Things to Consider when Buying a Good Chef's Knife

A chef's knife is also known as a French knife. It is an all-around knife for most kitchens. It has several uses but the most common ones are for slicing, dicing, chopping vegetables, cutting meats, and mincing. It can also often be used for squishing garlic in the absence of a mortar and pestle.

Historically, a Chef's knife is an evolution of the so-called butcher's knife. It was originally designed to disjoint large cuts of beef. You need to choose the best quality and assess the different prices of each butcher's knife. You also need to be familiar with its maintenance procedures.

Below is a guideline of the multi-purpose abilities and characteristics you need when choosing the best type of chef's knife.

First, let us take a look at the origin of knives. A Japanese Chef's knife named gyuto holds different edge geometry as compared to most Western manufacturers. Aside from this, it allows more cutting edges because of its harder steel. Moreover, santoku also gained popularity in the West due to its sheepfoot blade with spine. It drops sharply to meet acutely-ground edges.

In the US, the American Bladesmith Society encourages the usage of forged blades while the Knifemakers Guilds promotes custom knives.

Knives vary in their construction also. A Chef's knife can either be blocked or forged (sintered). Blocked knives have the same thickness which can be cut from a single metal sheet. They have blades that are ground in order to form the edge with no bolters.

Moreover, the handles of these knives are being added to the tang. It is less expensive and does not have balance. Forged knives have bolsters with more weight. It is made with the use of a forge machine which produces a balanced knife. It is more expensive than a block knife. Sintered knives are less expensive and create an Eastern style of knives. The blades are also flat with tubular handles.

Modern knives are made from different materials. The type of metal used is one great factor in making knife blades. Carbon steel blades are one of the most commonly used. These are iron alloys with approximately 1% carbon. Carbon steel blades are easy to sharpen and can hold an edge longer. Its edge tends to discolor when in contact with acids. It can even rust or corrode when not properly taken cared of. Most Chef's in Asia and the Middle East prefer to use this kind of knife.

There are also stainless steel blades, an iron alloy steel with 10-15% chromium. It is a lower grade stainless steel that is difficult to possess a good sharp edge but it is inexpensive. It does not taint the food and it is resistant to corrosion. However, high carbon stainless steel holds an edge but is quite expensive. It is the best choice because of its sharpness and excellent edge retention.

Titanium blades are best for filleting and boning. It has a much lighter weight and it can hold its edge. It is also flexible and is more wear resistant.

Some knives are laminated, using layered of different materials. The material combination can be softer but it is tougher steel. It is also sharp but possesses a harder edge material.

On the other hand, ceramic blades can hold an edge but it breaks easily. It is the longest of all blades, requiring special equipments for re-sharpening. They are chemically non-reactive and sintered to shape with zirconium oxide.

As for knife handles, it can be made with wood, steel and plastic. It is usually produced with different shapes and styles. Wood handles make for good grips but is difficult to care for. It will crack if overly exposed in water.

Handles made of plastic can be easily cared for but it can also become brittle and slippery over time.
Rubber handles are generally preferred by most chefs because of its durability and cushioning nature. Kraton or Respirine-C is one example of this rubber type of handle.

Micarta is a popular handle material because of its stability and toughness. Another good material is leather. It is produced typically by stacking leather washers. Stainless steel handles are durable and sanitary although slippery when used.

Skeleton handles make use of tangs as a handle but are often wrapped with a parachute cord. Thus, other materials can also be used for more grips.

Hard materials can also be used such as a mammoth tooth, walrus penis bone, buffalo horn and teeth, sheep horn and many other synthetic or composite elements.

Another factor to consider in knives is the blade style. The German style is shorter and wider. It features a pronounced curve that allows the knife to rock up and down. Thus, the French style has a longer and thinner version. It has fewer curves designed to become pulled towards the user.

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