Having eaten my own dog food and bought the £249 set, I'd suggest that the stand is not quite as bad as some are making out. Depends on the kitchen it's going in to, of course.
In the meantime, the stands are selling at somewhere between £30 and £75 on eBay for anybody who wishes to get rid of theirs.
Having never owned a Global Knife are they over hyped or worth the dosh?
They are meant to be very good, the discounts on that site are pretty good, shows how much they make selling at full RRP
I personally find them a little bland looking, which I know should not make a difference but would rather a more Japanese samurai style knife.
We bought a 25th anniversary set over a decade ago, and it came with a crappy stand a bit like the ones referenced above.
Global made some good blocks over the years, so I sold our stand on eBay, and bought a used block made by Global that was more aesthetically pleasing.
Is that an option for you all?
I'm fuming at how much I paid 23 odd years ago. Even the G2 knife in that kit is £140 from Global or £100 from sale sites.
Still toying with backups, but they're never going to wear out!