#henckles

good luck!! Hope u feel better soon

Finding the right kitchen knife can be a lengthy process, one that can be stressful especially when making that final selection and opening your wallet. There are many brands and types of kitchen knives out there and if you’re starting your search with little to no knowledge like I was, it can be quite an arduous journey. The first thing you need even before doing your research is patience, because the worst thing you can do is rush into your purchase and end up with something you aren’t happy with, and being that it will be your most important kitchen tool, you’ll want to have a well balanced knife that offers an excellent performance, along with a comfortable feel and finish. All of these qualities will help determine your selection.

Let’s talk quickly about what’s used in the blades that you’re looking through:

Carbon Steel:

Knives made with Carbon steel are often inexpensive, they’re known to hold a very sharp edge, and are often easier to sharpen compared to most stainless steel blades, however they do stain and rust easily if they’re not cleaned and dried right after use.

Stainless Steel:

Probably the most common steel available, it is often softer than carbon steel and more expensive, it needs frequent sharpening and unlike carbon steel it’s very resistant to rusting.

High carbon stainless:

Basically incorporating the best of both worlds using stainless alloys with carbons in a higher grade, which promotes no staining and superior edge retention.

Titanium:

Titanium is more flexible than steel, but not as hard or durable, and it will not keep an edge as long the ones listed above.

Ceramic:

A unique alternative to metal-based knives that a lot of people claim contains the sharpest edge, however you need to know that although they are extremely sharp, they are also very lightweight and fragile and can chip easily while self-sharpening or when used against harder objects. Most of the time you should have your ceramic knife sharpened professionally.

Now that you know some of the basics, let me explain to you a little bit about how knife steel is made. There are usually two methods; hot forged, or stamped. The hot-forged process involves steel that is heated to a high temperature until softened, dropped into various molds, and then beaten usually by hammer to shape the steel. After this, the steel is then put through a trimming process to rid any excess. Only after a heating and cooling process to ensure durability, the knife is sharpened and polished. In forged blades, the metal in the knife runs from the tip of the knifepoint to the far end of the handle, which will be visible and will aid you in knowing if the knife is forged.

A stamped blade is different in the sense that it is usually machine cut from large, flattened sheets of steel, shaped and heat-treated for strength and temper, then grounded, sharpened, and polished. Many people believed that stamped knives are not as strong or durable as fully forged knives but that is no longer necessarily true. In many cases the quality of steel that is used in stamped knives is superior, as many high end stamped knives are thin like a razor, and more precise.

Now I’m going to explain to you the types of knives that are available. We’ll start with the Chef’s Knife, which is also known as a French Knife, or Cook’s Knife. This is a general utility knife for every day basic needs such as slicing meat, chopping vegetables, mincing, you name it. If you are a cooking enthusiast or an aspiring chef, you should invest in one of these, it is a versatile tool that you will use more than a paring or boning knife, or any knife and you will swear by it.

A pairing knife is also a commonly used kitchen utensil which helps with peeling, coring, de-veining shrimp, and other intricate tasks. It is similar to a chef’s knife in the sense that it is also all-purpose, but it’s a lot smaller.

Carving knives and boning knives are also important to have in a kitchen. A Carving knife is used on meats and poultry for smaller and thinner precise cuts. It is frequently used with roasts, ham, and turkey. There’s also the boning knife, which is thin enough to get into small spaces and simply remove bones from cuts of meat.

A cleaver is a heavy, thick rectangular knife that is used for splitting meat and bone and great in horror movies. Any restaurant that prepares their own meat has one of these in their kitchen.

There’s also bread knives, slicing knives, and fillet knives, but I don’t really think I need to get into explaining those to you as the names are self explanatory.

Now finally, let’s discuss some brands and manufacturing:

Japanese:

When you think about Japanese knives, think about the ancient techniques of samurai sword making; Japan is known to make some of the sharpest blades in the world and you best believe this applies to their kitchen knives as well. They even use the Damascus style from their swords on many knives. Some of the top brands: Mac, Kasumi, Shun, Global, Misono, Hattori.

German:

Germany, along with Japan is considered the best in manufacturing top quality cutlery. Top brands: Wusthof Dreizackwerk, J.A. Henckles, Messermeister. *Do note that if you go to Macy’s and see J.A. Henckles International for around 40 dollars, you’re buying a knife that is made in China so don’t expect the same quality as a European manufactured Henckles knife.

North America:

Due to the affordable prices of these knives, many people find them suitable for their kitchen. You’ll notice brands like Cutco, Kitchenaid, Cuisinart, and Dexter-Russell are in many people’s homes because they like the price, and while many of these knives have to be sharpened quite frequently they still get the job done.

Swiss:

I don’t know many Swiss brands besides Victoriaknox, but they don’t really matter because this is the most reputable one; their experience with knives goes all the way back to 1897 and they have also been a longtime supplier of knives to the Swiss Armed Forces. A Victoriaknox chef’s knife was the first knife that I ever owned, it showed me how important it is to use a good sharp knife in any kitchen; there was such a big difference from the previous knives that my family had purchased years ago.

French:

Sabatier is pretty much the only brand you should be looking for if you’re interested in purchasing a knife from France.