Have you ever walked down the baking aisle in a supermarket? Generally, somewhere in between the flours, the spices, and the cake and brownie mixes, you will find a few shelves full of baking trays and a rack with a selection of kitchen tools and gadgets. Somewhere on that rack, usually somewhere higher up, will be a kitchen knife or two priced at $10 or so. They are typically packaged in clamshell plastic with plastic handles and bold lettering. No matter how much you know about high end kitchen knives, you recognize what you’re looking at in that baking aisle … and it is not high end…
If we are being philosophical about it, it’s the experience. A bicycle will get you from Point A to Point B. So will a million-dollar supercar—and for that matter, so will a tank. But the differences between them are as large as they are obvious. The same is true of knives.
The bicycle vs supercar analogy is particularly apt. If you’re just going down the block, a bicycle may be all you need, but if you really want to go the distance—and to enjoy the going—the supercar will get you there quickly and comfortably, and in style. That $10 kitchen knife will get you down the block; you can absolutely cook a meal with it. Using it, you will find that every step of the way is more work, that it takes a lot longer overall, and even that it is more dangerous.
Let’s take a look at the factors that give that kitchen knife its high end value.
My father likes to say of my work, “once you’ve tried one of these knives, you’ll put your other knives away.” It sounds like a sales pitch, but it isn’t hyperbole. My knives are the only knives he reaches for when he’s cooking in the kitchen, even when he’s only “going down the block.” Have you ever cut a tomato with a dull knife? An onion? Was it more saw-and-mush than slice? In fact, most people have never cut a tomato or an onion with a sharp knife. It is an entirely different experience. The first factor to consider is how the sharp edge of this type of knife is. If it is high end, it will absolutely sail through these tough-to-cut items. You will notice that the tomato ends up in actual distinct pieces, not tattered blobs sitting in a puddle of juice or that the cut onion will actually make your eyes tear up less, because you haven’t crushed so much of it during the dice.
Another factor that makes a high end kitchen knife is that it allows you more control and efficiency with less risk of danger. Prospective customers sometimes worry about wielding such a sharp instrument in the kitchen, claiming they’ll surely hurt themselves. A sharp blade must always be respected, but it’s actually the dull blade that leads to more injuries. It does what you want it to do—it cuts—whereas the dull blade must be forced, and that leads to injury.
Compare that grocery store knife to a high end kitchen knife, made by the hand and for the hand, and understand that you’re comparing a bicycle to a supercar. Do you just want to get the job done? Or do you want to love the experience all the way through?
Commission a knife with Jonas Blade now to experience the difference!
About The Author
Zack Jonas was born and raised in Massachusetts in the 1980’s and is still a New Englander today. With his growing love for art over the years, he took an introductory bladesmithing class at MASSart. It was there that he learned one of his most valuable lessons, which is that everyone has some insight worth learning. Today, he is a full-time bladesmith and feels incredibly fortunate to have found his calling.