slicing blade stays sharp and is easy to adjust. Careful! It's easy to cut yourself! I suggest getting a kevlar or other cut-resistant glove (such as the steel gloves used by fish mongers or meat packers); I find them to be more convenient and more useful than the plastic holding tool. The finest julienne blade was a problem for me; if I slammed a hard carrot through its teeth, occasionally the teeth bent; be careful that the vertical thicknes of the julienne is not more than the width of the julienne cuts. I don't care for having to keep track of the separate blades when they're not in the slicer, but it's not much different than tracking accessories for a mixer or a Cuisinart.I have a Bron stainless steel mandoline, whcih costs well over $100 more but the Benriner is what I turn to again and again. 4/5 M. Mckay (Ann Arbor, MI USA) - See all my reviews, July 9, 2005

  ---

  DON'T BUY THIS

  This little guy works great, but unless you are absolutely positive that you will never want to cut anything larger than a medium sized mushroom, do yourself a favor and get the "Super" model. It's essentially the same thing only it's wide enough to take on whole potatoes, onions and fennel bulbs, and it has metal adjustment knobs to boot.It's my understanding that these are high carbon steel blades, and yes, that does mean that they will rust if you put them in the dishwasher or forget to dry them thoroughly. Nothing a little Barkeeper's Friend can't fix, and a light coating of vegetable oil after washing can help keep the rust at bay if you live in a particularly humid environment.A cut resistant glove would be a wise investment whatever model you end up with. 5/5 orangekay (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews, January 22, 2008

  ---

  List Price: $39.95
  Price: $20.80
  You Save: $19.15 (48%)

  Comes equipped with safety device, so fingers stay safe

  Fine-toothed blade for elegant vegetable garnishes; medium-toothed blade great for stir fry ingredients; coarse-toothed blade for chunky cuts

  Mandoline slicer with heavy duty plastic body and 4 blades for consistently thin slicing

  Standard flat blade can be adjusted for thickness

  Hand washing recommended; made in Japan

---