Cangshan X Series 59144 German Steel Forged Santoku Knife, 7-Inch

I'll be 100% honest, I was concerned about the quality of the softer steel in regards to blade retention, however, I could NOT be more pleased with the results. I got this knife for my mother for her birthday, she loves to cook. I'm also the one who sharpens her knives every Sunday after family lunch, so I am extremely familiar with how tough she is on cutting tools. She slams on her knives like a beast. The first week she had this knife she texted me all the time how much she loved it. When I looked at the blade the following week to tune it up, there was legit NO blade wear. I know the forging process plays a big factor in hardness but I never expected it to hold up THAT well. I'm familiar with high quality super steels (Sandvik, Crucible, 5160, CPM3V, etc. mostly in outdoor knife applications) and this knife holds up pretty close to those for a FRACTION of the cost. The ergonomics are great, I'm not mad at all at the balance of the knife. It looks very attractive... if you would have handed it to me (w/ false info printed on the blade) and told me it was $200 knife made of 14C28N or S30V, and let me use it for a week I probably would have believed you. The box it comes in is really nice. The only slight area of opportunity with this blade would be that it didn't come with any type of blade protection other than the box. My mom just keeps hers in the box in the knife drawer, but it would still be more convenient to just have a cover. That should not dissuade you from buying this knife at all. For the price, this knife so impressive, and I'm super picky about knives and blade retention.

I work as a entry level cook at a higher end restaurant. Not "high end" that would be inaccurate. Nonetheless it's a very demanding job and I'm having to learn everything as I go. Knife skills are a must and I'm working to develop mine. I rely mostly on the large 10 inch chef knife, however, I find this cangshan knife very handy for prepping small stuff in close quarters. For example when I'm working at my station (pantry) and there are orders coming in: it's easy to maneuver with this handy 7 inch blade. It came really sharp out of the box that is for sure. I have yet to try sharpening it but have no doubt it will come super sharp again once I put it to the whetstone. Anyway, great knife. I was skeptical at first because of the price. But honestly it is a awesome knife. Doesn't feel cheap. In fact I like the fact I only paid $30-some for it so much that i packed away my same-size Shun chef knife. Great buy highly recommend. And although I just tossed mine: The packaging and box is very fancy and imagine would be desirable for someone wanting to use it for home use as well

Love this knife. Handle threw me off for a minute but once u start chopping it all comes together. I can't believe I only paid what I did for it. Reviews helped. I am a chef and use multiple knives a day. I used to always only pull out my 10 inch wustof chef knife and a utility knife to start the day but when I got this knife I see it out of the chef bag more and more. It is well balanced and if u need to dice and move quickly this knife comes in handy. Reason for 4 stars is because it can't do everything my chef knife will do. Hope this helps someone.

I thought this knife was too good to be true. A forged, full tang, German steel 7" Santoku with a nice looking handle for around 20 bucks?? No way. But I can now vouch for this knife- it is a legit value and a heck of a lot of knife for the money. I'm actually blown away by the quality of it. Razor sharp edge, beautiful polished finish, and it even has a nice bit of heft in the handle for a good feel and nice balance. I was a little concerned by the seemingly squarish bolster-to-blade transition, but it feels fine in my grasp. I expect it to need sharpening a bit more often than an expensive knife would, but you really can't go wrong for the money. Did I mention it looks great hanging on the magnetic strip in my kitchen? Buy it!UPDATE: I've now used this knife every day for about a year and have no regrets. I hone the blade whenever I think of it and it still cuts nearly as well as it did new. I would not hesitate to buy it again.

Rust....more rust later

not of the handle , i feel like this geared towards ppl with small hands

Good knife but needs constant sharpening and because of the handle shaped differently doesn't feel comfortable at times. I wish I had gone for J.A.Henckels or some other known brand.

Used this knife for a couple of weeks now I think its excellent and is quickly becoming my favorite. The handle has a modern look and a good feel in the hand, although I mostly use a claw grip when cutting. The knife was Very sharp right out of the box. Definitely recommend this knife as a great value for the price. I caught it on sale for <$30. I might consider getting the rest of the set, if I had need of it.Update. I've been using this knife for a few months now, it holds it edge very well and I use it for most chopping tasks in preference to the Henkel chef's knife I have. It's much sharper. It does have a very light feel to it and the blade is thin. Definitely good value for the price. I'm considering getting the chefs knife version of this as I'm less happy with the Henkel I have each time I use it.