Cangshan HELENA Series German Steel Forged, HUA Knife Block Set (12-Piece, White)

They are nice to look at and the holder is more up to date. They came very nicely packaged.

The Cangshan HUA Knife Block Set is a small set of very good knives at a very reasojnable price. They are beautiful and practical..... and very very well designed. It took me a while to sit down to write this review because, I do not think it is at all reasonable for me to rate kitchen tools designed by Thomas Keller. and then, I did sit down to write my review earlier, and wound up shopping for another Cangshan knife, as a gift, because I am now familiar with their quality.My daughter moved back to the islands a few years ago after spending some time in her college town. While there she changed her focus and decided to become a chef. She moved back here to work with 2 young chefs who had trained under Thomas Keller, and is now the sous chef at this year's James Beard award wining restaurant. She lived with us while getting herself set up, and helped me upgrade my kitchen. I had a set of good knives (Wusthoff classics) but I had chosen them based on reviews, and while very good, they did not fit my hand well, which is where Cangshan comes in. She introduced me to the brand, and now I have a fair collection of their knives. This set is a remarkable value, given that they are full tang, forged German steel, with ergonomic handles and honed to a precise angle. They fit my hand well and are comfortable to use. It almost goes without saying that they are sharp, well balanced and precise.The set is minimal and minimalist. In short, a perfect starter set. There is a chef's knife, a paring knife and a serrated utility knife. I actually have an old old Sabatier "deli" knife which resembles this and it is one of the more used knives in our house. I held onto it because there was nothing like it in the sets I had, and now I have another which is better, sharper, and yes, fits my hand better. The knife block is also beautiful and minimalist in design. It is one of Cangshan's fold down blocks which can be used upright or with the stand folded down. It occupies a small amount of counter space and is both practical and attractive.Everything I have gotten from this company has been made with high quality materials meticulously designed and crafted.When I asked my daughter for help choosing knives, as I had been looking at some with hexagonal handles, she told me that it is a matter of style, that is, how you use them, and how you are comfortable holding them. There is no question that I grew up around Western cuisine, and am more comfortable with and ergonomic handle, like this knife set has.All that said, I think this is a great little set of knives, and while I now have a lot of good knives, there are times we have 3 cooks in the kitchen (one who actually is a chef).

Everything about this product seems very well thought out: from the packaging to the knives themselves. The shipping box is reinforced and well protected, which is good because the knives and the block add up to a little bit of weight. The interior boxes are good too, complete with silica packets to keep moisture out and warning to tell you not to open the package too hastily and slice up your hands.The knives themselves look great, are extremely sharp, very well balanced, and well designed for the various uses. Feels extremely natural to hold in your hand, with a good weight. We have some good knives that I use for some specific uses, but this knife block stays out on the counter because they do such a good job handling 90% of what we do in the kitchen.

This knife set with the block is simple and very practical. It come with 3 knives that are probably more commonly used daily where you can keep it out on the kitchen counter without having to take too much space and also without cluttering by having other knives that are not needed frequently. The knives are made well and looks great. I love the handle being white and looking very sleek. So far, the knives are sharp and work really well.

I have been gradually upgrading my knives and when I saw these three, I thought they would fit the bill.First, I love the white handles. Unusual and pretty.Most importantly, they are very well balanced, something I think is most important for esthetics and safety. They are just a pleasure to hold in my hand and use.Finally, they came very sharp.The "wood" lock is fine, but I do not care about it.

This is a nice knife set.There are 3 knives and a stand.It feels modern and sleek.The weight is evenly distributed and feels nice in my hand.

This is a pretty nice knife set overall, I do wish there was a little more contour to the handle at the blade end to keep the hand from sliding forward. The knives seem to be made from good steel and arrive sharp. I suggest a basic $20 knife sharpener to keep them sharp. Do not over sharpen any knife as each time you sharpen a knife it removes a little material from the blade, a couple of swipes is plenty. I think the price and quality are well matched and I would buy again. 5 STARS

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