Aug 12 2008
Kitchen Knives
There are a lot of people asking for tips on buying kitchen knives, and there are a ton of websites out there with articles on the subject, some of which conflict with each other. The authors of many of these articles wax lyrical about why their particular favourite is the “best”, and are quick to shun all others as inferior. Some go into great detail about knife construction, citing the optimum Rockwell Scale hardness for blade metals.
Well, just to add to the confusion, I’m gonna throw in my 2 cents 
. But I’m not going to bore you with too many details. I haven’t won any Michelin Stars, and am unlikely to in the near future. Chances are, if you’re reading this blog, you aren’t either. If you want more info on knife sharpening, check out Chad Ward’s excellent tutorial on knife sharpening.
So what do you need in a knife? You need one that you like, that’s comfortable in your hand, that can take and hold a good edge, and is fairly easy to clean and maintain.
Most knives are either stamped or forged from some variation of stainless steel. Some stainless steel is quite soft, and will not hold an edge very well. A pure carbon steel blade holds an excellent edge, but is not stainless and will require far too much maintenance for the average home cook. Therefore, what you want is a blade which contains a good dose of carbon, and might be called something like “No Stain Carbon Steel” or “High Carbon Stainless Steel” or some such. It’s essentially Stainless Steel, but with a suitable carbon content to make a good blade.
The prevailing advice has always been that forged blades (also called “drop-forged”) are better than stamped blades. This is true in many cases, but there are enough exceptions that you can take this rule with a grain of salt.
A big question is whether to choose Japanese or German? Japanese knives tend to be lighter, with harder steel, which takes a very keen edge. The edge on a Japanese knife is reputed to be more difficult to maintain. German knives tend to be heavier, with slightly softer steel which takes an edge that is easier to maintain. This is all relative. A good German knife still has pretty hard steel in it - just slightly softer than a Japanese knife. I use German Henckels knives, simply because they’re the first good knives I’ve ever owned. I like that extra weight in my hand too. I’m sure I would like a good Japanese knife just as well. I just haven’t gotten around to buying one 
. At the high end, these knives are all excellent.
Here are a few tips that might be useful to you.
- Don’t buy a set of knives. Buy each knife individually for what you want it to do, the feel of it in your hand, and your budget.
- You only need 3 knives. A 8″ Chef’s knife, a small paring knife, and a bread knife. Don’t get caught up in “sets”. You can get a 10″ Chef’s knife if you wish, but for a home kitchen, you’ll probably find the 8″ more controllable.
- High end knives are all excellent. Wustof, Henckels, Global etc. Don’t get caught in a “which is better” debate. They all cost a lot, and they are all excellent. Get what suits you personally.
- Cheap knives are usually crap. And a crap knife is a dangerous knife. A knife with a poor edge will require much more force to cut. This increases the chances of the blade slipping. If the blade slips while you’re leaning on it, all that force goes straight into your finger (where the blade will probably end up). Ouch!
- If your budget doesn’t stretch to a high end knife, check out the Victorinox Fibrox range of knives. These are inexpensive, high quality, and used in professional kitchens everywhere (where expensive, high end knives may be damaged or stolen). These blades are stamped, not forged, and are still better than most of the lower priced forged blades out there. These are also the only exception I know of to the rule that cheap knives are crap.
- Don’t buy a Chef’s knife with a serrated edge, or anything that claims to be “revolutionary” or “never needs to be sharpened”. All good knives need occasional sharpening. That’s all part of the game.
Basic knife care and maintenance:
- Once you get a good knife, keep it sharp! A blunt knife is a dangerous knife. See point 4 above. A few swipes on a steel before use will keep a good edge on your knife for a long time. Professional cooks who use their knives all day every day will need occasional sharpening on a grinding stone, but for the home cook, just steeling should keep a good edge for a very, very long time.
- Don’t put your good knives in the dishwasher. They can rattle around and the edges can get nicked.
- Don’t throw your good knives in the sink. This can damage the edge or tip, and can be dangerous to anyone washing dishes.
- Don’t leave your knives lying around dirty on the counter. Clean them after use and put them away.
- Store your knives in a block or on a magnetic strip. Don’t throw them in a drawer, where they can get damaged. If storing in a block, put the knife in edge-up, so the weight of the knife isn’t constantly resting on the blade edge (this might seem a bit over-protective, but it couldn’t hurt, right?).
- Don’t use a glass or ceramic chopping board. This will damage the edge on your knife. Plastic or wood boards only!
- Your knife is designed to cut food. Do not use it for anything else! It’s not a screwdriver, and it’s not a crowbar. To quote Chad Ward “there is a special place in Hell for those who abuse their knives in this way”.
Ok, so we know the high end knives are great. We know about the Victorinox Fibrox knives. What about some of the knives you see all the time in kitchen shops? Well, I haven’t tested them myself, but I believe some of the knives by Stellar and Richardson Sheffield are reasonably ok. They both have a “Sabatier” range, which is probably fairly good. Feel the blade strength, the edge, and see how they feel in your hand.
One last point. The most important part of a knife is the hand that holds it. Get a knife that feels good in your hand, get a good edge on it, take good care of it, and practice your knife technique! I’m planning on putting up a few basic knife techniques soon. In the meantime, mind your fingers….
Cool advice, thanks
My favourite knife is a really old one that was my mother’s. It’s anonymous with a worn wooden handle, but the blade must be good as it still sharpens up really well.
Thanks Onasmallisland. It’s nice to have something like that you can use and can also be a family heirloom. Far too many things are disposable these days.
I forgot to mention the “Balance” range from Richardson Sheffield. I have the bread knife, and I’m very happy with it, so the other knives in the range are probably pretty decent too.
I’m curious about Anolon knives. They’re expensive enough, and you see them in the “boutique” home stores, and they certainly look good, but I don’t know how they perform. Does anyone have an Anolon knife? What are they like?
Anyone know of any other brands that are worthy of mention? Sometimes you come across a knife that is far better than it has any right to be (based on cost, brand etc). Has anyone come across examples of this?
I cant use knives, I always cut myself! but then again I use crap knives of the mentality that they are cheap and they can easily be replaced because of their cheapness!
Keith abused my new knives in the block already using it to cut open boxes, but he would be delighted to know that theres a special place in hell for him, so I wont tell him that!!! but those knives are crap anyway so its ok!!! I need a good set and im a victorinox fan anyway so there you go!!
Knife technique…. well I studied iadio and I can handle swords (all of which are in the house now actually if u wanna see them!!) that used to be called knife technique too!, ….but they cant be used in cooking, except for cutting ham because thats fun…but no….
and im half way there, I have a wooden and plastic cutting board no glass, I hate them and how they sound and im convinced they will break!!
Good post and thanks, I know you say choose whichever feels better but most Irish retailers don’t tend to stock the higher end knives. Any comments on where and how to buy in this country?
Thanks
Ivan
Ninja Lette!!! I think we’ll let Keith off the hook if the knives are crap anyway
Just this once….
Hey Ivan. As for where to buy, that’s a bit of a tough one. It’s hard to find a wide range of knives that you can try out. Specialty kitchen shops would probably carry some high end knives. I know Brown Thomas carries Globals.
I bought my Henckels in TK Maxx. You can get some excellent knives there for really knock down prices. Unfortunately, you can never be sure what they’ll have from one week to another, but keep an eye out - there are unbelievable bargains to be had. My 10″ Henckels 5 Star Chef’s knife was selling for about a third of the retail price because the packaging was damaged and the Henckels stamp was on the wrong side of the blade. Perfect in every other way!
They also carry the occasional Wustof, and they almost always have some Sabatiers. Just be careful with those though. Not every knife marked “Sabatier” is a high end knife. There’s no trademark on the Sabatier name, so anyone can call their knives Sabatier.
Your local butcher or cafe/retaurant may also be able to get you a good knife from their trade suppliers if you ask them nicely
The other option, of course, is buying online. Better range, better prices (usually), but unfortunately you don’t get to feel the knives in your hand. You could always feel them in the shop, then buy online if you like them
Good hunting!
Hey Margaret and JD!
Love the advice on knives- I have to admit I have a bubbling hatred from glass chopping boards! Who invented them and why did they think they were a good idea! Bizarre! Rant over…
Update: I just called into our regular butcher, Jim Flavin at Chawkes in Castletroy (Limerick) yesterday evening. He’s selling a range of knives called “F. DICK”. I asked about them and they told me the knives are excellent and are the ones used by the butcher all the time.
I looked them up when I got home, and low and behold, the reviews rate them as highly as some of the top-end knives like Henckels, Wustof etc.
25 quid for the 8″ Chef’s Knife too. Unbelievable value for a high quality knife. Have a look in your butchers and see if they stock these “F.DICK” knives. Might be the answer you’re looking for.
What an unfortunate name though….
F dick….. wow theres only 2 things that could stand for, Frank Richard or….
[...] excellent article on knives here [...]
Agree on Victorinox and F Dick - both excellent knives.
I would add 2 more knives to your selection. I have 7″ Santoku knife that I love with the Granton edge. I also have a Chinese cleaver from an offshoot of the F Dick company that is another winner. Got that one from a Chinese restaurant supply house.
Here in NYC there are a lot of restaurant supply companies that are also open to the public. Well worth checking out for good quality stuff.
I am a young chef who is looking to stat his own Knife collection
and i have to say i really love “global” knives!
and i was just wondering what knives would i need to start my collection out?
i have looked at many other ranges but i really think global knives are the knives for me!
Good Article by the way!
Hey guys, thanks for the responses. Dick, there are some good knives to be had from chinese restaurant supply shops. I got a Kiwi brand cleaver from our local Chinese shop. I love it (although I must admit it hasn’t had much use lately).
real naked chef, if you like Globals, go for it. Anthony Bourdain recommends them, so you’re in good company there! They are truly excellent knives. As for starting your collection, I would say 8″ chefs, bread and paring to begin with. If you’re starting a career in professional cooking, you may also need the 10″ chefs and a boning knife. Just get what you need for now - you’ll build up a collection over the course of your career. You’ll probably be on prep duty for a while, so get whatever is comfortable to use
Best of luck in your career!
I bought an Anolon knife. A 5″ (12 cm) Santoku. It is pretty to look at and has a nice balanced feel in the hand. It comes with a nice sheath. It has a very, very hard “ice hardened and glass finished” edge. The shame of it all, is that the knife was not sharpened before it was hardened. It will hammer through a mushroom but forget about tomatoes. It is impossible to sharpen using corundum wet stones and everything else I have tried. The blade is designed to look like it has a continuous taper from its spine to its edge, but the edge is actually quite sudden and convex with a very short radius. This of course, is disguised with that glass finish. The knife was designed for the wishful, one time buyer. That was me. Now I need something to cut with.
Thanks for the TK Maxx tip, my local one has global’s in at the moment :o) I now have a lovley G-5
Many of the chefs I’ve worked with use a Victorinox Pastry Knife. (They’re the serrated ones with the round tip, 10″) It’s definitely a kitchen workhorse and I’ve seen it used for just about every job. A new one is lethal - you’ll probably cut off your fingers. But even after a year or so (in a professional kitchen) you can run it carefully along a steel and a get an edge on it again.
If you have to get one knife, get one of these. I like it with a rosewood handle: it gives your knuckles another couple of millimetres away from the board over the nylon handles.