Kitchen Knives: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right Knife

What makes a knife a good tool for preparing food? How do you choose it wisely so it remains your faithful kitchen companion for the rest of your life? 

A knife is a tool that we use daily to create and transform different foods. It’s an everyday instrument adapted to work in the kitchen, and its design is based on centuries of experience and specialized use. When choosing and purchasing a knife, you have to consider various factors, such as your food preparation habits and the dishes you make most. Dive in and learn how to choose your knife for life!

Let us first dispel an old myth that every household needs a large set of kitchen knives. We recommend you start with one basic, medium-sized knife. Once you’ve got a good all-rounder, consider getting a smaller petty (sometimes called a paring knife in the West) for more intricate and in-hand tasks, for which the largest knife can seem unwieldy. From there, you can slowly build your knife collection, gradually expanding your kitchen knife arsenal based on informed decisions and self-observation in the kitchen. Do not buy knives you don’t need: less is more!

A good knife collection grows over the years and reflects the specialized needs and evolving cooking habits of its owner. It all starts with that first (and usually favorite) knife, so choose it wisely.

General rules for choosing a knife

Knives are designed for food preparation, making them as diverse as the cuisines of the world. Their shape is influenced by cooking techniques, ingredients, and even cultural beliefs and taboos. Yet, despite these differences, knives across the globe remain fundamentally similar—their basic form has changed little over the past 10,000 years. A knife is, after all this time, still a blade with a handle.

1. The shape of the blade

When choosing a knife, you should base your decision on how it feels in your hand rather than on some preconceived idea of what it should look like. The way the handle fits in your hand, the knife's balance, whether a particular length and width fits your needs, as well as the feeling of control you feel when wielding it, are all very subjective elements, so it’s best to purchase a knife in person. According to our experience, the palm of your hand chooses the knife even before your mind can wrap itself around it.

Two general rules for choosing the shape are:

→ The wider the blade, the more suitable it is for cutting fruit and vegetables and the less convenient it is for delicate tasks, such as peeling.
→ Narrow and long blades are more suitable for cutting raw meat and less convenient for fast chopping.

With most kitchen knives, sharpness is of key importance for ease of cutting without exerting too much force. Such blades are usually thinner and could get damaged if you use them for more heavy-duty tasks. Because they are a little more sensitive and intended for specific tasks, there is a rule that applies to all Japanese knives: if you wouldn’t bite into it, don’t cut it with a knife. So, don’t chop bones, slice fish, or open a coconut with them. 

• MULTI-PURPOSE: Gyuto, a Japanese version of the Chef’s knife, is a good all-rounder. Santoku and bunka tend to be slightly shorter and wider than the gyuto and are also great starting points as they will handle most tasks. A smaller gyuto of about 210mm (8.3") perhaps offers the most versatile use, as it is excellent both for larger pieces of meat or vegetables yet also nimble enough for more intricate work. If you’re preparing plenty of vegetables, the santoku or bunka are a better choice, because of their wider blade that is perfect for cutting vegetables and fast chopping on a cutting board.
• MEAT: Kitchen knives that make quick work of large pieces of meat are the yanagiba and the slicer, as well as narrower and longer gyuto/chef’s knives.
• VEGETABLES: Nakiri and usuba both have a squared-off tip that is designed for chopping and peeling vegetables (also the Japanese cutting technique katsuramuki that creates long, thin sheets from cylindrical vegetables). Nakiri is a double bevel knife, while usuba is a single bevel knife aimed at more experienced chefs.
• DELICATE TASKS / PEELING: Petty and utility knives are smaller kitchen knives intended for more delicate tasks in the kitchen, such as peeling, paring and decorating, coring apples, cutting out potato eyes and similar tasks. Longer models (150mm) can be used for filleting portioned fish, cutting poultry, slicing smaller pieces of dry meats and trimming meat.
• HEAVY-DUTY TASKS: For more difficult kitchen tasks we need a suitably thicker kitchen knife, such as a deba or a heavier meat cleaver.

Discover Different Knife Shapes

2. Material

The quality of a kitchen knife is largely determined by the quality of the steel and its treatment, which in turn directly affects how sharp the blade is, how long it retains its edge (when used correctly), how often a knife must be sharpened, and how demanding this sharpening process is. We can determine all of this by reading the tag specifying the steel the blade is made from.

In the world of kitchen knives, there are three categories of steel. Each of them has its strengths and weaknesses, which determine what the knife will be used for:

• Steels with a high content of carbon (traditional Japanese steels, such Aogami or Shirogami)
• Stainless and semi-stainless steels (e.g. VG-10)
• Powdered steels (for example ZDP-189 or SG2/R2)

Good quality steel should be considered a foundation, a potential, which – through the processes of forging, tempering, and blade shaping – can be fully unlocked only by the most experienced master blacksmiths. The basic process of obtaining steel starts with smelting iron ore and this is only the first in a series of steps towards a suitable material from which a blade can be forged.

According to its definition, steel is an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon. Carbon increases the strength and hardness of iron while simultaneously reducing its toughness, tensile strength and malleability. By adding different amounts of carbon, steel acquires different characteristics (hardness, plasticity, and durability). An experienced user can glean the properties of a knife only by looking at its steel composition. 

If you’re purchasing a knife and can’t find information on the type, quality, and hardness of steel, you’re usually looking at stainless steel with a high content of chromium (Cr) and a (too) low content of carbon (C < 0.5%). High-carbon steel (C > 0.8%) remains sharp for longer and is easier to sharpen, but because there is no chromium (Cr), the blade develops a patina over time. Stainless steel with a high content of carbon (C > 0.8%) and chromium (Cr > 10%) stays sharp for a very long time but is slightly more challenging to resharpen.

The best available steels in the market today are technologically advanced tool steels that can contain an extremely high content of carbon (C < 3%) along with the right amount of chromium that prevents corrosion. Kitchen knives made of these steels take the win when it comes to retaining an edge but are more difficult to resharpen.

Steel Matters: Learn About Knife Materials

2.1 What about the HRC of steel?

Another important piece of steel information is its hardness, which is measured in HRC (Rockwell scale). 56 HRC is the lowest hardness level of steel in a decent kitchen knife. Besides becoming blunt relatively quickly, a stainless-steel knife under 56 HRC is difficult to resharpen. Kitchen knives with a “stainless” tag have a very high chromium (Cr) content and a low carbon (C) content, which means that even though they don’t rust, they quickly lose their edge due to the low carbon content. As such, they’re far from perfect candidates.

If you want a completely stainless kitchen knife, choose a blade that is made of steel with a lower content of chromium (Cr) and has a touch of vanadium (V) or molybdenum (Mo) and that has been tempered to at least 56 HRC.

At the other end of the Rockwell scale, we can find modern Japanese powder tool steels that are more challenging to treat, but the end result is that much more satisfying. They are tempered to 64-67 HRC which ensures long-term, fine sharpness and simple maintenance.

→ You can find out more about hardness and how it affects blade properties in Hardness According to the Rockwell Scale
→ If you want to explore steel and the metallurgy of kitchen knives in more detail, check out Introduction to metallurgy of kitchen knives

3. Handle

Handles are as varied as blades. We can roughly divide them into two categories:

• Traditional Japanese handle (wa)
• Classic Western handle (yo)

Above all, a handle should be just the right size and have a smooth surface, without any rough or sharp edges so it fits comfortably in the palm of your hand. In western-type handles, the transition of the blade into the handle is also important because it dictates how comfortably the knife will fit your hand. A general rule applies: Knives with Japanese handles are light, while Western-type handles are heavier.

What is a well-balanced knife? If you wish to check the balance of blade and handle, bring your thumb and index finger together and place the knife on the two bottom knuckles, exactly where the blade and handle meet. If the knife doesn’t lean either backward or forward, it’s perfectly balanced. Some chefs, however, prefer that their knives’ center of gravity lies a little further toward the tip of the knife (Japanese type of blade). A knife’s balance is, therefore, also a matter of individual preferences.

Choosing the Right Handle for Your Knife

3.1 Japanese Wa handles

Wa handles can be made of wood—magnolia is a favorite, followed by various exotic types of wood, such as rosewood, with walnut also being very popular—or from synthetic materials. They can be round, D-shaped, oval, octagonal, or shield-shaped. Due to its asymmetry, a D-shaped handle is suitable only for right- or only for left-handed people.

The wooden part of a wa handle is most often additionally secured with a ferrule – the ring or cap that sits at the junction between the blade and the handle to strengthen it. It can be made from plastic or, in more prestigious, limited series knives, from ebony or buffalo horn.

The tang is the part of the blade that extends into the handle. Japanese knives usually have a half tang—the blade reaches halfway inside the handle. It is therefore shorter and thinner than a full tang observed in western knives, and in combination with a light wooden handle, it usually impacts knife balance. Compared to Western-type knives, the center of balance in a traditional Japanese knife lies a little towards the tip. As such, Japanese knives are more suitable for the pinch grip. The handle is stuck onto the half tang and can easily be replaced in case of wear or different aesthetic preferences.

3.2 Western Yo handles

Yo handles are probably familiar to anyone who has ever held a knife in their hand. Their main characteristic is that they have a full tang, which means that the spine of the blade extends all the way down to the end of the handle. It is sandwiched between two scales,  two layers of wooden or synthetic material, and secured by rivets and pins. This helps ensure that the blade is securely attached to the handle. Its other distinctive trait is that it has a bolster, the metal section connecting the handle to the blade. The handles are usually made from synthetic materials, laminated wood, stabilized wood, and, less often, natural wood.Compared to a Japanese knife, the Western type tends to be a little heavier, and its center of gravity lies right where the handle and blade meet. As such, it is less ideal for the pinch grip—the handle is intended to be held fully by the hand, and is usually ergonomically shaped. This type of handle is also very durable, but it is far trickier to repair and replace, and it is not common practice to replace it just because of aesthetics.

How do you choose the right knife for you?

Consider all the factors explained above and think about the tasks you will use it for, how you want it to feel in your hand, and if you have any personal preferences. Knives are indispensable kitchen tools that, first and foremost, have to be functional and practical. Besides ease of cutting, aesthetics are another important aspect. Some knives have superior design and an appealing look—transcending the category of a mere everyday utensil, they become usable art.

The quality and price of a kitchen knife are therefore determined by several factors: The quality of steel; the method used to turn this steel into a blade and harden it; the sharpness of the blade and how long it retains its edge when used correctly (this is largely affected by the first two elements); the required frequency and ease of sharpening; the balance of the blade and handle; how the knife feels in the hand; and the quality and design of the handle. Before purchasing a knife, it is therefore a good idea to consider all these aspects and, in addition, think about the following:

When buying a knife, you have to take a closer look at the shape and material of the blade, the weight and balance of the knife, and the width and length of the blade. Before making your choice, it's a good idea to take the knife in your hand so you can see how it feels and whether you like its weight and your grip on the handle. Because you are not buying a simple item but rather a piece of hand-crafted art, you should let yourself fall in love with its aesthetic elements, too.

If you want to buy a good kitchen knife, it’s best you visit a specialized store with kitchenware, where you can hold the knife in your hand and chat about its pros and cons with an experienced professional. You can also purchase a knife online and make this assessment at home—if you buy at SharpEdge, you have the option of a 30-day return with money back guarantee. If you have any questions during the selection process, you can always reach out to our customer support team (all knife nerds), and we'll advise you and help you choose your knife for life.

Always bear in mind the following: less is more. It’s better to own one good knife than a set of mediocre knives.

Still not sure what type of Japanese knife is for you? 

We prepared a quick quiz that will help you choose a perfect knife based on your cooking skills and type of food you prepare most often. Take the quiz now.