How To Choose a Knife Set 

    Knives are the most important and most frequently used kitchen utensils. In choosing a new knife set, the main considerations are which knife set to purchase and which knife is used for what purpose. Buying a knife set is an important decision. The knives you choose should last a lifetime. After you purchase a good quality knife set, you should never have to replace them. A good rule is to buy the best knives you can possibly afford, because they should last for the rest of your life.

     Knives are normally more affordable if you purchase them in a set. Knife sets should include all the basic tools and will often include a stand or case in which to store the knives. You will be able to purchase additional, more specific, knives in the future if you wish. Most knife manufacturers sell knives individually, allowing you to add to your collection at any time you wish. You may need to replace a lost knife, have a duplicate on hand if you have more than one cook in your kitchen, you may wish to have a specialty knife for smaller hands, or you want the top of the line knives but cannot afford a whole set at once. A knife set will make more sense unless one of these situations applies to you.

     There are different types of knives. Fine edge knives are the classic style. Chefs and serious cooks normally choose fine edge knives due to the weight and feel. The blade is very sharp which allows for precision cutting. Fine edge knives will require some maintenance however, such as steeling. 

     The type of steel used in knife blades is one of the most important factors in choosing a knife set. The majority of knives are manufactured with a blend of high carbon stainless steel that will resist rust and corrosion. The tang is the part of the knife in which the metal is attached to the handle. The best knives will have a tang in which the metal extends to the end of the handle. Knife blades are normally tapered at the edges to allow for easier sharpening. Quality knives are balanced and feel good in the cook's hand. The knife should be easy to handle and feel solid. A good knife should feel like an extension of your hand and allow adequate space between where your fingers grip the knife and the surface on which you are cutting.

     In purchasing a knife set, you will need to know the difference between stamped and forged. Forging is the process of taking a heated piece of metal and grinding it into the shape of a blade. Stamped blades are cut from a single sheet of metal and pressed into a blade. Forged knives are generally heavier than stamped knives. There will be several types of knives included in each knife set. Identifying the particular knives each set contains will be very helpful in choosing the one that will best serve your needs.

     Most knife sets will contain a chef knife, which has a triangular blade that ranges from 6 to 12 inches long. The paring knife will have a blade that is approximately 3 inches long and it about 3/4 of an inch wide. A serrated knife is used for slicing breads and vegetables that tend to bruise easily. Utility knives have an approximately 6 inch blade and are used for a number of purposes. Boning knives are for slicing meat off bones and the blades are normally quite narrow. A slicing knife has a long, thin blade and is used to slice meat such as ham, roast, and turkey. Butcher knives are usually heavier than the other knives in the set and have blades up to eight inches. A cleaver is used for heavy chopping and cutting through bone and will have a slightly curved or straight edge. Steak knives are used for cutting steaks in a table setting, but can also serve as utility or paring knives.

Care of Knives

     Every knife we carry is of the highest quality and designed to exceed the performance expectations of the user. Each product is individually heat treated, and given the blade and edge geometry that has been perfected for the task at hand. The performance of these superior products can be diminished, however, if they are not cared for properly. The cleaning and care of these superior products is critical to their long term performance. We recommend adherence to the following:

1. Cutlery should be hand washed in mild to medium strength detergent and towel-dried.

2. Knives should not be placed in automatic dishwashers. The blade edges will be dulled from rubbing against each other, and caustic detergents will cause staining and pitting of the blade. For wood-handled products, heat and detergents cause the natural oils and pigments to be drawn out of the wood, resulting in the handle fading and splitting.

3. Cutlery should not be soaked for long periods or submerged for cleaning. Carbon steel knives should be washed and dried immediately after every use to prevent rusting.

5. Chlorine and bleach products discolor and pit stain-free and high-carbon steel. If chlorine or bleach products come in contact with the blade, they must be thoroughly rinsed off immediately.

6. Only frequent and prompt cleaning of cutlery after each use with non-caustic solutions and prompt towel drying will ensure the performance and beauty of these superior products.


Is My Knife Sharp? 

    The Meaning of Sharpness: What do we mean when we say that we want our knives to be sharp? Seems like a silly question. We all know what sharp is. Or do we? Sharpness is not just a super-thin edge that will readily shave the hair on your arm; it is also a function of shape and intended purpose. You could grind your chef’s knife to razor thinness, but the edge would crumble the first time you hit a bone or tried to hammer your way through a winter squash. Your knife would be sharp but useless. Similarly, a razor sharp but wedge-thick edge is great on a splitting axe but not much good for tomatoes. We have to take into consideration the shape of the blade, the angle of the edge bevel and especially the items being cut when we consider how to sharpen our kitchen knives. So the real question is not "how sharp should my knife be," but rather "how do I get maximum performance from my knife."

     The Myth of Thick Edges: The theory is that thick edges (larger angles) last longer than thin edges, and the majority of the knife buying public wants the edge to last as long as possible. But it doesn’t work out that way in practice. Thinner edges actually outlast thicker edges almost all the time. The thinner edge starts out performing better than the thicker edge. So even if it does degrade it has a lot of ground to lose before it falls to the performance level of the thick edge. Thinner edges cut more easily, putting less stress on the edge. If a thin edge takes three slices to get through a big slab of raw meat, a thicker edge might take six or seven. Or three with a lot more force. The thicker edge is doing twice as much work, degrading twice as quickly.

     A Test for Sharpness: One way to test the sharpness of your knife is to press the edge lightly on your thumbnail at about a 30-degree angle. DO NOT PULL OR PUSH THE KNIFE TO CUT!!! If the knife cuts "grabs" onto your nail it is sharp. If it slips it is dull. The sharper the blade, the smaller you can make the angle before it slips. Try this with a new razor blade to see how a really sharp blade feels. The down side of thumbnail testing is that the little cuts in your nail get dirty and look bad until the nail grows out. For this reason some people do this test using a plastic pen or pencil.

How to use a Sharpening Steel 

     For efficient performance always keep your knives sharp. Remember, a dull knife can be dangerous. Keep all knives in a rack or block to prevent direct contact with each other. Don’t toss them in a drawer or use to open cans, remove jar and bottle caps or cut string or paper. Always use a cutting board or proper cutting surface when chopping, slicing, or mincing…never cut on metal, glass, or porcelain.

     Kitchen knives demand constant inspection for efficient performance. Even a fine cutting edge made from the best steel will turn its edge if used on a hard surface. While ordinary cutting will dull a good edge, this doesn't mean that the knife requires re-sharpening. A few light strokes on a steel will reset the edge and restore the knife’s keenness. Eventually this keen edge wears off and the use of a steel will not restore it. The knife must then be reground.

     To use a steel, grasp the sharpening steel firmly with your left hand (if right handed), placing the thumb securely behind the guard. Place the heel of the blade against the steel at a 90 degree angle - (see figure A). While keeping the cutting edge against the steel, raise the back of the blade approximately 1/4" off the steel - or at 20 degrees - (see figure B). Try to maintain this angle and apply constant, moderate pressure as you draw the blade smoothly across and down the full length of the steel in one continuous motion until the blade tip completes the stroke by passing off the steel near the guard - (see figure C). Repeat for the other side of the blade, only this time under the steel - (see figure D). A few passes on each side should do the trick. If not, do not keep steeling, your knife needs to be reground!