Gary Portman

Dalstrong vs WÜSTHOF is a closer fight than the names suggest, because Dalstrong’s Gladiator line uses the same kind of German stainless steel that WÜSTHOF forges in Solingen. So the choice comes down to the things around the steel: where … Read more

Miyabi makes some of the sharpest factory knives you can buy, and I’d recommend the brand to any careful cook who wants a genuinely Japanese blade with a big company behind it. Miyabi belongs to ZWILLING J.A. Henckels, the German … Read more

ZWILLING and WÜSTHOF are neighbors in Solingen, both forge their best knives from German stainless steel, and both make a chef’s knife that will outlive most of the food you cut with it. That’s why most “which is better” answers … Read more

Shun is the Japanese knife brand I’d point most American home cooks to first. The knives are made in Seki, Japan, by Kai, a company that has been making blades there since 1908. They’re very sharp out of the box, … Read more

Shun or WÜSTHOF is really a question about you, not about the knives. Shun makes thin, hard Japanese blades that glide through an onion and punish carelessness; WÜSTHOF makes thicker, tougher German blades that shrug off bones and a crowded … Read more

Do you need a special knife for sushi at home? For rolls, not really: any sharp chef’s knife cuts maki if you wet the blade. Sashimi is different. Raw fish is soft and slippery, and the moment you saw at … Read more

Ask a butcher which knife is best for meat and you’ll probably get a question back: what are you cutting? Raw steaks off a roast, a cooked turkey, a rack of ribs and a steak on your plate each want … Read more