Knives

Wednesday, July 15, 2020

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Knives arguably are the pride of every kitchen. Though most would admit they have no idea, why they picked one knife or knife block over another. Each kitchen knife has a distinct purpose and I would argue that you only need 3 different knives. Over the years I have become a fan of Japanese-style knives but with the durability of Western-style knives, there is an argument to have those in your regiment as well. Before scrolling down to the TL;DR; section, we need to talk about the different styles of knives, and how to care for them. There is definitely pros and cons to each to style.

Style

Most kitchen knives are typically of one of two styles, German vs Japanese made. The difference between the two are primarily in the hardness of the steel and the angle of the edge.

Steel

Steel is what is made when you mix carbon with iron. The higher amount of carbon directly correlates with the hardness of the steel which inversely correlated with its durability. Japanese forging techniques container much more carbon than German knives. Which makes them harder but also makes them more brittle. Western-style steel is relatively softer, it’s capable of holding an edge longer. One would correct think a German-style knife needs to be sharpened less and you technically be correct. Though everyone will tell you that you should have your knives, no matter the style, professionally sharpened twice a year.

Edge

Japanese knife blades are thinner compared to their German counterparts, allowing for a sharper edge. Japanese knives are typically in the range of 15–16 degrees with German knives faring toward 20 degrees. Japanese blades are usually honed and refined by hand. With German blades are typically machine finished. German blades are traditionally curved to allow for the rocking cuts you typically see chefs do for dicing. Japanese blades typically have a straighter edge for cleaner and more precise cuts though are starting to have some curve added to them, as some of the bigger German manufacturers are purchasing the Japanese knife manufacturers.

Construction

People are taught to look for the full-tang construction or that the metal goes all the way through the handle. While that is true for German style knives, Japanese style knives typically taper inside the handle, which makes for a light, front weighted knife. This help enables more controlled cuts with the knife.

Care

If there is one thing you need to know about knives is that food and water are not good for them. After you finish each session of slicing and dicing you should always hand wash your knives and dry them.

Honing and Sharpening

Honing is not sharpening. As you blade hit the cutting board pieces of the metal move to the side. Honing, done correctly, helps move those pieces of metal back into place. While honing can temporarily make your knife feel sharper it's not sharpening. Also, you should never hone a Japanese knife. Sharpening actually removes metal to bring the degree of the edge angle back to where it needs to be. You should take your knives to a professional sharper twice a year. There is usually a place in every city that the chefs in town take their knives. Find that place and go there. It will be worth the money.

8" Chef Knife

This is your workhorse. If there is one knife you will want to spend money on, this is it. It is the blade that you grab the most frequent and should feel natural in your hand.

Use it for:

Slicing, dicing or even smashing a clove of garlic on the side of the blade.

Buy these:

I've grown to enjoy my Mayabi 9 1/2" Chef knife. The Shun 8" chef knife is also a great Japanese-style option. If you tend to be harder on your knives or need something for out in the field, I would go with a German-style like a Wusthof Classic 8-Inch Chef Knife or the Mac 8" Chef Knife.

Paring knife

When you need small precise cuts.

Use it for:

Coring tomatoes or other fruits along with hulling strawberries.

Buy these sizes:

A Wustoff 3.5" paring knife has become the standard for paring knives. Miyabi and Shun have great knives and the thinner blades can help with riper fruits.

Serated knife

This is what you use to get those perfect Instagram sandwich pictures or need to ripe through a nice loaf crusty bread.

Use it for:

Cutting crusty bread, an extra ripe tomato or even a pineapple.

Buy these sizes:

If you want to keep your knives in the same family and you've decided to go the Japanese style route then the Miyabi and Shun bread knives are great options. The Wustoff bread knife is also a good option.