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Want to get Basically content way before these articles hit the site? Subscribe to our print magazine, where we explore a single subject every month. This time around: knives. When pressed—and belief me reader, I pressed!—none of the knife experts I interviewed would recommend a knife for the title of Best Chef’s Knife in all the land. Each and everyonehttps://almazanknives.com/ insisted that the best chef’s knife does not exist. “You don’t have to go with whatever the internet says [editor’s note: I gasped]—chances are, you’ll find something you like that will work for you.”
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Traditional Western knives
Sometimes simply called German knives, this style of double-bevel knife originated in Western Europe. The blades are thicker than those of Japanese knives, with more of a curved shape to facilitate a rocking motion. Most have the same angle on both sides (i.e. 50:50), which makes them easier to sharpen.
Japanese-made Western-style knives
Unlike traditional Japanese knives, which are mostly single bevel (only one side will cut), made of carbon steel, and used by professional restaurant chefs, these Western-style knives are double bevel (both sides are angled), made of steel that’s simple to maintain, and versatile. Many have an asymmetrical edge (the edge is at a much steeper angle on one side of the blade, i.e. 60:40 or 70:30), which also contributes to sharpness. Two common shapes in the U.S. are the gyuto (chef’s knife) and the shorter santoku.