What makes a kitchen knife good?
3 July 2026
A good aeroplane is one that does not fall out of the sky. A good kitchen knife is one that
A good aeroplane is one that does not fall out of the sky. A good kitchen knife is one that
A knife can be razor sharp and still cut badly. In a kitchen knife, geometry is the shape of the
Yes and no. Steel is treated as the thing that makes a kitchen knife good, and as a lone variable
Most kitchen knife steel falls into five practical groups: steel that is simply poor, steel that is too soft, a
14C28N is a modern stainless knife steel from Sweden, developed by Sandvik, whose former materials business is now Alleima. It
For most cooks, good modern stainless is the sensible choice, and not because it cuts better. At equivalent quality, a
Damascus is a decorative pattern, not a performance feature. Real Damascus is two steels forge-welded, folded and twisted so the
Forging is a method of making a knife, not a mark of quality. A well designed, precisely machined and properly
A good aeroplane is one that does not fall out of the sky. A good kitchen knife is one that
A knife can be razor sharp and still cut badly. In a kitchen knife, geometry is the shape of the
Yes and no. Steel is treated as the thing that makes a kitchen knife good, and as a lone variable
Most kitchen knife steel falls into five practical groups: steel that is simply poor, steel that is too soft, a
14C28N is a modern stainless knife steel from Sweden, developed by Sandvik, whose former materials business is now Alleima. It
For most cooks, good modern stainless is the sensible choice, and not because it cuts better. At equivalent quality, a
In April 2022, a London Plane tree in Soho Square came down across the front of a building that briefly
Damascus is a decorative pattern, not a performance feature. Real Damascus is two steels forge-welded, folded and twisted so the
Forging is a method of making a knife, not a mark of quality. A well designed, precisely machined and properly
Aside from all the little bits and pieces you need to make a custom knife (and there’s a fair few
Over the years we’ve tried all manner of methods of sharpening – both as professionals and as home users. In