Cangshan Knives Review | Hands Down the Best Options

Among the top and most-loved products from the company is the Cangshan S1 Series, the award winning Knife Set which speaks for itself given the premier quality materials and elegant aesthetics. All S1 series knives use German Steel that has a hardness rating of 58 on the Rockwell Scale, and feature a patented design that focuses on comfort and ease-of-use of the chef.

We have to say that the ergonomic handle puts a great emphasis on all hand sizes, and we had no complaints working with the knife for hours. The blades are extremely durable and won’t chip or flex, and we believe the heat treatment and ice-hardening has a key role to play in that. It comes scary sharp out of the box, which is exactly whatwe want in a good kitchen knife.

This 17-pc collection has all the blades you will ever need in a typical kitchen, including an 8” Chef’s Knife, 8” bread,  6 x 5” steak, 5” utility, 8” honing, 9” forged shears, 7” santoku and 6” boning knives among others. Not only that, the set comes with a hand-crafted walnut wood block, each of which has got a unique grain structure to it. The inclusion of  a honing rod in the set emphasizes over the fact that the knives shall retain their sharpness with just occasional honing against the need of whetstones or sharpeners. Check this guide to precisely know when to hone and when to sharpen your knives. 

The RedDot Award winner N1 series is all about precision and minimalistic design. It’s very similar to the Cangshan S1 series and the difference among the various series lies primarily in the design and handles. The N1 series has an all metal construction and the handle is made solid with the blade. It’s also hollow and has no rivets to ensure a perfect weight balance and a comfortable hold in the chef’s hand.

The N1 Knife set includes 8″ chef’s, 8″ bread, 6″ boning, 5″ serrated utility, 7″ santoku, 2.75″ peeling, 6 x 5″ steak, 8″ honing steel, forged 9″ shears and more. The blade material and the walnut wood blocks are very similar to what you have on the other series. However, the block is made of Acacia wood, which we think better complements this particular set. The blades are very sharp with the perfect amount of weight to them, so while you relish cooking with these, be careful when cleaning them.

These are a bit pricier than both the S1 and V2 series, but we do think this design is more user-friendly. We’ll leave it up to you to decide for yourself if they are worth it. Also, in case you are looking for a bit more to add to your kitchen arsenal, Cangshan offers a 23-pc variant of the N1 series Knife Set, which might be a good investment if you are planning to spend a bit more anyway.

Designed by one of America’s best chefs himself, the Cangshan Thomas Keller collection is a story of high-end precision and craftsmanship. Keller worked with the company to blend both Western and Eastern principles which led to this exceptionally sleek, slim and well-balanced set of knives. These knives are forged from high-alloy powdered Swedish steel, which is known for its excellent strength, hardness and corrosion resistant capabilities.

The Thomas Keller 17-pc Collection comes with 7″ santoku, 8″ bread, 8″ chef’s knife, 5″ serrated utility, Six 5″ fine-edge steak knives, 6″ boning knife and 8″ honing steel knife among others. These knives score a 61 on the Rockwell scale, which makes them compete with some of the hardest Carbon steel blades without sacrificing on rust resistance.

All knives have Thomas Keller’s signature on them, and so does the walnut wooden block. The handle’s focus on comfort and ergonomics can be seen in the thin white polymer construction with ideal contours and angled steel end-cap. These knives come in both black as well as white colours, so you may choose as you please.

We’re back to the affordable German Steels again with the V2 Series 23-pc Knife Block set. This is one of the most well-received sets by the users due to its outstanding value for the price. Firstly, it’s a black handle if it’s something you care after all the S1 and N1 series we showcased earlier. Besides that, this 23-pc set follows the simple and functional design philosophy, and is well crafted for a wide range of kitchen use.

The V2 series includes an 8″ chef’s knife, 9″ slicing, 8″ bread, 7″ santoku, 7″ Nakiri, 6″ boning, 6″ Fork, 3.5″ paring, 5″ Straight Edge Utility, 5″ tomato, 5″ serrated utility, 2.75″ peeling, 8″ honing steel, 8 x 5″ steak, 9″ shears. Just like with other sets, Cangshan also provides a hand-crafted Acacia block that pairs tastefully with the knives, offering handy and elegant organisation for your kitchen.

These knives are comfortable to hold, and we couldn’t keep our hands off the cutting board. Cangshan surely spent some time designing these blades and the heavy Eastern influences can be seen in the handles and Asian style hollow edges. These knives cut effortlessly and remain true even after putting the blades through their places.

The Cangshan Z Series Chef’s knife is a classic, with a beautiful Damascus Blade and an ergonomic handle to elevate your Chef skills even more. This is an 8” Chef’s knife and comes with a magnetic Saya style sheath made from dark walnut wood. Each knife is forged from 67-layer X-7 Damascus Steel that scores HRC 60 on Rockwell scale. Add to that the stylish handle and spectacular mosaic rivet with the maker’s seal embossed on it, and you get an award winning and beautifully crafted kitchen knife.

The Z series is all about attention to detail, precise functioning and easy clean up. Every curve and angle is carefully designed for comfort of the user, while making it easy to clean after heavy usage. The blade on the Z Series 8-inch knife is influenced by Japanese style and features a flatter profile. This is an overall well-balanced knife thanks to the full tang with steel end, and does feel super solid when you put it to work.

This High-Carbon Damascus Chef’s Knife will slice, dice or chop anything you throw at it, effortlessly. There are many ways you can use a chef’s knife and this piece does them all flawlessly. The edge is razor sharp and should be taken good care of while using. Fortunately, the magnetic Saya sheath that comes with it does its job of securing the knife perfectly.

You already heard us praise the V2 Series knives earlier. This is a set of 8 V2 Steak knives you can use to cut and dice even the toughest steak easily, or even use as a utility knife if you wish. It features a full tang construction, meaning that the blade, bolsters, and handle are made from a single piece of steel. This gives it strength and balance and is something not found on cheaper steak knives.

This set of steak knives is affordably priced, yet there are no compromises whatsoever. These blades are forged from high-alloy German X50CrMoV15 Steel, with an HRC 58 on the Rockwell Hardness Scale. Although a bit softer than Japanese steel alloys, the set is still robust enough to hold its edge when put under a good electric knife sharpener. The edges are smooth and super sharp, and perform far better than the dull knives you might otherwise find at this price range. The set comes with a hand-crafted solid Acacia wooden block, so when you are finished cutting steak, the knives slip right into their slots.

These are large knives, with a 9½” body and 5” blade, which is good as well as a bad thing. The large size makes them versatile and more effective for the job, but on the other side, Cangshan offers all of them in the same size. So if you were looking for a wider range of sizes and styles, this set won’t offer that. But overall, this is a solid knife and is the best you can get at this price.

If you always had trouble deciding the best cleaver for quickly slicing through veggies, Cangshan has got you covered. The S Series Nakiri Vegetable Cleaver is an affordable, well-balanced and top-selling cleaver for the job. You’ll get a 7” blade that can chop through the toughest veggies seamlessly, so you won’t have to worry about your produce flying off or injuring yourself. This is a high-alloy German Steel blade and outperforms some knives many times the price of this.

The S Series Nakiri Knife features an Asian Style taper-ground edge which makes it stable and efficient while honing, cutting or chopping, besides adding to the overall durability. We found its 5.5” handle to be light and easy to hold, but what we couldn’t find is a sheath for protecting the knife. So if you are someone who cares about a dedicated sheath, you might want to buy one separately.

Other than that, this classic knife is one of our favourites for a Nakiri. It saves time, looks solid, is easy to wash but what we liked the most is the price. This is a cheap investment which performs just as good as some expensive Japanese knives out there.

Cangshan is the name of a mountain as well as a small city in Southern China where the company’s founder, Henry Liu, was born and bred. He explored the world to find the ideal manufacturer that could produce the most functional and beautifully-crafted knife. Such was Henry’s determination and thirst for perfection, he labelled even the best craftsmen’s products as generic and not close to the quality he wanted.