no absolutely not. i am saying that is a plus, and worth the extra money to me!! there wasnt a review i read that said they were not good knives, there were however a few, in fact the THREE that used bose as a reference, that said while great and permormed well, they didnt think they were worth the money. that is very subjective. i feel what i paid for them is fine, the perform very well and the design, history, and aesthetics are worth the extra money to me.