Gary Portman 
Schmidt Brothers knives are good German-steel knives with better-looking blocks than most, and I’d recommend them to anyone who wants the set on the counter to look modern. Just know what you’re buying: the brand designs its knives in New … Read more
Kai is the Japanese company that makes Shun, and the knives it sells under its own name are the plainer, cheaper way into the same Seki know-how. They suit cooks who want a thinner, sharper knife than a budget German … Read more
Dalstrong is the brand I recommend when someone wants a knife that feels like an event to unbox and still cuts well every day. It’s also the brand I’m most careful with, because the marketing promises more than the steel … Read more
If you want one Chinese chef’s knife, get the Victorinox Fibrox 7″ Chinese Cleaver. It’s light, it grips well even with wet hands, and it costs little enough that you can find out whether the style suits you without regret. … Read more
Cangshan is the brand I’d point to when someone wants a good-looking forged German-style set and doesn’t need a famous Solingen or Seki name on the blade. The knives are made in Yangjiang, China, and sold in a confusing number … Read more
Yes, Victorinox’s Fibrox Pro 8″ Chef’s Knife is still the best value chef’s knife I know of. It’s light, thin enough to slice cleanly, made in Switzerland, and its textured handle grips when your hands are wet. What you give … Read more
Wüsthof is the German knife brand I’d recommend to anyone who wants one good kitchen knife and never wants to think about replacing it. The knives are made in Solingen, Germany, by a family company founded in 1814, and the … Read more
Gyuto is simply the Japanese word for a chef’s knife. The name translates as “cow sword,” a reminder that the shape arrived in Japan with Western-style beef cooking in the late 1800s, a job traditional Japanese knives weren’t made for. … Read more
Most dull Shun knives aren’t dull. The thin 16 degree edge has just rolled a little to one side, and some light passes on a honing steel stand it back up in seconds. Real sharpening is a job for a … Read more
Most cooks shopping for a nakiri will be happiest with the Shun Premier 5.5″ Nakiri. It’s compact, very sharp, and its hammered finish helps slices fall away instead of riding up the blade. If you want to spend far less, … Read more