Cangshan Rainier Series 8-Piece Knife Block Set, Forged German Steel, Acacia Block (White)

The media could not be loaded. I have tried several Chinese made knives recently and only found one that was reasonably close to the quality of my 30 year old Henkel set. I’ve had to sharpen them repeatedly to maintain a sharp edge. I noticed the Cangshan first while browsing in Costco. Indeed, the insert in this set says that it is distributed by Costco. So it seems to be the same set.I was intrigued by the endorsement from Thomas Keller. He is extremely specific about his recommendations. Having had the good fortune to have eaten at his restaurants, I have a sense of his attention to detail. That may have drawn me to the design of these knives. Especially in the color white.Design means nothing if there is no quality behind it. Perhaps not surprisingly, these knives have impressed me. They are the sharpest that I have experienced in a long time. They can hold a candle to Japanese knives as well. They are made of German steel. The blade is stamped with “X50CrMoV14.” Not being a metallurgist, I had to look it up. It denotes the composition of the steel. The hardness is midrange. That makes it a good all ‘round knife for kitchen use. Maybe not great for cutting through hard material such as bone. But still soft enough to sharpen without trouble. We have found ourselves using these knives almost exclusively now.The weight is in the handle. That seems to make it more comfortable for prolonged use. When I used a Henkel for continuous cutting, I would find that my wrist would begin to ache. Not so with these. The curves in the handle are not just aesthetically pleasing, they make it feel more comfortable. Add the other angles and curves and you have a knife that looks really good on the counter.I noticed that the serrated utility knife was serrated only on the right edge. The other is straight. I wasn’t sure about this design but I found that it was perfect for cutting thin slices of tomato. One thing about the set that I could criticize is why there wasn’t a small brochure with tips from Thomas Keller on ways to use each knife. I realize that this set might be too expensive for some but it appears to be worth it for a long term investment.

Strong and sharp knives, I won’t have to sharpen these for a while lol. Nice set. Dishwasher safe , great value for the price

Very, very nice quality and extremely sharp. I had honestly never heard of Cangshan knives before running across these. After doing some research, I realized that they were actually pretty respected knives, so I decided to give them a try. I'm glad I did. I have been nothing less than impressed with the construction, build quality, feel, and performance of these knives. The knives themselves are really well made. They are full-tang construction and made with good quality German steel alloy. They feel really premium and heavy in the hand while still being balanced. Right out of the box, they cut amazingly. I really like the selection of knives included in the kit. Instead of padding out the box with a bunch of low-quality steak knives or accessories, this company had focused on making the included pieces high quality. Each piece I have used feels well made, and I am confident that with the proper use and care, these knives will last a lifetime. While they are pricey, I feel like they live up to it and are comparable to other name-brand knives in this category. For the average home cook, these knives are more than enough. Overall, extremely pleased!

We usually stick with German made cutlery but I took a chance with these and so far, I’m very impressed. Each knife is well made. They all have a full-tang construction and are balanced well. The chef’s knife is perfectly sized and has a good weight. We’ve used the paring knife the most, so far and it’s great. When I say they come sharp, I’m not kidding, be very careful with them because they are easily as sharp as razor blades. The sharpening angle is very acute so I’m thinking the edges won’t last as long between sharpening as some more obtuse angles but will report back after I’ve sharpened them for the first time. The look reminds me of the Ikon series and they feel almost identical. You’d expect to pay much more for this set than this price, in my opinion. The butcher block is great quality wood and well made. It’s super heavy and compliments the white handles of the knives. The scissors are really nice because you can easily break them down into two pieces for sharpening. IF you have a sharpening system that you use for other knives, I have a feeling this is an heirloom quality set of knives. I only wish they came with more knives, specifically steak knives. Be sure to hand-wash these knives and not just throw them in the dishwasher. I’m less worried about the steel and more worried about incidental damage that can occur when mixed with other cutlery and utensils. Overall, I have zero hesitation when recommending this set to anyone that wants a really nice set of knives.

Great sharp knives. Look nice in compact block not requiring alot of room on counter. Nice assortment for meal prep.