The Best Chef's Knives to Chop Anything in the Kitchen
This knife is a work of art. I loved using it, but just looking at it—she's purty. The knife is hand-hammered, creating a rippled finish that is not only beautiful but also helps reduce drag while cutting and promotes less food sticking to the blade. Shun claims each knife is crafted in a 100-step process 'inspired by ancient swordsmiths,' and the blades are crafted in Seki, Japan's 700-year-old center for samurai swords. The blade's steel core has 34 layers of micro-thin, high-carbon Damascus stainless steel on each side for increased stability and durability (with 68 total layers), and a 16-degree blade angle. The resin-infused blonde birch handle is not only beautiful, but has an ergonomic design that is comfortable to hold. This knife is lightweight, a bit short, and easy to use. I love using it for smaller, more precise tasks, although it did stand up pretty well when cutting more dense root vegetables. I minced and diced super quickly with this li'l guy, but food chunks tended to stick to the sides of the blade. Blade Material Micro-thin, high-carbon Damascus stainless steel Made in Japan Blade length 6 inches Total length 12 inches Edge 16 deg. angle Blade hardness heat-treated to 60-61 HRC Total weight 0.3 lbs
Photograph: Molly Higgins
This sleek Hast knife is made of Japanese carbon steel (see above for more about carbon materials) from renowned steel maker Koike. It overall feels lightweight and svelte. The ergonomic handle was very easy to grip, although it got a bit slippery (and potentially dangerous) when wet. It felt superlight, but overall didn't feel as heavy-duty, and flip-flopped a bit while cutting more dense foods like potatoes. It was able to make supersmooth cuts on softer foods, and I felt able to control it easily while mincing garlic. The ultrathin blade made of Japanese carbon steel won't get discolored as easily as others, but the lack of information regarding the hardness of its blade gives me pause as to its performance in the long term. After much searching, I found that the knife was made in China. Still, this is a remarkably affordable option for a Japanese carbon steel chef's knife that excels in making more precise cuts. Blade Material Japanese carbon steel Made in China Blade length 8 inches Total length 13.62 inches Edge 12 deg. angle Blade hardness Not specified Total weight 0.39 lbs
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