The "NEXT" Kitchen Knife Buying Guide
Knife Styles For The Kitchen

Which Knives to Buy?

Buy what you can afford, and if you can afford it, buy something your kids will want for an heirloom. Something that will last. Something from me?

I'd be honored!

But buy what feels good in your hand. I won't pretend to know what you like or how you use your knives! Whether you're a professional chef or a home cook, use knives that are extensions of your hand. My mom has never used a chef's knife for anything but cutting a watermelon. My point is that we're ALL different...

 

For a little background

Here are some optional links that might help you understand some of the terminologies if you're unfamiliar. If you're not into the nerdy stuff, skip to the CHEFS KNIFE part! grin

 

"The Steels" will help you understand that there are many types of steel for knives and why one is chosen over another. If you take one thing away from this article, take this. If a maker is secretive about the steel or can't nail down the Rockwell hardness of your knife, they're likely using inferior steels or processes. That's fine if you're buying a $10 paring knife for the family picnic, but if you're trying to assemble an heirloom set of blades, research and ask some questions. Any maker who cares will happily discuss their steel choice and heat treatment protocol with you!

 

"What ARE the Properties of Steel?"

This is slightly more technical, but a good read if you like knowing WHY things are the way they are!

 

"Handle Materials" 

This article covers some possible handle choices and why one might be better in a given situation.

 

"Forged Vs. Stamped"-

Much debate in the knife world gets used up on whether a forged knife is superior to a "stamped" knife or a stock removal knife. While opinions are rampant, there's no scientifically verifiable proof that a forged blade from the same steel and heat treatment is more complex, tougher, or has better edge retention than a knife stamped, water jetted, or laser cut from a sheet. The truth is that the steels we purchase for knife making have been forged, rolled, and reduced many, many more times than a typical bladesmith would. Correctly done, and all other things being equal, a stamped knife is just as good as a forged or stock removal blade. And here's something to chew on- "drop forged" means "this is a stamped knife." Just buy what feels good in your hand. Renowned metallurgist and Knife Steel Nerd Dr. Larrin Thomas wrote a very informative article about this subject HERE.

 

Now that we're on a more level playing field let's dive into the different styles of knives and uses for each. You can decide whether you need or want any of them!

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THE CHEFS KNIFE --

This is the knife that probably no kitchen should be without. It's the workhorse of the cutting board, making short work of most kitchen tasks short of chopping bone! Chef's knives can range from as short as 6 (petite) inches to around 14 inches! The average is between 8-10. Chef's knives come in many profiles, such as German, French, Western, and the several Japanese styles we use as chef's knives. 

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The French Chefs knife 

"French knife" or "kitchen knife" has a blade height of around 1.5" or more at the heel(handle side), and the sharpened edge only begins to belly(curve upward toward the spine) somewhere past the midpoint of the blade It tends to be thinner and lighter than its German counterparts.

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The German chef's knife

Generally thicker, heavier, and bulkier than their French cousins. With a belly that begins to curve upwards toward the spine well behind the midpoint of the blade's length. They are more suited to heavier uses like breaking down joints of meat but are still helpful for lighter tasks such as chopping small veggies and herbs. Choosing between a French or German knife would be a personal preference!

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Japanese Knife Styles 

Japanese knives come in more profile styles than European blades. From the list pictured, a Gyuto, Santoku knife, Deba, or Kiritsuke could make a perfectly serviceable chef's knife. Japanese makers typically run their steels harder and thinner than Europeans, making the blades a little more delicate, but well-suited for slicing, dicing, and chopping in the kitchen. Many of the best Japanese knives are made from carbon steel (non-stainless), so they require more care than stainless. The advantage of some simple carbon steels is a finer grain structure, easier sharpenability, and higher potential working hardness than European mass-produced stainless knives.

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THE BREAD KNIFE

This could be a knife you do or don't need, but the serrated edge bread knife is necessary if you slice bread. There are several lengths and shapes of bread knives, but they all have one thing in common- SERRATIONS! The saw-like action of the serrated blade allows the bread knife to slice soft breads without crushing its fluffy texture.

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THE UTILITY KNIFE

Conveniently situated between the chef's knife and the paring knife, the utility can take up all the tasks that are too small for the chef's and too large for the paring. They're typically 5-7" long, slightly thinner and keener than a chef's knife, and more agile since they are smaller. Do you need a utility knife? Hold one and imagine what you could do with it in your kitchen!

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THE BONING KNIFE

Thin and flexible with a sharp point and screaming sharp edge, the boning knife separates meat from the bone. It must be thin to bend and follow bones but hard enough to maintain sharpness through the job. Boning knives are available for different jobs in various profiles, lengths, and thicknesses. From longer, heavier blades designed for large cuts of beef to the flexible thin blade of a trout fillet knife, they're all in the boning knife family!

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THE PARING KNIFE

You reach for the paring knife to peel potatoes and fruits or slice root vegetables directly into the pot. These knives are usually 3-5 " long and have many blade profiles for slightly different jobs. Paring knives are thin, flexible, and very keen to handle the delicate chores a small blade should. They pick up where the petite chef or utility knife leaves off in the kitchen. I wouldn't want to work in a kitchen with no paring knife, but I know people do it. A variant of the paring knife is the steak knife we love to see on the table! Personal choice, right?

 

I think that covers the "standard" knives in the kitchen, but a few niche knives deserve mention for their outstanding jobs for the home, professional chef, or butcher. Let's go over a few of those now.

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MEAT KNIVES

We'll talk mainly about the cleaver, slicing knife, scimitar, and butcher knife in this category.

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CLEAVER

Meat cleavers are heavy knives with a more obtuse grind at the edge. They're designed to cut (or chop) through frozen foods, bones, and large, tough cuts of meat. Not to be confused with the lighter and more delicate vegetable cleaver.

 

CARVING Knife

Sometimes called a slicing knife, these straight edge blades are 8-12" long and about 1.25-1.5" tall. Designed to break down primal cuts of meat efficiently.

 

SCIMITAR

My friends in the butcher shop at Foothills Local Meats and Butcher's Bar rely heavily on a half dozen or so 10" scimitars to break down primal cuts of meats. The blade is almost all belly, with a high upswept trailing point. They're essential in butchery.

 

BUTCHER KNIFE

If you look at the graphic above, you'll see the edge of the butcher knife looks very much like the scimitar, with an extended belly that becomes very pronounced and steeper toward the tip, with more thickness at the tip. The primary function of these knives is breaking down, slicing, and cutting meat.

As you can see, there are many choices when it comes to knife styles for your kitchen!

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Visit the "The Steels" page to learn more.
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Thanks for reading,

Keith

Keith Nix Knives