Turn on the Food Network today and chances are very good that you’ll see someone preparing food with a chef’s knife. It is such a simple, ubiquitous, and iconic design that it can be easy to overlook. Even its name is almost subliminal; a chef’s knife—obviously, the knife that a chef uses would be the. . . Read More
Handmade knives are defined by the quality of their craftsmanship and can be as much an expression of the owner as they are an expression of the maker. They can also be easier to sharpen even with prolonged use over time and can be passed down to the next generation. Collectors sometimes ask me whether. . . Read More
A customized hunting knife will not make you a better hunter with a better shot … nor will it reward your patience on those cool autumn mornings with better weather conditions, more abundant game, or easier tracking. But once you have made that shot, a customized hunting knife will make the rest of the work. . . Read More
More than two million years ago, our early ancestors began using rocks as tools. These were initially simple and unrefined, mainly used for blunt impact work, but over the millennia they evolved into much more specific and elegant forms, including sharp cutting tools. Stone remained the pinnacle of material technology all the way up until. . . Read More
I will give you an unhelpful hint: not me. Here are who I think make the world’s top chef’s knives: Bob Kramer Nick Rossi Bob Kramer The world’s top chef knife maker in the world is, without a doubt, Bob Kramer. His pricing starts at $1000 per inch, and his wait list was 15 years. . . Read More
When I exhibit my work at shows, there is a subset of people who approach to defend the virtue of “true” damascus steel. They contend that the modern version of it is a different animal, and it should in fact be called “pattern welded steel” instead. It is difficult to say precisely where this idea. . . Read More
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. . . Read More
What are thoughts to consider when buying chef’s knives? It is probably not a question most people have spent much time thinking about, but there is plenty to sink your teeth into. Imagine yourself cooking professionally, in the kitchen of a high-end restaurant. You get to work at 11:00am each morning. You spend the first. . . Read More
Kitchen knives made of damascus are enjoying a surge in popularity right now. With the perennial popularity of cooking shows–I can remember my way back to Julia Child reruns when I was a kid–and the burgeoning universe of food blogs and fine dining restaurants, it was only a matter of time before the culinary world. . . Read More
A high quality carbon steel chef knife is a beautiful thing and what is needed to cook the best of meals. I won’t bore you with the merits of high carbon steel again; suffice it to say, it’s good stuff. It’s better stuff than what you’re used to if, like most people, you’ve lived your. . . Read More