Knife Buying Guide

The guide to selecting a knife:

Fundamental criteria:

Remember that about 60 –70% of the work is done on one or two knives. Your favourite ones. Whenever you need to use a knife these are usually the ones you pick up first.

So rather than buying a set of knives – some of which are either used very infrequently or never used at all, it best to buy really good knives that you enjoy using all the time and then adding other knives to them as and when you feel the need for a particular size or shape.

Select the knives you need and are comfortable with, rather than leaving it to the manufacturer to sell you what they think you need. For example, you may prefer a chef’s (multi purpose) knife that is 50mm longer, shorter or bit narrower than the one in a set or you may find a slightly different paring or utility blade more comfortable.

ONLY YOU CAN DECIDE WHAT IS BEST, MOST USEFUL AND COMFORTABLE FOR YOU – SO BUILD YOUR OWN SET – if necessary over a period of time rather than all at once.

Design and Material

The basic design of a knife has changed little in the last 10,000 years – a blade with a handle. What has changed, and is constantly changing, are the materials used in the making of knives and the handle shapes.

In very general terms, the price and quality of the knife is determined by:

The quality of steel or alternative material used to create the blade.

The method used to create the shape of the blade. (stamped, roll forged, drop forged, hand forged, hand hammered etc.)

The sharpness, the longevity of the edge and ability to stay sharp (determined by1 & 2)

Frequency of resharpening (determined by1 & 2 - though some very fine knives with razor sharp edges may require more upkeep)

The balance and feel of the knife

Quality of handle and quality of manufacturing

Remember what you are buying is a tool. So function and ergonomics are more important than the look. Buy the finest edge your budget will allow – DO NOT BUY A KNIFE SIMPLY BECAUSE IT LOOKS GOOD IN YOUR KITCHEN. Don’t make the mistake of buying a set of beautiful handles – a knife is the one tool that has to perform well in your hands several times a day. It is like a good pen, iron or vacuum cleaner – if it doesn’t work well it causes immediate frustration so buy the very best you can afford.

A sharp edge, the ability to hold a good edge, balance, ease of resharpening and a comfortable grip are what is important. Of course it is important that the knives are aesthetically pleasing but feasting the eye is not the primary function of a knife – being able to cut easily with complete control is.

The knife is NOT a sculpture IT IS A TOOL. The beautiful presentation and controlled preparation of food that a good knife facilitates cannot be compared.

General rules for choosing the shapes:

The broader the blade the more it is designed for vegetables & fruit, the narrower the blade the more it is designed for cutting raw flesh.

Narrow blades are not suitable for cutting fast or with a traditional rolling action. They are also not suitable for chopping.

Wide blades, as they generally (the Kodeba, Kobocho & Houcho are exceptions) tend to be longer than their narrower cousins and therefore difficult to use for paring, peeling and general cutting in the hands.

The more curved the edge the more it is designed for slicing and cutting with a rolling action (as you see some professionals doing) and for chopping (with the tip on the board). The straighter the edge the easier it is for slicing (with a lateral action as in slicing smoked salmon), dicing (as you would potatoes or hard vegetables) and chopping with a straight vertical cut.

Paring / Peeling / Utility Knives –

These are the most commonly used knives in most domestic kitchens. The blade is normally between 100mm & 150mm in length it is a narrow slim blade and can be used for peeling, paring and slicing. The longer the length the larger the food you can cut and the easier it is to use for slicing. This blade should not be used for chopping because the knuckle of the hand holding the knife will stop the back end of the knife edge touching the cutting surface and so you will not be able to get perfectly clean cuts. The same will apply if you try and use a classic rolling cut action. There is also danger of cutting your knuckle if you try and employ a rolling cut as the knife needs to be guided and controlled by the knuckle of the hand holding the food in a claw with the finger tips well away from the knife edge.

This style for blade is known as Petit in Japan.

Multi Purpose Chef’s Knives

These are generally between 165mm and 240mm in length. Wide at the handle end so that chopping and cutting with a rolling action is safe, comfortable and effective. The blade has slightly curved edge with a straight part at the handle end so that it is easier to roll the blade and yet slice right through the cut during fast slicing. This type of edge profile also facilitates clean cut chopping with the back end of the knife with the tip on the cutting surface during the chopping action.

If preparing more raw meat & fish than fruit &vegetables look for a blade that is narrower at the tip end - a Gyuto or Bunka is a good choice. The Gyuto also makes a very good carving knife that can double as a Multi Purpose knife for everyday use.

If preparing more vegetables than raw meat & fish then the Santoku or Funayuki are good Muliti Purpose blades. The Santoku also makes a wonderful knife for chopping herbs etc.

REMEMBER THAT IF YOU WANT A KNIFE THAT IS EXTREMELY SHARP THE EDGE HAS TO BE VERY THIN AND THEREFORE SHOULD NEVER BE USED WITH FORCE, HEAVY INPACT OR ON FROZEN FOOD & BONE OTHERWISE THERE IS A DANGER OF CHIPPING

Use the chart below only as a guide – remember that any very sharp edge will cut anything. The chart is not saying that you can only cut these things with that shape, it is to help you decide the best shape for the functions you want it carry out most

Food and Desired Cut	Ideal Shape	Alternative	2 nd Choice	Collections
Slicing and Dicing Raw Meat	Gyuto			Classic; Classic II; Classic Pro; Best Clad BCC, BCS & Professional; Artisan; Hattori; Murata, Multi Layer
	Semai Gyuto			Dentoo
		Kansai Poultry		Masahiro Old World
		Bunka		Classic; Best Clad BCC & BCS, Black Caddie
		Yanagiba		New Tradition; Masahiro Tradition Kobayashi
		Takohiki		Masahiro Tradition
		Butaniku		Dentoo
			Santoku	Classic; Classic II; Classic Pro; Best Clad BCC, BCS & Professional; Harima; Artisan; Hattori; Murata; Multi Layer; Masahiro Tradition; Ceramic
			Funayuki	Classic; Classic II; Classic Pro; Best Clad BCC, BCS; Dentoo
Chopping and Dicing Large Joints of Raw Meat with Bone	Meat Cleaver			Carbon Cleavers
Chopping and Dicing Large Joints of Raw Meat without Bone	Slicing Cleaver			Cleavers
		Meat Cleaver		Carbon Cleavers
		Deba		New Tradition; Kobayashi
		Ai Deba		Masahiro Tradition
			Usuba	Classic; Best Clad BCC, BCS & Professional; Harima; Multi Layer; New Tradition; Kobayashi; Masahiro Tradition; Dentoo; Black Caddie
Slicing cold joints & carving	Carving			Sugimoto; Masahiro Old World
	Granton Edge Slicer			Misono

		Yanagiba		New Tradition; Classic Masahiro Tradition; Kobayashi
		Takohiki		Masahiro Tradition
		Gyuto		Classic; Classic II; Classic Pro; Best Clad BCC, BCS & Professional; Multi Layer Artisan; Hattori; Murata
		Semai Gyuto		Dentoo
			Bunka	Classic; Best Clad BCC & BCS, Black Caddie
			Santoku	Classic; Classic II; Classic Pro; Best Clad BCC, BCS & Professional; Harima; Artisan; Hattori; Murata; Multi Layer; Masahiro Tradition; Ceramic
			Funayuki	Classic; Classic II; Classic Pro; Best Clad BCC, BCS; Dentoo
Raw Poultry and Game	Tokyo Poultry			Sugimoto; Masahiro Old World; Misono
	Kansai Poultry			Masahiro Old World
		Gyuto		Classic; Classic II; Classic Pro; Best Clad BCC, BCS & Professional; Multi Layer Artisan; Hattori; Murata
		Bunka
			Funayuki	Classic; Classic II; Classic Pro; Best Clad BCC, BCS; Dentoo
			Santoku	Classic; Classic II; Classic Pro; Best Clad BCC, BCS & Professional; Harima; Artisan; Hattori; Murata; Multi Layer; Masahiro Tradition; Ceramic
			Petit (135mm+)	Classic, Classic II, Classic Pro, Best Clad Professional, Artisan, Misono, Hattori, Murata.
Slicing and filleting raw fish	Yanagiba			New Tradition; Masahiro Tradition Kobayashi
	Takohiki			Masahiro Tradition
		Gyuto		Classic; Classic II; Classic Pro; Best Clad BCC, BCS & Professional; Multi Layer Artisan; Hattori; Murata
		Bunka
		Sashimi		Classic
		Flexible		Misono

General differences between the steels:

Most Stainless Steel knives do not hold their edge well unless they have been heat treated or hardened by some other method so that the steel has achieved a Rockwell rating of at least 56:58 – anything less than this and the knife will loose its edge fairly quickly. It is also harder to resharpen than High Carbon Steel (both stainless and staining). Basic principle here is that the more Chromium the blade has the harder it is to maintain a good edge. So if buying a Stainless Steel knife look for one that has Molybdenum and Vanadium rather than just Chromium and one that’s been hardened to 58 or more on the HRC scale (any knife seller worth his salt will know the hardness of his various knives).

High Carbon Steel holds its edge very well. Stainless High Carbon Steel is harder to resharpen than High Carbon Steel that does stain (though the difference between these two is marginal)

Tool steels and industrial machine steels are the best.

General guideline is: the higher the carbon content of the steel, the longer the edge will last and the easier it will be to resharpen.

Blade Material Guide

Material	Carbon Content	Edge Retention Capacity	Initial / First Sharpening	Frequency of re-sharpening	Ease of Sharpening	Guideline Cost of a 165mm Chefs Knife
Stainless Steel	Less than 0.5%	Poor	2/3 Months	After every use	Very Difficult	£5 - £10
Stainless Steel with Molybdenum Vanadium	Less than 0.5%	Adequate	3/4 months	Every week	Difficult	£25 - £45
High Carbon Stainless Steel	Less than 0.8%	Good	5/6 months	Every 4/6 Weeks	Moderate	£35 - £60
High Carbon Steel Eg AUS 8, AUS 10 & MBS 26	0.8%+	Good	5/6 months	Every 2/3 Months	Easy	£35 - £60
High Carbon Steel Eg Yasuki Steel, Aogami No1 & No 2 Blue VG10	More than 1%	Very Good	6/8 months	Every 2/3 months	Very Easy	£50 - £80
High Speed Steel Eg HRS 15	More than 1.5%	The Best	12/18 months	Every 4/5 months	Moderate	£100 - £150
Zirconium Ceramic	Not applicable	Very, very good	12/18 months	Every 6/9 months	Moderate Only Diamond	£120+
Titanium	Not applicable	Questionable	Variable *	Every 4/6 months	Difficult	£90 - £130

Advantages of Laminated Steel.

The primary advantage of having a blade made from laminated steel is that having soft outer layers with a very hard central core means that the edge will last longer before blunting and is a lot easier to resharpen.

Laminated, layered and folded steels generally have a High Carbon central core, which forms the cutting edge and so will hold their sharpness as long as a single layer blade made of the same steel. However, as the outer layers (the 2 sides of the blade) are soft stainless steel they are much, much easier to resharpen. As a result we can make the central core much harder than if the blade were constructed from a steel of the same hardness because it is still easy to resharpen.

Establish your priorities:

Budget
Does your knife definitely have to be stainless?
Are you able to sharpen the knife at home?
Are you willing to learn how to sharpen the knife at home?
What is a comfortable length for you?
Are there specific jobs you want the knife to perform (e.g boning, filleting fish, chopping herbs etc.)

General rules for choosing the shapes:

The broader the blade the more it is designed for vegetables & fruit, the narrower the blade the more it is designed for cutting raw flesh.

Narrow blades are not suitable for cutting fast or with a traditional rolling action. They are also not suitable for chopping.

Single sided or double sided

Single sided blades are sharpened on one side only, whilst double sided ones are sharpened on both sides.

Traditional Japanese knives are single sided (e.g. New Tradition Collection, Masahiro Tradition Collection or Kobayashi Collection). This allows a finer slice and lifts the slice off the food being cut.

Resharpening requires a different method or the use of a specialist sharpener like the JKC KC110. Resharpening these knives is very easy and a razor edge sharp enough to shave with !! can be very easily achieved.

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