CangshanA Series Swedish Steel Forged 16 Piece Knife Block Set

Knives are as described. These Cangshan A Series knives are very beautiful and elegant. The weight balance is a little forward compared to the Series S, for example, because the full tang thru the handle is more substantial in the S Series, and the Series S has a full steel butt end. The A Series handles are very nice, dense African Blackwood. I needed to condition the handles after my first wash, before using the knives, as the handles appeared a little dry. After rubbing with food grade mineral oil, and wiping, the handles are very nice. We tried the Series S first, and then the Series A. Both feel very nice. My wife actually likes the lighter feel of the Series A. She is petite and feels like the Series S is too heavy.I did a lot of research before plopping down $500 for these knives. Especially because one set is made of German steel, and this one is Swedish Sandvik 12C27. The Swedish steel is considered excellent knife steel by the experts, so I was confident in my purchase. Cangshan is apparently switching to Swedish Sandvik 14C28 steel, which is slightly harder, and so should hold an edge longer. The German and Swedish steels used are heat-treated to the same Rockwell Hardness of 58 +/- 2.These come nice and sharp from the box, and should stay sharp for months under normal use and maintenance. I haven't had mine for too long, but have chopped onions, sliced tomatoes, cut lemon wedges, diced carrots, and potatoes, and made very thin slices of Spanish Manchego cheese. These knives slice thru everything with ease. I really look forward to cutting more stuff!UPDATE: I have been using this set for 5 months. I still love them. Sometimes I stop and admire them in the kitchen, or take a photo! I seem to cook a lot more now just so I can chop and cut more stuff.

My god this was an expensive knife set. I know there are more expensive knives out there. But still.First few days we used this. I realized the reason why it's so expensive and it's worth it. Be careful using this set. Very sharp. Wood finish is great to look at.Chefs knife is probably my favorite. Though the bread knife is up there as well. We've eating alot of bread ever since we bought set.

So far these are great. Have used for about 2 months so uncertain of long term:

Junk! Did not even have them for a year before the handles started splitting. Clearly a factory defect. Reached out to cangshan and they say it is not part of the warranty!!?? How is this not part of the warranty?? It is happening to multiple knives from the set. I have taken care of them properly, hand wash and seasoned the handles. Buyer beware! Do not waste your money!

These knives are nice but there is incredible variability in the finish of the African Blackwood handles. Some show lots of woodgrain and actually look like the pictures and others are dark with no grain. Several are scuffed and I wonder if the sets sold through Amazon and Costco for $449 might be factory seconds. The same set on the Cangshan website sells for $850. I ordered and returned two other sets of this product and finally accepted that this variability is just something I would have to live with. The product is well packaged and the weight and quality of the knives seems good, but no better than my old set of Henckel knives.

I think these are actually great value even considering the price. It is hard to find complete knife sets with steak knives and these look awesome. The hand is solid but light weight and the blades are considerably sharp. I have used the Santoku the most and can say it stays sharp well. Not as well as some other knives I have used but still great

it's difficult to purchase something that meets my standards, but these knives hit the mark. The materials used, design, and assemblage all indicate a level of craftsmanship that put this series of knives above the rest

I researched knife sets for weeks and was truly looking forward to receiving this set. Unfortunately, every knife I checked had been mishandled or crafted poorly. I only checked half the knifes before I put them back in the box.Specifically, there was a small hole/indent in the handle of one steak knife and sharp edges where the full tang meets the wood handle. Additional blemishes appeared to be scribble like pattern, maybe from rubbing during manufacture or shipping. I've lost confidence in the brand and will now pay extra to get the desired quality...