Walking the aisles at Costco this week, I came across a new knife company called Cangshan. They look amazing, and I was pretty excited to check them out. The pricing was reasonable, so I decided to dig a little deeper. We hope you enjoy this Cangshan knives review. They are a newer knife company with some big names behind them, but are they worth it? Are they deserving of being on our best professional knife set list? Let’s dive in and find out!
Set Includes:
- 8″ chef’s knife
- 8″ bread knife
- 7″ santoku knife
- 6″ boning knife
- 5″ serrated utility knife
- 5″ tomato knife
- 3.5″ paring knife
- 2.75″ peeling knife
- 6 x 5″ straight edge steak knives
- 8″ honing steel
- 9″ 2-piece Shears
Features:
- Solid walnut wood block
- Hand crafted full tang knives forged from fine-grained
- Swedish Sandvik 14C28N Steel
- NSF International Certified
- Lifetime Warranty
Top 5 Cangshan Knives Sets Reviews
With this many knife sets, it doesn’t make sense to evaluate and review ever. Here are some of their most popular knife sets.
Cangshan TS Series Review: 17 Piece Knife Set with Block
Knives Included In Cangshan TS Series
The TS Series Includes the following knives:
- 8″ chef’s knife
- 8″ bread knife
- 7″ santoku knife
- 6″ boning knife
- 5″ serrated utility
- 5″ tomato
- 3.5″ paring
- 2.75″ peeling
- 6×5″ steak
- 8″ honing steel
- 9″ shears
- Walnut block
Block Material: Walnut
Blade Material: Full tang forged from high alloy Swedish Sandvik 14C28N Steel with exceptional sharpness, holds an edge up to 5 times longer than German Steel X50Cr15MoV.
Color: Black
Pros:
- National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) Certified
- Blades are corrosion and rust-resistant
- The Walnut block for storage allows for easy storage
- The blade combination is enough for most households
- The handles feel natural in your hands and are nicely balanced
- The knives receive a high Totaal Card Cut (TC) measurement, meaning they should keep their sharpness for quite a while
Cons:
- The knife set may be more knives than you need
- Higher price than other sets
Overall Review of Cangshan TS Series
I’m a new knife owner, and I have to say that I’m really impressed with the Cangshan TS Series set of knives. This beautiful knife set is a good fit for most households, it has all of the basic knives you need for a kitchen (chef, bread, boning, shears, and santoku), plus it comes with a beautiful set of 6 steak knives. The patented design makes it a nice-looking knife set that any homeowner would proudly put on display. The blades are built with premium materials which means they are good for the long term. Add on that the ergonomic handles feel good in your hands, and you have a great knife set for homeowners.
This set also has 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Cangshan N1 Series Review:
Knives Included the N1 Set:
- 8″ chef’s
- 8″ bread
- 7″ santoku
- 6″ boning
- 5″ serrated utility
- 5″ tomato
- 3.5″ paring
- 2.75″ peeling
- 6×5″ steak
- 8″ honing steel
- 9″ shears
- Walnut block
Knife Material: All metal forged from X50Cr15MoV German Steel
Block Material: Walnut
Handle: German Steel
Pros:
- RedDot 2016 Award for focus on a unique all-metal structure and ergonomic handles.
- An HRC 58 +/- 2 on the Rockwell Hardness Scale
- Blades are corrosion and rust-resistant
- The steak knives and other blade combinations are enough for most households.
- The handles feel natural in your hands and are nicely balanced.
- The knives receive a high Total Card Cut (TC) measurement, meaning they should keep their sharpness for quite a while.
Cons:
- The handles may not be to your liking if you are looking for a more conventional knife set.
- The steak knives are serrated; this may not be a con to you but can be depending on how you like your steak knives.
- They need to be dried immediately. Some reviews showed rusting pretty quickly, which can happen if they are in a dishwasher or not dried immediately.
- I could see cleaning being an issue with the design of the handle.
Overall Review of N1 Series Knife Set
Upon first glance, my thought is, “Wow.” This is a beautiful-looking unique set of knives. The likes of which I can’t wait to add to my counter and watch people marvel at them the next time they are over.
They are just that beautiful!
Add in that the series contains all the knives that I need, and we have a solid winner. With a 4.5 star rating out of 5 on Amazon, this knife set is in the same range as the TS series, but if you want a more modern look, this is definitely worth the extra few dollars between the two sets.
By far, this is the knife set that people will see and ask you about. The unique walnut block adds to the design and overall aesthetic, making it a winner for your kitchen. Add in that they are super sharp and keep their edge, and you have a winning set.
Click here to see the N1 Series sets of knives
Cangshan V2 Series 8 Piece Review
Knives included:
- 8-inch chef’s knife
- 7-inch Santoku
- 8-inch bread knife
- 5-inch serrated utility
- 3.5″ Paring knife
- 8″ honing steel
- 9′ detachable metal shears
- 7-slot solid acacia knife block
Block Material: Acacia
Knife Material: Swedish Sandvik 14C28N Steel
Pros:
- The knife set is a smaller one but still comes with enough to get the job done
- A better price point with solid usability.
- Same great craftsmanship and beauty
- Great set of functional knives
Cons:
- You can always upgrade to more knives in this set, but it will cost you a little more.
- No steak knives
Overall Review of Cangshan V2 8 Piece Series Knife Set
If you are looking at these knife sets and thinking, “I’m just a sexy person, I don’t need a 17 knife set,” then do not fear. The V2 series is a smaller set of knives that will make sense for your lifestyle.
This is a nice price point and will likely do for most homeowners, except for not coming with the set of matching steak knives. If you want to get a high-quality set of knives but don’t want a lot of extra knives that you may not use, this will be the right fit for you. With over 300 ratings and 4.7 out of 5 stars, it looks like many homeowners love this set.
Cangshan V2 Series 59649 23 Piece Review
Knives Included:
- 9″ Slicing
- 8″ chef’s,8″ bread
- 7″ santoku
- 7″ Nakiri
- 6″ boning
- 6″ Fork
- 5″ serrated utility
- 5″ straight Edge Utility
- 5″ tomato
- 3.5″ paring
- 2.75″ peeling
- 8×5″ steak,
- 8″ honing steel
- 9″ shear
Block Material: Acacia wood
Knife Material: X50Cr15MoV German Steel with exceptional sharpness
Color: Black
Pros:
- This knife set comes with everything you would need as a home cook or a professional one
- Set of 8 steak knives – perfect for hosting
- Beautiful solid wood Acacia woodblock to store the knives
- 5 out of 5-star rating on Amazon
- Great price compared to other Cangshan lines
- NSF certified and a lifetime warranty against defects
Cons:
- This knife set has many extra knives, but if you want a one-stop shop, this is the right set for you
- You will need to decide if you really need all of the knives included in this set
Overall Review of Cangshan V2 Series
As fast as a comprehensive knife set goes, the V2 has everything you will need. Using it for a while, I like the blades’ firmness and the knife selection. The handles feel nice in my hands though I prefer the rounded handles of the S1 compared to the V2 series.
If you want a good set of knives with a lifetime warranty. This set is the one for you. It has a great rating on Amazon. The extra steak knives are a huge plus for gatherings and hosting. The price point is also very appealing compared to the other knives. This one is a solid buy.
Cangshan S1 Knife Series Review
The Cangshan S1 17-piece knife set is a stunning set of knives at a reasonable price for homeowners.
Knives Included:
- 8″ chef’s
- 8″ bread
- 7″ santoku
- 6″ boning
- 5″ serrated utility
- 5″ tomato
- 3.5″ paring
- 2.75″ peeling
- 6×5″ steak
- 8″ honing steel
- 9″ shears
- Walnut block
Knife Material: All metal forged from X50Cr15MoV German Steel
Block Material: Walnut
Color: White
Pros:
- Finalist of the 2017 Housewares Design Awards
- This beautiful knife set has everything a home chef would need to get any job done.
- The beautiful handles and easy-grip handles
- Great purchase at a solid price
Cons:
- Fewer steak knives than its V2 cousin.
Overall Review of the Cangshan S1 Knife Series
This knife set has one of the higher ratings of the Cangshan knife series, with 4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon. It’s a nice-looking knife set, and the 58 Rockwell hardness of German steel makes it build for long-lasting usage. The knives are hand sharpened and hand-polished by expert bladesmiths making it a solid buy for anyone coming into the knife market looking for a solid set of knives. Overall the S1 Knife series is a great set of knives, and you get a lot of knives for a great price.
Best Cangshan Steak Knives
If you are looking for some higher-quality steak knives, Cangshan provides them in many of their various series.
Here are some of our favorites.
Cangshan Thomas Keller Signature Collection 4-Piece Forged Straight Edge Steak Knife, Walnut Box
These would make an excellent housewarming gift for any new homeowner.
Cangshan V2 8 Piece Set of German Steel Steak knives
Cangshan N1 Series 59496 German Steel Forged 8-Piece Steak Knife Set
This steak knife set comes with a solid Acacia wood block, each knife has a 5-Inch Blade. This would look great on a countertop or fit nicely into your knife drawer.
Cangshan S Series 1020359 German Steel Forged 4-Piece Steak Knife Set, 5-Inch Blade
This is a good set if you don’t want a woodblock but still want a good set of steak knives.
Did you know Dalstrong is another new knife brand? Read our Dalstrong Knives review to see if they make the cut.
There are so many more sets! With all of the different series of steak knives that Cangshan offers, there are a lot to choose from and many different price points and styles. To see them all in one place, click below to check them out on Amazon.
✅ After reviewing all of the Cangshan Knives, this is the one that we would buy based on all of its qualities.
Overview Of Cangshan Knives
Canghsan (Kang-Shan) Knives was founded by Henry Liu In China and was named after the city where he was born. Liu started the kitchenware company in China and eventually moved to the United States. After trying to find a manufacturer for his high-quality knives, he finally found a factory in Yangjiang, China, that would make the knives he envisioned. This was the start of the Cangshan Cutlery Company.
Their knives are used by some of the highest discerning chefs in the industry (such as Thomas Keller), and they aim to make great knives and have been awarded two Red Dot Design Awards. One line was the winner of the Gourmet Retailer Editors Pick.
They strive to make their products both beautiful and functional, and as you will see below, they have succeeded.
They launched in 2015 with 4 unique handle designs and have a largely favorable review on Amazon.
Currently, they have 27 design patterns and have won 28 awards, including Red Dot awards and German awards.
In 2018 Cangshan and Chef Thomas Keller came together to develop a new knife series. If you have ever taken a Masterclass (if not, see this Masterclass Review), you know that this is a very celebrated chef and line of knives.
Need to brush up on your knife anatomy? Check out this parts of a knife article.
Cangshan Knife Series
There are 23 series of knives and knife sets. Cangshan is establishing itself as a company that does things right.
- TA Series: “Rare Luscious African Blackwood Handle” * Winner of the Reddot award and several other awards
- D Series: “Push Past Classic and Familiar to Create a Knife that is both Elegantly Modern and Purposefully Simple” This sets Chef Knife is in our Best Chef Knife Under $50.
- H1 Series: “Counterbalancing Smooth Contour, Distinct Angles with Rich Warm Wood Tones”
- J Series: “A Testament to the Beauty of Expert Hand Craftsmanship”
- K Series: “Unique Black Coated Titanium with a Distinct Look”
- N Series: “Sleek Beauty with A Minimal Look”
- N1 Series: “A Balance Of Prevision with Great Design” *2016 Red Dot Design Award Winner
- P2 Series: “A Focus on Essential, Professional Caliber Function”
- R Series: “Bold and Straightforward Sleek Design”
- S Series: “Sleek and Slim with Bold Contrast”
- S+ Series: “Sleek and Slim Colored Handles with a Titanium Coated Blade” *2019 Housewares Design Winner
- S1 Series: “Purity and Minimalism Focusing on Elemental Beauty”
- TC Series: “A Sleekly Modern Design”
- TG Series: “Modern and Minimalistic with With Excellent Grip and Balance”
- Thomas Keller Series: “Premium Materials and Precision Craftsmanship” (This chef knife is our #1 rated Best Chef Knife under $200)
- TN1 Series: “Bold Contrast and Well Balanced”
- TS Series: “A Fresh Update to Standard a Tool a Chef Can Trust”
- TV2 Series: “The Beauty of Classic Kitchen Solidly Durable”
- United Series: “A Patriotic Knife for the Culinary Olympics”
- V2 Series: “A Focus on Classic Kitchen Knives Elevating Their Practical Functionality”
- W Series: “Transparency Openness and Harmony”
- X Series: “A Knife both Balanced and Comfortable A Natural Extension of the Chef”
- Y2 Series: “Durability, Comfort and Nimble Precision”
- Z Series: “Keenly Angled Lines Reinforce the Sleek Shape of the Hand” This knife is featured in our Best Chef Knife Under $100
What else does Cangshan make?
Cangshan Cutting Boards
Magnetic Knife Bars
Woodblocks
Sheaths
Made from grained carbonized ash wood, they are magnetized to balance storage and look.
Shears
Cangshan FAQ
What is Cangshan Knives Warranty?
Cangshan comes with, what they call, a “Hassle-Free, Limited Lifetime Warranty.” They strive to have happy customers, and their goal is quickly resolve any issues you might have.
They have multiple ways to access them, including email and phone (toll-free: 855-597-5656 ). However, you must make sure you buy from an authorized Cangshan Cutlery retailer.
They are well-made knives, and they offer to replace or repair your knife as long as the issue is from manufacturing or shipping.
Are Cangshan Knives Good?
There are a variety of model lines and price ranges. Depending on your usage and purpose, there is likely a Cangshan knife or knife set for you. Their quality ranges, and so do their reviews online.
To cover each of their knives is out of the scope of this article. They are a good quality knife but make sure to read the reviews before buying.
What are Cangshan Knives Made Of?
Their knives are Chinese-made knives that use German or Swedish steel, depending on the brand.
What I like about this brand is that they are proudly Chinese-made. Many other companies are trying to shy away from their products being made in China, but this company owns the claim, and its reputation is better for it.
Looking for a more established knife maker? Read this Wusthof Knives Review or learn more about their similarities in Wusthof vs. Cangshan, and see if they are worth the investment.
Is Cangshan Japanese?
No. Cangshan is Chinese, not Japanese. Cangshan is the name of a mountain in southern China and the name of the small city in which the founder was born.
Are Cangshan Knives Dishwasher Safe?
Some knives are dishwasher safe. However, with all high-quality knives, it’s better to hand wash them and dry them immediately to avoid rust spots.
Are Cangshan Knives Made In China?
Yes, all Cangshan knives are made in Yangjiang, China.
Are Cangshan Knives Forged or Stamped?
Cangshan makes multiple lines of knives, some of which are stamped and others knives are forged. The stamped lines are the P2, TG, and W Series sets of knives, while the rest are forged.
How Are Cangshan Knives Made?
Premier materials, exceptional manufacturing, and attention to detail are the foundations of the phenomenal quality and value of Cangshan professional-caliber knives.
High alloy German and Swedish steels are meticulously forged. Going through a precise ultra six heat treatment to ensure each knife is incredibly sharp and has extraordinary edge retention.
Where Can I Buy Cangshan Knives?
Canghsan knives are available at several retail outlets online and in person. Here are the places you can buy them
- Amazon
- Sur La Table
- Costco (Canada only)
- Crate and Barrel
- Bed Bath and Beyond (Not always in stock)
- Cangshan Cutlery Site (Direct)
Cangshan Knives Review Summary
While Cangshan is a newcomer to the knife industry, it is making some big waves. They have a focus on beauty and function. Their knives are primarily made with German knife steel, with several Swedish Sandvik knives being the exception.
They are a great mid-range knife company and would be a great step up for most homeowners, and the higher ranges would be suitable for chefs who need a reputable blade that has a focus on craftsmanship and utility. If you are looking to splurge into the next level of kitchen knives, these are some great knives that look amazing. Personally, I would look at the V2 Series as it looks like a good balance of price and functionality.
