Gary Portman 
Cuisinart knives come out of the box sharp, and then, within a few weeks of daily cooking, they don’t. That isn’t a fault so much as the trade-off of the steel: Cuisinart uses a fairly soft high-carbon stainless (it doesn’t … Read more
The gyuto knife is extensively used in making Japanese cuisine. This particular knife is quite versatile and performs a range of functions. These functions vary from cutting methods and styles. This knife is mainly used for cutting meat, vegetables, and … Read more
A gyuto is the Japanese chef’s knife. The name translates as “cow sword”, a nod to its origin as the blade Japanese cooks adopted from Western kitchens in the late 1800s for cutting beef, but today it’s an all-purpose knife … Read more
A Miyabi costs far more than a good German chef’s knife, so the real question is what that money buys. Mostly, the edge: thin blades hand honed to between 9.5 and 12 degrees in Seki, Japan, in hard, named steels … Read more
Miyabi (雅) is a Japanese word that means elegance or refinement, the polished, graceful taste of the old imperial court. It is also the name of a knife brand: ZWILLING’s Japanese line, made in Seki. Below I explain where the … Read more
To sharpen a Miyabi, use a 1000 grit whetstone and then a 6000, holding the blade at about 12 degrees per side, which is lower than almost any other factory knife you’ll own. Miyabi hand hones its edges at 9.5 … Read more
For most people, the best butcher knife set is the Cutluxe 3-piece butcher set: a breaking cimeter, a boning knife and a 12-inch slicer, which is the core a butcher actually uses, with nothing added to pad the box. If … Read more
Yes, Cangshan knives are good, as long as you buy them for what they are. They’re forged knives made in Yangjiang, China, sharpened to 16 degrees per side, sold with honest steel names and a lifetime warranty against defects. They … Read more
Sharpen Cangshan knives at about 16 degrees per side, the angle Cangshan uses on most of its lines. A whetstone gives the best result: coarse side until you feel a burr along the whole edge, then both sides on the … Read more
Most people chop with the whole hand wrapped around the handle and the index finger stretched along the spine. It feels safe, but it puts all the control in your wrist, so the blade wobbles on every cut and your … Read more