Should probably be registered as a deadly weapon
I do a lot of grilling and smoking meats, and for cutting I tend to use low-end cutlery that I sharpen semi-regularly. Unfortunately, that means that sometimes (often, even), I end up tearing the meat more than cutting it. I was getting pretty fed up with the knives I have when I saw the Cangshan KITA Series 2-Piece Carving Set. I was shocked at the listed price, having only ever owned mid-grade to low-grade knives, but I decided to take a shot and see how a high-end knife might work for me My impressions:- Wow! The saying 'cuts through like butter' is not only not an exaggeration, it may be an understatement! I tested the set on the only piece of meat I had laying around (a corned beef, prepared for Saint Patrick's Day), and I'm not kidding when I say that the weight of the knife pushed it through the meat, with little to no pressure on my part. This knife is *sharp*!- The styling is amazing. When the knife-set arrived, I spent a long time just looking at it, admiring the craftsmanship. It's almost a shame to put this set into my cutlery cabinet; I should really mount it on the wall for all to admire and enjoy. Hmmm...I am not a knife expert, so I can't comment on the claim of "High Carbon X-7 Damascus Steel"; this is just advertising lingo to me. Regarding how it works, though, I have never had a knife that cuts so easily. It's possible that I was just lucky because my wife did an exceptional job cooking the corned beef, so I'll have to continue testing with the knife set to confirm my initial impressions. Time to fire up the smoker!Highly recommended!
✔ Verified Purchase
Beautiful knife, case doesn’t fit
The knife and fork were beautiful, and worked perfectly. The only little issue is that it came with a storage case that did not fit the knife it came with.
✔ Verified Purchase
Very Sharp, Very Elegant
Cangshan has been known for years as a producer of high quality cutlery but they really stepped into the spotlight in 2018 when Thomas Keller (French Laundry) signed with them to produce his signature knife collection.This carving set exemplifies the quality of Cangshan knives. They come in a blue ash wood box. The lid attaches to the base magnetically. The magnets are strong enough that you can lift the entire box by the lid. The implements are nestled in custom cut heavy foam. Both the knife and the fork have point guards included.The knife is a slicer with a 9 inch blade. It is made of X-7 Damascus steel in a hammered finish. X-7 is Cangshan's proprietary steel intended to exceed the qualities of the legendary Japanese VG10. The blade consists of 67 layers of this steel. This is a very hard steel that can achieve a Rockwell hardness rating of over 60. The Damascus pattern on the blade is very beautiful. It has a blue octagonal handle which gives a good firm grip while carving and is comfortable.The fork is made of an unspecified steel with the same type of handle as the knife. The tines of the fork are very pointy.I haven't had the opportunity to try this carving set on a monster piece of meat but the knife absolutely glided through an onion held in place with the fork.The set comes with a pamphlet describing how to care for these tools, even detailing how to care for the copper mosaic rivets in the handles. It should come as no surprise that these are not implements you run through the dishwasher.This is a premium cutlery set and the price reflects that. Having used them, I have to say that they're worth it.
✔ Verified Purchase
E
Edward Chung
May 16, 2024
Good knife, not worth the price
These knives are surprisingly nice. I am happy with the quality and design of them. However, for the price, I believe the quality could be better. They are nice, but not as nice as I expect at this price point. The work fine, they are not magical knives, but they are not lacking in any faucets. Overall, they did no WOO me. I was nor pleasantly surprised or disappointed. They are ok, and I would recommend purchasing a product of higher quality for this price.
✔ Verified Purchase
R
ralfwolf
February 09, 2024
This is a **** carving set at a $$ price
Anyone looking for a carving set should consider this item if on a budget. This is NOT a french chef knife but a carving knife and fork set. The distinction between the two are primarily the edge curve and width of the blade. Carving knives will have a narrower profile and less curve at the front of the blade like a chef's knife. Carving knives are usually long, to allow smooth single stroke slicing, and narrower blade, to allow it to get around bones. The knife in this set is a perfect shape for a carver. Balance is very good and blade comes quite sharp. That handle is ash or pakka wood that's stained blue. Personally I prefer more natural color stain but I'm not going to dock any stars for color of the stain. The shape of the handle is straight slightly rounded hexagonal cylinder which is popular for many custom Japanese knives. Overall, this is a high quality and visually striking carving set. It comes in a very nice wooden box that has a very interesting hingeless magnetic design. I do wish they hadn't carved an image of the knife and fork on the lid which makes it look a bit tacky IMHO.Now to the blade... The description and box says X7 Damascus steel which honestly isn't a thing in the world of high end knives. After doing a bit of research I believe this is a Chinese knock off of Japanese VG10 steel. The only place with any information about X7 Damascus steel is on the Cangshan website where they claim it has a 60 HRC and say it's similar to VG10 but less brittle. My guess is that it's just rebranded 10Cr15CoMoV, or slight variation, which is a common Chinese substitute of VG10. That said, this blade feels very similar to my Shun carver which is VG-MAX which is a newer version of VG10. Both have the typical brittle feel of hard super steel and both have edges sharpened to a shallow angle of about 15 degree.See photos for side by side comparison of the $400 Shun Premier Carving Set with this item. Note that the blade and construction look quite similar. The Shun Premier series has a more rounded handle but both feel good in the hand. Both sports the distinctive damascus design and In this case I do believe this item to have a genuine damascus steel rather than just an etched design. If it is etched it is a very good fake. Also take note of the respective boxes. Ironically the Shun costs over 2x more but comes in a cheap cardboard box while the Cangshan comes in a wooden box. After using both, I do like the narrower profile of the Cangshan blade which feels more agile and maneuverable. I like the feel of the Shun handle slightly better and both slides through meat smoothly. I would pick the Shun when there is no bones or the meat larger like a prime rib roast or boneless pork roast. For chicken, turkey, or ham with a center bone, I would opt for the Cangshan.
✔ Verified Purchase
